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Chateaupedia

Châteaux listed as historic monuments

1,999 châteaux listed · verified entries first, then the most searched-for; alphabetical index at the bottom of the page

The highest level of protection in French heritage law. Every entry links to its official record in the Mérimée database.

We record 1,999 castles, manor houses and strongholds with heritage protection, spread across 1,790 towns and villages. The ones with the most visitor reviews are Louvre Palace (open to visitors), Château de Chenonceau (Chenonceau Castle) (a listed historic monument) and Palais des Papes (14th century).

749 of them receive visitors, according to their official website or their business listing. We have checked the opening hours of 615 and the prices of 439 of them, and each entry shows the date of that check. 1,999 of them are listed historic monuments, the highest level of protection in French heritage law. The dominant period is the Middle Ages, with 1,104 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 1,999. 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 1,999 châteaux in the Explorer

Frequently asked

How many châteaux with heritage protection can you visit?
We record 1,999 châteaux with heritage protection, across 1,790 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 with heritage protection?
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 with heritage protection are listed historic monuments?
1,999 out of 1,999. 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 615 châteaux in this list, read from their official website or their business listing, with the date we last checked shown.

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