Less than 250 km from Paris, the Château de Villandry is as notable for its architecture as for its surroundings. Its gardens form a vast geometric landscape, composed of vegetables, flowers, hedges, and ponds. From the castle’s windows or the elevated terraces, the estate unfolds almost like a painting.
The Gardens of Villandry: A Unique Setting in the Loire Valley
The current château was built starting in 1532 by Jean Breton, Secretary of Finance to Francis I, on the site of an ancient medieval fortress. The gardens visible today, however, are much more recent. When Joachim Carvallo and his wife Ann Coleman purchased Villandry in 1906, the estate was surrounded by an English-style park. The couple gave up their scientific careers and devoted much of their lives to restoring the château and then recreating gardens inspired by the Renaissance.
Today, the complex covers seven hectares and is divided into six gardens spread across four levels of terraces. Approximately 115,000 flower and vegetable plants are planted there each year. The staff must also maintain 30 kilometers of boxwood, 162 yew trees pruned into topiary shapes, and more than 300 rose bushes in the vegetable garden alone. Ten gardeners work full-time to maintain these highly precise designs.
Ornamental vegetable garden, garden of love, and Renaissance maze
The most famous view is that of the decorative vegetable garden. Its nine large beds are filled with cabbages, lettuces, leeks, beets, and flowering plants, chosen as much for their colors as for their culinary value. The arrangements change twice a year and feature some forty species of vegetables. More than 52,000 plants are needed to fill this space of over one hectare.
The stroll continues through the ornamental gardens, whose designs represent various forms of love. Further up, the water garden is arranged around a large, mirror-like pond. The herb garden features some thirty aromatic and medicinal plants, while the maze follows a design characteristic of Renaissance gardens. The tour ends with the Garden of the Sun, created in 2008 based on a design by Joachim Carvallo from 1924.
Villandry is about a 2.5-hour drive from Paris. The gardens are open year-round, except on December 25, while the château follows a seasonal schedule. In 2026, a full tour costs 14 euros, and admission to the gardens alone is 8.50 euros. Why not give it a try?
Location: Château de Villandry – 3 rue Principale, 37510 Villandry
Hours: In the summer, 9:00 a.m.–6:30 p.m. daily
Price: €14