The 10 most beautiful castles in Île-de-France
10 châteaux
Chosen among 723 recorded castles
What to see in Île-de-France 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 attendance, from the number of Google reviews. “Beautiful” is your word; what we measure is what visitors choose.
No. 1
Louvre Castle
Paris
Beneath the present-day galleries of the Louvre museum lie the remains of the fortress built by King Philip Augustus at the end of the twelfth century to defend Paris against the English threat.
Adult €22Hours, prices and access
No. 2
Louvre Palace
1er arrondissement de Paris
The Louvre palace, in the first arrondissement of Paris, houses one of the largest museums in the world behind an architecture spanning from the Middle Ages to the 19th century.
Adult €22Hours, prices and access
No. 3
Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte (également sur commune de Moisenay)
Maincy
Built for Nicolas Fouquet in the mid-17th century, this château brought together architect Louis Le Vau, decorator Charles Le Brun and landscape designer André Le Nôtre on a single project.
No. 4
Château de Chaillot (Chaillot Castle)
Paris
The château de Chaillot no longer exists: it once stood near the site of the present-day Palais de Chaillot in Paris.
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No. 5
Château du Tremblay (Tremblay Castle)
Champigny-sur-Marne
The name château du Tremblay refers today to a large public park in Champigny-sur-Marne, in the Val-de-Marne department, built on the site of a former racecourse.
No. 6
Chateau-Neuf de Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Saint-Germain-en-Laye
The Château Neuf of Saint-Germain-en-Laye recalls a royal residence built in the second half of the 16th century, of which the original building no longer stands. It was within these now-vanished walls that the future Louis XIV was born.
Adult €6Hours, prices and access
No. 7
Palais du Luxembourg, actuellement Sénat
Paris 6e Arrondissement
Built in the early seventeenth century for Marie de Médicis, who wished to recreate the atmosphere of the Palazzo Pitti in Florence where she grew up, this palace stands at the edge of the Luxembourg Gardens in the 6th arrondissement of Paris.
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No. 8
Ancien château de Noisiel
Noisiel
At Noisiel, the château itself no longer stands: the building has been demolished, but its 87-hectare landscape park, laid out in the English style, remains open to visitors.
No. 9
Château et parc de Rentilly
Bussy-Saint-Martin
The château de Rentilly, in Bussy-Saint-Martin (Seine-et-Marne), shows an unexpected face: rebuilt after a fire in 1944 and then entirely re-clad in glass and stainless steel in the early 2010s, it no longer resembles any of its earlier forms dating back to the 16th century.
No. 10
Château de la Madeleine (Madeleine Castle)
Chevreuse
The Château de la Madeleine overlooks the town of Chevreuse in the Yvelines department, with views across the valley it once guarded. Dating back to the 11th century, this former fortified castle remains well preserved, allowing visitors to trace its defensive architecture clearly.
Free entryHours, prices and access
Every castle in Île-de-France (723)
Frequently asked questions
- What is the most beautiful castle in Île-de-France?
- The most visited in Île-de-France is Louvre Castle, 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; 1 of these castles are free.
- How is this selection made?
- Among the 723 castles recorded in Île-de-France, we keep those open to the public with a photo, then rank by number of Google reviews. No castle pays to appear.