The Loire Valley castles
125 châteaux listed
125 châteaux open to visitors, from the Loiret to Nantes, with admission prices and opening seasons.
The Loire Valley has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000, along 280 kilometres of river between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes-sur-Loire. No other part of France has as many châteaux open to visitors: medieval fortresses such as Chinon and Loches, Renaissance houses such as Chambord, Chenonceau and Azay-le-Rideau, classical residences such as Cheverny.
This page brings them all together, from the Loiret to Nantes: the best known first, then the map and the full list by département, with the adult admission price where we know it and the opening season. Each name leads to its own page, with opening hours, access and what to know before you go.
The 12 must-sees
Ranked by renown: how often their name is searched on Google each month, and how many reviews visitors have left.
No. 1
Château de Chenonceau (Chenonceau Castle)
Francueil
Chenonceau spans the Cher river with a two storey gallery built on a bridge, an architectural feature that sets it apart among the Loire châteaux.
Adult ticket: €19see the pageHours and access
No. 2
Château de Chambord (Chambord Castle)
Chambord
Chambord is the largest of the Loire châteaux, begun in 1519 for François I within a forested estate enclosed by a 32 kilometre wall.
Adult ticket: €21all yearHours and accessTickets
No. 3
Château de Cheverny (Cheverny Castle)
Cheverny
Built between 1625 and 1629 by the architect Boyer, the château de Cheverny has belonged to the same family, the Hurault de Vibraye, for more than six centuries, and they still live there today.
all yearHours and accessTickets
No. 4
Château d'Amboise (Amboise Castle)
Amboise
The Château d'Amboise stands above the Loire on a rocky spur, a former residence of French kings where several royal heirs were raised.
Adult ticket: €17.30all yearHours and accessTickets
No. 5
Château de Villandry (Villandry Castle)
Villandry
At Villandry, a few kilometres from Tours, a Renaissance château is best known for its reconstructed gardens.
all yearHours and accessTickets
No. 6
Château des ducs de Bretagne
Nantes
Set in the heart of Nantes, this 15th century castle has changed roles many times without ever leaving the city: ducal residence of Brittany, then a royal fortress after the duchy joined France, it now houses the Nantes history museum.
Adult ticket: €9all yearHours and access
No. 7
Château d'Angers (Angers Castle)
Angers
The Château d'Angers stands above the Maine river, enclosed within a 13th century fortress wall raised around 1230 under Saint Louis, its seventeen towers of schist and tuffeau rising close to thirty metres.
Adult ticket: €14see the pageHours and access
No. 8
Clos Lucé
Amboise
In Amboise, the Clos Lucé château is the house where Leonardo da Vinci spent his final three years, until his death in 1519, after being invited by King François I.
Adult ticket: €20see the pageHours and access
No. 9
Château de Brissac (Brissac Castle)
Brissac Loire Aubance
Rising to seven storeys, Brissac castle stands in the Anjou region as one of its most imposing residences, combining the remains of a 15th century fortress with a baroque facade raised in the 17th century.
Adult ticket: €13.50all yearHours and access
No. 10
Château de Langeais (Langeais Castle)
Langeais
In Langeais, in the Indre-et-Loire department, stands a château commissioned by Louis XI in 1465 on a rocky spur above the Loire.
Adult ticket: €12seasonalHours and accessTickets
No. 11
Château de Valençay (Valençay Castle)
Valençay
Valençay castle stands in the Indre department, built from the first half of the 16th century for the d'Etampes family and reworked several times through the 18th century. Talleyrand acquired it in 1803 to host distinguished guests, leaving his mark on the interior decoration.
see the pageHours and access
No. 12
Château d'Ussé (Ussé Castle)
Rigny-Ussé
In Rigny-Ussé, on the edge of the Chinon forest above the Indre valley, this fifteenth-century castle stands on a site fortified since the Middle Ages.
Adult ticket: €14.50seasonalHours and access
Map of the Loire Valley castles
The 125 châteaux on this page, from Sully-sur-Loire to Nantes. Tap a point to open its page.
Loading the map…
The full list, by département
Within each département, from the most searched-for to the least known. Prices are for one adult admission.
Loiret (25)
Loir-et-Cher (25)
Indre (1)
| Château | Adult ticket | Open |
|---|---|---|
| Château de Valençay (Valençay Castle)Valençay | see the page |
Indre-et-Loire (42)
Maine-et-Loire (31)
Loire-Atlantique (1)
| Château | Adult ticket | Open |
|---|---|---|
| Château des ducs de BretagneNantes | €9 | all year |
Open in winter
Those whose season covers December, January or February, according to the periods published by the châteaux themselves. Winter hours are often shorter: check the page before you set off.
- Château de Chambord
- Château de Cheverny
- Château d'Amboise
- Château de Villandry
- Château des ducs de Bretagne
- Château de Brissac
- Château de Langeais
- Château d'Ussé
- Castle of Brézé
- Château de Saumur
- Chinon Castle
- Château de Sully-sur-Loire
- Château de Chamerolles
- Château de Montreuil-Bellay
- Château de Beaugency
- Château de la Bourdaisière
- Château de Nitray
- Castle of Meung-sur-Loire
- Château de Pignerolle
- Château-Gaillard
- Manoir de La Perraudière
- Château de Mez-le-Maréchal
- Château de la Baronnière
- Château de Saché
- Domaine des Grotteaux
- Château de la Grézille
Planning your visit
Three châteaux a day is a good pace: any more and you spend longer in the car than inside. Our three-day route links them in geographical order, starting from Tours.
Frequently asked questions
- How many castles are there in the Loire Valley?
- The Loire Valley has several hundred, many of them private homes. 125 are open to visitors and listed on this page, across 6 départements.
- Which Loire Valley castles should I visit first?
- The most searched-for are Château de Chenonceau, Château de Chambord, Château de Cheverny, Château d'Amboise and Château de Villandry. They are also the busiest: in summer, book ahead or arrive at opening time.
- Which Loire Valley castles are open in winter?
- 26 châteaux on this page announce opening in December, January or February, including Château de Chambord, Château de Cheverny, Château d'Amboise, Château de Villandry, Château des ducs de Bretagne and Château de Brissac. Winter hours are often shorter.
- How much does it cost to visit a Loire Valley castle?
- Across the 49 châteaux whose prices we know, adult admission ranges from €5 to €21, with a median of €12. Children pay less or get in free almost everywhere.
- How many days do you need for the Loire Valley castles?
- Three days let you see eight or nine without rushing, staying in Tours, Amboise or Blois. Our three-day route suggests an order of visit starting from Tours.