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Chateaupedia

Classical and 19th-century châteaux

3,309 châteaux listed · verified entries first, then the most visited; alphabetical index at the bottom of the page

The houses of the 18th and 19th centuries, often still lived in, where the grounds are as much the visit as the rooms.

We record 3,309 castles, manor houses and strongholds from the Classical period, spread across 2,967 towns and villages. The ones with the most visitor reviews are Louvre Palace (open to visitors), Karlsruhe Palace (18th century), Château d'Ussé (Ussé Castle) (a listed historic monument), Biebrich Palace (5,758 reviews) and Fort du Socoa (free entry).

593 of them receive visitors, according to their official website or their business listing. We have checked the opening hours of 489 and the prices of 277 of them, and each entry shows the date of that check. 803 of them are listed historic monuments, the highest level of protection in French heritage law. The dominant period is the Classical period, with 3,309 buildings. Each entry says what we could verify and what still needs confirming: enough to plan a day that holds together.

This page lists the 400 most visited châteaux out of 3,309. Department by department, the list is complete.

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Every entry, A to Z

The full list for this department, for when you already know the name.

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Frequently asked

How many châteaux from the Classical period can you visit?
We record 3,309 châteaux from the Classical period, across 2,967 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 from the Classical period?
Palais du Louvre, in 1er arrondissement de Paris, with 372,801 visitor reviews. Actual footfall is the measure, not an editorial ranking.
How many châteaux from the Classical period are listed historic monuments?
803 out of 3,309. 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 489 châteaux in this list, read from their official website or their business listing, with the date we last checked shown.

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