The 10 most beautiful castles in Loire-Atlantique
10 châteaux
Chosen among 233 recorded castles
What to see in Loire-Atlantique when you only have a weekend: the 10 most visited castles according to their visitors’ reviews, among those open to the public whose visiting conditions we checked on the official website. For each: what you see, the entry price, the link to the full entry.
Ranked by renown: how often their name is searched on Google each month, and how many reviews visitors have left. “Beautiful” is your word; what we measure is what visitors choose.
No. 1
Château des ducs de Bretagne
Nantes
Set in the heart of Nantes, this 15th century castle has changed roles many times without ever leaving the city: ducal residence of Brittany, then a royal fortress after the duchy joined France, it now houses the Nantes history museum.
Adult €9Hours, prices and access
No. 2
Château de Clisson (Clisson Castle)
Clisson
In Clisson, Loire-Atlantique, the remains of a 13th-century fortress stand on a rocky spur above the Sèvre Nantaise river. Damaged during the Revolution and partly restored afterwards, the site still reads as a fortified stronghold, now open to visitors as ruins. It is listed as a historic monument.
No. 3
Château de Goulaine (Goulaine Castle)
Haute-Goulaine
At Haute-Goulaine, near Nantes, this Renaissance castle built of tuffeau stone stands beside its marshland since the late 15th century.
Adult €11Hours, prices and access
No. 4
Domaine de la Bretesche
Missillac
The château de la Bretesche stands at Missillac, in the Loire-Atlantique department, beside a lake within a 200-hectare wooded estate on the edge of the Brière marshes.
No. 5
Château de Maubreuil (Maubreuil Castle)
Carquefou
The château de Maubreuil stands in Carquefou, on the outskirts of Nantes, on an estate whose history dates back to the 14th century. The current building was erected in the 19th century by the Cossin de Chourses family after the original château was destroyed during the French Revolution.
No. 6
Château de Ranrouët (Ranrouët Castle)
Herbignac
At the edge of the Brière marshes, the castle of Ranrouët displays its fortified ruins where three great Breton families succeeded one another from the 12th to the 18th century.
No. 7
Château de Pornic (Pornic Castle)
Pornic
Overlooking the harbour of Pornic, this castle combines medieval remains with a silhouette reshaped in the 19th century.
Adult €10Hours, prices and access
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No. 8
Manoir de Procé
Nantes
The manor of Procé stands at the heart of an 11-hectare park in western Nantes, between the Hauts-Pavés-Saint-Félix and Dervallières-Zola districts.
No. 9
Château d'Oudon (Oudon Castle)
Oudon
In Oudon, a polygonal keep over thirty metres high overlooks the confluence of the Loire and the Hâvre, the main surviving part of a stronghold begun in 1392 by the lord of Malestroit.
Adult €6.90Hours, prices and access
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No. 10
Château des Tourelles (Tourelles Castle)
Pornichet
In Pornichet, the château des Tourelles was built in 1868 and has since been turned into a hotel combined with a thalassotherapy centre. The building has kept the look of a 19th-century seaside residence, though it now welcomes guests staying for a break rather than casual sightseers.
Every castle in Loire-Atlantique (233)Which ones open this weekend?
Frequently asked questions
- What is the most beautiful castle in Loire-Atlantique?
- The most visited in Loire-Atlantique is Château des ducs de Bretagne, first in this selection according to its visitors’ reviews. All 10 castles listed are open to visitors with checked hours.
- How much does a visit cost?
- The adult entry price is shown under each castle when the official website publishes it; 0 of these castles are free.
- How is this selection made?
- Among the 233 castles recorded in Loire-Atlantique, we keep those open to the public with a photo, then rank by number of Google reviews. No castle pays to appear.