In the Loire Valley, where more than 300 châteaux stretch their towers towards the sky, it is not the biggest or most flamboyant château that captures the hearts of visitors. No, here is the elegant Château de Villandry that attracts the most tourists. Each year around 350.000 visitors flock to this enchanting castle, and the average visitor stays a full three hours. The reason for the castle's popularity is its magnificent Renaissance garden, a living work of art where visitors easily forget time and space in one big garden dream.
A renaissance dream comes true
Villandry Castle (Chateau de Villandry) was built in 1536 by Jean Le Breton, one of King Francis I's most powerful financiers. The castle is the last of the castles in the Loire Valley to be built in the Renaissance style and the castle was built on the foundations of an older castle that was demolished. The castle remained in the possession of the Le Breton family for over 200 years, but then it changed owners several times, and among those who owned the castle we also find Napoleon's brother.
In 1906 Joachim Carvallo and his wealthy wife Ann Coleman bought the dilapidated castle, and since then it has been transformed into the splendor we see today. When Carvallo took over the castle, the garden was in the English style, overgrown and characterized by stone sections - a style that did not suit the old Renaissance castle. The couple therefore decided to restore the original Renaissance garden by studying old drawings, paintings and writings. The result is the well-kept and irresistible garden that meets visitors today.
115.000 seedlings are planted every year at Chateau de Villandry
The garden and its master
The seven-hectare garden consists of several different areas – The Decorative Kitchen Garden, The Love Garden, The Cross Garden, The Music Room, The Herb Garden, The Labyrinth, The Sun Garden and The Water Garden. Six completely different styles and places you don't want to miss. We spent most of our visit here in the garden, where we followed the informative welcome brochure's recommended paths and descriptions.
The garden has 10 full-time gardeners and at least as many seasonal workers during the season. Every spring and summer, they plant 115,000 plants in the park, half of which are grown in the castle's own greenhouse. If they are not planting, they are cutting bushes, raking patterns in the gravel or tending vines. It is a constant work in the garden. To put the gardeners' work in perspective, it takes four gardeners two whole months to cut the over 1000 linden trees each year.
The most beautiful part in my opinion was the French vegetable garden (potager) in square patterned squares right in front of the castle. It may not look that impressive when you walk around it, but take a second look. Here it is the lettuce heads that play the main role and its pattern is a big part of the garden's unique beauty.
Although the park is at its most beautiful during the spring and summer months, the park is open all year round. During the winter season, visitors are few, the birds take over the park and the low light over the frosty bushes should be dazzlingly beautiful.
In the castle's rooms and nooks
To fully understand the garden and its history, you also need to visit the inside of the castle and its exhibitions. During the 18th century, the castle was owned by the Count of Castellane and under his leadership the entire interior of the castle was redone. Since then, all subsequent owners have preserved and nurtured his style.
What meets a visitor today is a very beautiful castle interior that almost feels alive, with magnificent bouquets of flowers and orchids in every room and with laid tables and cakes on platters.
The teddy bears are waiting in the made-up cots and the hairbrush is next to the suspended petticoat. It almost feels like the castle is waiting for a guest, and that you are the one invited.
All around the walls hang family portraits of former owners, but if you look a little extra closely, you will also find a portrait of the current owner, Henri Carvallo – grandson of Joachim Carvallo. Because the castle of Villandry is still in private ownership.
The current owner Henri is very involved in the maintenance of the castle and garden and in preserving the castle for future generations. The entry from all the tourists helps to keep the castle running and is an important piece of the puzzle to pay for the castle's continuous renovations.
The walls of the castle are often painted in pastels such as green and pink, and the castle's curtains and textiles are often florally patterned. The flowers are a reminder of the luxuriant garden and a recurring motif in the women's bedrooms. The wallpaper in the panels matches the pattern of the curtains in many rooms, such as in the "potager" bedroom.
In the well-preserved pink dining room, the Count has brought some of the style from his childhood in Provence. The checkered marble floor indicates that this room often had guests, unlike the more private parts of the castle which had wooden floors.
It takes about 45 minutes to walk around all the rooms of the castle, and even a little more time if you borrow one of the audio guides. But time is well spent. Few castles I have been to have managed to capture the feeling of being a living castle as well as Villandry. These are not just a jumble of old furniture on display, but complete, cozy and incredibly beautiful rooms. Actually, it's a bit like that Tjolöholm Castle.
At the top of the castle you can look out over the entire garden and its magnificent pattern and perfection. A great end to a perfect day that appealed to all the senses.
How do I get to Chateau de Villandry?
Villandry Castle is 1,5 miles west of the city of Tours in the Loire Valley. The nearest major airport is Paris, which is 25 kilometers northeast of Villandry. To get to the castle, a rental car is recommended, if you do not book one of the day trips from, for example, Tours. The castle garden is open every day of the year, except December 25.
Entrance to park and castle for adults/youth costs €14/€8 (2025). Entrance only to the park costs for adults/youths €8,50/€5,50. Children under 8 are free.
Although we were unaware that the castle is one of the most popular to visit in all of France, we had no problem getting into the castle in mid-July (2024). The parking lot was already relatively full when we arrived, but after just a few minutes we managed to get a spot near the entrance to the castle. We hadn't bought tickets in advance, but the line to get in was still unexpectedly short. Although the castle was full of visitors when we got inside, the huge garden swallows up large numbers of visitors without ever feeling crowded.
If you are short on time and have to visit the castle on a specific day, you can pre-book tickets on the castle's website Château and gardens of Villandry.
Dogs on a leash are allowed into the garden, but only small dogs in a bag are allowed into the castle.
Known from TV
Perhaps you recognize Villandry Castle from TV? In the grand TV series The Serpent Queen about Catherine of Medici, a large part of the garden scenes are filmed here.
Read more about Villandry
- Official brochure about Chateau Villandry (eng): Chateau Villandry and Gardens
- Virtual guided tour of the inside of the castle: Discovering the Château de Villandry
- Virtual guided tour of the castle gardens: The gardens of Villandry step by step
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