10 “secret” castles to visit in Touraine

Price: €12 (public price: €13)
The Fortress of Montbazon, the stronghold of the terrible Count of Anjou, Foulques III Nerra, dominates the Indre valley and the town of Montbazon from the top of its rocky spur. It is one of our oldest military constructions. Home to the oldest keep in France still standing, its history stretches from the end of the 10^th century to the 15^th. As well as a particularly immersive guided tour, you can discover the trades of the Middle Ages through skits and demonstrations: war machines in action, weapons master, stone cutter, potter, herbalist, calligrapher... 

Children can try their hand at a host of medieval games, and leave with their knight of the fortress diploma!
The fortress tavern serves fouées, salads, planks and other delicacies.

Price: €6.50 (public price: €7.50)
In a preserved setting, 20 minutes from Tours, the Domaine de Candé takes you on a tour of a unique château in Touraine.
The place of the wedding of the century, residence of great fortunes from the 1930^s to the 1970^s, it presents a tour of 20 fully furnished rooms, decorations in Cordoba leather or Touraine silks, bathrooms in glass mosaics, a Skinner organ on 3 floors, 1,000 m² of wine storehouses equipped with the latest presses, a Bell telephone exchange, a fitness room with equipment equivalent to that on the Titanic...

The 230-hectare park with its century-old trees offers 2 hiking trails, contemporary artworks and atypical games. Don't hesitate to take a picnic with you!

Price: €11.50 (public price: €12.00)
Enclosed by the arms of the Indre, the Château de l'Islette was the site of the passionate love affair between Rodin and Camille Claudel. The latter sculpted La Petite Châtelaine here, a bronze of which you can admire. Completed around 1530, this remarkable Renaissance castle consists of a long rectangular main building, flanked by two imposing towers, crowned by a machicolation. Its Great Hall and its chapel offer a magnificent pictorial decoration. A place to live, browse through the rooms currently occupied by the owners and discover the layout of a 21^st century castle, combining history and modernity.