The 10 most beautiful castles in Sarthe
10 châteaux
Chosen among 163 recorded castles
What to see in Sarthe 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 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 into a pleasure residence by the Daillon family from the 15th century onward.
Adult €12Hours, prices and access
No. 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.
No. 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. Between 1761 and 1780, architect Pradel oversaw extensive works that gave the building its classical character.
No. 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. Its main attraction is the interior staircase, made up of six vaulted flights and nearly one hundred and sixty carved coffered panels, no two alike.
Adult €6.50Hours, prices and access
No. 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. The site was first built in the 11th century by the early lords of Lavardin before becoming the main stronghold of the counts of Vendôme.
No. 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 century. Visitors enter through a Renaissance gatehouse built in 1582, carved with ornamentation and flanked by two domed turrets.
Adult €7.50Hours, prices and access
No. 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. These structures, originally part of a convent complex, remain witnesses to the religious architecture of that era.
No. 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 during the Hundred Years' War.
Adult €4Hours, prices and access
No. 9
Château du Grand-Lucé
Le Grand-Lucé
In Le Grand-Lucé, in the Sarthe department, this château dating from the third quarter of the 18th century stands between the village square and an extensive park, behind a wall pierced by a large gate.
No. 10
Château de Chéronne (Chéronne Castle)
Tuffé Val de la Chéronne
The château de Chéronne stands in the commune of Tuffé Val de la Chéronne, in the Sarthe department, on a site known since the Middle Ages.
Every castle in Sarthe (163)Which ones open this weekend?
Frequently asked questions
- What is the most beautiful castle in Sarthe?
- The most visited in Sarthe is Château du Lude, 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 163 castles recorded in Sarthe, we keep those open to the public with a photo, then rank by number of Google reviews. No castle pays to appear.