Chateaux & Gardens

Price: €11.50 (public price: €12.50€) Owned by the Indre et Loire Departmental Council, the site comprises two castles: the keep built by the Count of Anjou, Foulques Nerra, and the royal dwelling with its Renaissance architecture. The latter saw Agnès Sorel, Joan of Arc and Anne of Brittany pass through. A pretty medieval garden is also located at the foot of the keep. Each year, a new exhibition is proposed in parallel with the augmented reality tours on the Histopad tablets.

Price: €13.50 (public price: €14.50) The favourite residence of the Kings of France during the Renaissance, the Royal Château of Blois is a true architectural and historical synthesis of the Châteaux of the Loire. Its four wings, each in a different style, and its monumental staircase around the same courtyard, offer an astonishing panorama of French architecture from the Middle Ages to the Classical period. In the royal flats, the magnificent restored polychrome decorations, furniture and paintings evoke the daily life of the Court and power during the Renaissance. The private chambers of François I and the royal chambers of Catherine de Medici and Henri III, where the Duke of Guise was murdered in 1588, are steeped in the major events of French history.

Price: €66 With the 5-Castles Pass, enjoy the magical experience of ‘Christmas in the land of castles’! Six of the most prestigious châteaux in the Loire Valley — Villandry, Amboise, Azay-le-Rideau, Chenonceau, Chinon, and Loches — celebrate the holiday spirit with exceptional  tours, spectacular decorations, and original entertainment. The 5-Castle Pass gives you access to 5 of the 6 sites of your choice at special rates throughout the event. Other benefits: skip-the-line access to the châteaux of Azay-le-Rideau and Amboise, free access without extra charge and without reservation to the evening opening of the Château d'Azay-le-Rideau (value €16), as well as to all evening openings at the five other châteaux, the possibility of visiting the Château de Chenonceau without reserving a time slot (subject to high visitor numbers during the Christmas holidays). This pass also entitles you to exclusive offers and benefits, including: a complimentary gourmet break at the Café du Printemps in Tours (pastry + 1 hot drink - value €10), a guided tour with complimentary tasting at the Cave de Vouvray, discounts/benefits from around ten partners. On the program: Each château has a theme and will be open for a special evening event! Château and gardens of Villandry - At Christmas, nature comes to the château Marvel at the château transformed into an enchanted forest and the gardens decked out in their winter finery. Evening opening: Saturday, December 6. Azay le Rideau Castle - Delicacies in the realm of fairy tales As you wander through the rooms, discover sumptuous tables set with inspiration from the most beautiful fairy tales of our childhood. Late night opening: Saturday, December 13. Amboise Royal Castle - Christmas, childhood dreams: Oh, beautiful Christmas trees Fantastic trees leave their forests to take over the château, creating a spellbinding experience! Late night opening: Saturday, December 20. Chenonceau Castle - Far North It's winter, and the cold and snow have arrived... inside the monument, with a forest of snow-covered birch trees, frosty delicacies, and an ice floe populated by penguins! Late night opening: Tuesday, December 23. Royal Fortress of Chinon - Christmas Treasures Gold, a symbol of light, magic, and wonder, inspires a magical journey created by floral designer Géraldine Leclerc. Late night opening: Sunday, December 28. Royal City of Loches - Tales of the Royal City Immerse yourself in the wonderful world of Alice in Wonderland, where you'll meet the White Rabbit, the Caterpillar, and the Wicked Queen of Hearts! Late night opening: Monday, December 29.

Price: €14.50 (public price: €15) A private chateau still inhabited by the same family, it is open to the public every day of the year. Cheverny is considered to be the most magnificently furnished château in the Loire Valley. Tapestries from the Gobelins, Flanders, Louis XIV and Louis XV chests of drawers, Louis XV Regulator, the King's room... and a thousand other wonders will enchant you. The castle of Cheverny was used as a model by Hergé to draw the castle of Moulinsart. The permanent exhibition "The Secrets of Moulinsart" allows visitors to relive the events that took place in this mythical place.