Château de Luynes, Medieval castle in Luynes, France

Château de Luynes is a former fortified castle on a rocky promontory above the Loire Valley. Its light beige masonry facade has four cylindrical towers with dark conical roofs, two of them framing a taller central section under a steep hipped roof with brick chimneys. The south curtain wall was replaced by a terrace, and a 17th-century pavilion stands behind the southeast tower.

A first fortress was built in the 11th century and destroyed by the Count of Anjou in 1096; the lords of Maillé rebuilt it in the early 12th century. The fief passed through the Laval family and was sold on 3 August 1619 to Charles d'Albert, whose descendants, the d'Albert de Luynes, still own it. The medieval towers were pierced with windows in the 15th century and a pavilion was added behind the south-east tower in the 17th century.

The castle gave its name to the d'Albert de Luynes family, which bought it on 3 August 1619 from Charles d'Albert and still owns it. Before them it belonged to the Maillé family from the 10th century, then passed through the Laval line; Jean de Laval was made Count of Maillé on 17 June 1578. The castle closed to visitors in 2016.

The castle closed permanently to visitors in 2016, as it no longer met the standards for receiving the public. It stands on a rocky promontory above the Loire valley, downstream from Tours, and can be seen from outside; the grounds and interior are not open.

The south curtain wall no longer exists: it was replaced by a terrace, and an outer defensive wall with two small round towers can still be made out. In the 17th century a pavilion was added behind the south-east tower. The four cylindrical towers date from the 13th and 15th centuries.