Château d'Azay-le-Rideau
A Renaissance château on an island in the River Indre, with reflections like a painting, which Balzac praised as a diamond set in the Indre.
Azay-le-Rideau Château was built between 1518 and 1527 by the financier Gilles Berthelot. Set on an island in the Indre and surrounded by mirror-like water, it is a leading example of early French Renaissance architecture. Inside, don't miss the Italian-style straight-flight grand staircase and the 19th-century decorated rooms. An English landscape park surrounds the château, and the reflections are best photographed from the banks. The château is managed by the Centre des monuments nationaux, and entry costs about EUR13. It is about 25 km from Tours and can be combined on the same day with Villandry and Ussé.
Opening hours
About 09:30–18:00 (extended in July–August)
Nearby sights
- Château de Langeais
- Château de Villandry
- Château d'Ussé
- Château du Rivau
- Royal Fortress of Chinon
- Tours Old Town
- Tours Cathedral
- Vouvray