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Chateaupedia

Castles in Loire, France

181 châteaux listed · Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Every château we have listed in this department, with its verification level.

Friday 18, Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September 202623 castles open in Loire for the European Heritage DaysSee the programme

We record 181 castles, manor houses and strongholds in Loire, spread across 124 towns and villages. The ones with the most visitor reviews are Château d'Essalois (Essalois Castle) (12th century), Château de Beaulieu (Beaulieu Castle) (1,058 reviews), Château de Saint-Victor (Saint-Victor Castle) (open to visitors), Château des Cornes d'Urfé (Cornes d'Urfé Castle) (590 reviews) and Château de Donzy (Donzy Castle) (568 reviews).

17 of them receive visitors, according to their official website or their business listing. We have checked the opening hours of 14 and the prices of 6 of them, and each entry shows the date of that check. 18 of them are listed historic monuments, the highest level of protection in French heritage law. Each entry says what we could verify and what still needs confirming: enough to plan a day that holds together.

Coming this weekend? 10 castles open on Saturday or Sunday in Loire.

In French: Tous les châteaux de la Loire

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Frequently asked

How many châteaux in Loire can you visit?
We record 181 châteaux in Loire, across 124 towns and villages. Not all are open: many are private properties we list for their heritage interest, and the entry says so when we know.
Which is the most visited château in Loire?
Château d'Essalois, in Chambles, with 1,814 visitor reviews. Actual footfall is the measure, not an editorial ranking.
How many châteaux in Loire are listed historic monuments?
18 out of 181. Listing is the highest level of protection in French heritage law; every entry links to its official record in the Mérimée database.
Where can I find opening hours?
On each entry. We know the hours of 14 châteaux in this list, read from their official website or their business listing, with the date we last checked shown.