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Chateaupedia

Castles in Sarthe, France

10 open to visitors · 164 châteaux listed · Pays de la Loire

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

We record 164 castles, manor houses and strongholds in Sarthe, spread across 129 towns and villages. The ones with the most visitor reviews are Château de Sablé (Sablé Castle) (open to visitors) and Château de Poncé-sur-le-Loir (a listed historic monument).

18 of them receive visitors, according to their official website or their business listing. We have checked the opening hours of 16 and the prices of 13 of them, and each entry shows the date of that check. 27 of them are listed historic monuments, the highest level of protection in French heritage law. The dominant period is the Middle Ages, with 56 buildings. Each entry says what we could verify and what still needs confirming: enough to plan a day that holds together.

The 8 castles not to miss in Sarthe

The most searched-for on Google and the most reviewed by visitors, among those open to visitors, with the essentials of each entry.

  1. 1

    Château du Lude (Lude Castle)

    Le Lude

    Standing on the banks of the Loir river, the château du Lude brings together four centuries of French architecture within a single building, originally a medieval fortress gradually turned…

    Adult €12

  2. 2

    Château de Sablé (Sablé Castle)

    Sablé-sur-Sarthe

    The château de Sablé stands on a promontory at the confluence of the Sarthe and Vaige rivers, on a site fortified as early as the 10th century by the counts of Maine.

  3. 3

    Château de Sourches (Sourches Castle)

    Saint-Symphorien

    The château de Sourches, built in the 15th century in Saint-Symphorien, Sarthe, owes its present appearance to 18th-century transformations.

  4. 4

    Château de Poncé-sur-le-Loir

    Loir en Vallée

    Built in the mid-16th century for the Chambray family, the Château de Poncé stands above the Loir valley in the commune of Loir en Vallée.

    Adult €6.50

  5. 5

    Château de Lavardin (Lavardin Castle)

    Lavardin

    Perched on a rocky spur above the Loir river, the château de Lavardin displays its ruins between Vendôme and Montoire.

  6. 6

    Château de Courtanvaux (Courtanvaux Castle)

    Bessé-sur-Braye

    At Bessé-sur-Braye, the château de Courtanvaux combines the remains of a 14th century fortified manor with a late Gothic main building reworked in a neo-Gothic style during the 19th…

    Adult €7.50

  7. 7

    Château de Fontenailles

    Écommoy

    Château de Fontenaille, located in Écommoy in the Sarthe department, consists of two matching pavilions from the 17th century, built along the edge of the moats.

  8. 8

    Castle of Sillé-le-Guillaume

    Sillé-le-Guillaume

    Built in the 11th century on a hill overlooking the valley, next to the church, Sillé-le-Guillaume castle was the stronghold of the barons of Maine, fought over by the English and French…

    Adult €4

The 10 most beautiful castles in Sarthe, our selection

Coming this weekend? 7 castles open on Saturday or Sunday in Sarthe.

How much does it cost? 13 entry prices in Sarthe, including 2 free castles.

During the holidays, 7 castles open in Sarthe (Christmas holidays).

During the holidays, 7 castles open in Sarthe (February holidays).

During the holidays, 13 castles open in Sarthe (spring holidays).

For the spring long weekends, 7 castles open at Easter 2027 in Sarthe · 13 castles open for the May 2027 long weekends in Sarthe.

In French: Tous les châteaux de la Sarthe

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Frequently asked

How many châteaux in Sarthe can you visit?
We record 164 châteaux in Sarthe, across 129 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 Sarthe?
Seigneurie, in Maigné, with — visitor reviews. Actual footfall is the measure, not an editorial ranking.
How many châteaux in Sarthe are listed historic monuments?
27 out of 164. 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 16 châteaux in this list, read from their official website or their business listing, with the date we last checked shown.