Castles (chateaux), Loire Valley
The castles of the Loire Valley are renowned the world over. Altogether there are more than 300 chateau in the region, many built in the heyday of the French royalty and nobility, centred around the 17th-18th centuries.
There are also often lavishly planted gardens around the chateaux - the origins of the 'French Style' garden are here - which are often as interesting as the chateaux themselves.
Some of the Loire chateaux are now open to the public, while others are established as fine hotels, and many are still in private ownership.
Visit the Castles of the Loire Valley
In this section we visit some of the more popular Loire chateaux and castles of the Loire Valley.
We now also have a section dedicated to France castles where you can learn more
