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Chateaupedia

Renaissance châteaux

3,989 châteaux listed · verified entries first, then the most visited; alphabetical index at the bottom of the page

The 16th and 17th centuries, when the fortress became a residence: ceremonial staircases, designed gardens, façades opened onto the landscape.

We record 3,989 castles, manor houses and strongholds from the Renaissance, spread across 3,542 towns and villages. The ones with the most visitor reviews are Louvre Palace (open to visitors), Château du Puy-du-Fou (a listed historic monument), Domaine de Chenonceau (with a restaurant), Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte (également sur commune de Moisenay) (14,562 reviews) and Barrage Vauban (17th century).

689 of them receive visitors, according to their official website or their business listing. We have checked the opening hours of 566 and the prices of 351 of them, and each entry shows the date of that check. 1,060 of them are listed historic monuments, the highest level of protection in French heritage law. The dominant period is the Renaissance, with 3,989 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 3,989. 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.

See all 3,989 châteaux in the Explorer

Frequently asked

How many châteaux from the Renaissance can you visit?
We record 3,989 châteaux from the Renaissance, across 3,542 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 Renaissance?
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 Renaissance are listed historic monuments?
1,060 out of 3,989. 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 566 châteaux in this list, read from their official website or their business listing, with the date we last checked shown.

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