Château de Cheverny, Baroque castle in Loire Valley, France
Cheverny is a baroque castle near Cheverny in the Loire Valley, known for its pale stone facades and clear geometric layout. The three wings surround a main courtyard, while behind the building extends a wooded park with walking paths and open lawns.
Construction began in 1624 under architect Jacques Bougier for the Hurault family, who had held land in the region since the 14th century. Unlike many other Loire castles, Cheverny remained continuously in the same family line and escaped major alterations or seizure during the Revolution.
The estate preserves a tradition of hunting, with daily feeding ceremonies for a pack of hounds trained in the French style. Visitors can watch the dogs in their kennel and learn about the role this practice played in shaping the social calendar of the aristocracy.
The castle welcomes visitors every day of the year and allows access to both interior rooms and outdoor grounds. The route is self-guided, so you can move at your own pace and spend as much time as you wish in each area.
Hergé discovered the castle during a trip through the Loire and used it as the model for Marlinspike Hall in The Adventures of Tintin. Today a permanent exhibition in the basement displays scale models and drawings from the comic series.
Location: Cheverny
Inception: 1624
Architects: Jacques Bougier
Architectural style: baroque architecture
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
Address: 41700 Cheverny, France
Website: http://chateau-cheverny.com
GPS coordinates: 47.50028,1.45806
Latest update: December 4, 2025 23:42
The castles surrounding Paris provide insight into several centuries of French history. From medieval fortresses to Renaissance palaces to Napoleonic residences, each structure represents different architectural styles and periods. These buildings served as homes for French kings, emperors and noble families, and today house significant collections of furniture, artworks and historical objects. Many are surrounded by extensive gardens and grounds that are also open to visitors. The collection spans a wide geographic area from Versailles to the Loire Valley, offering destinations that range from half-hour to two-hour drives from Paris. Properties like Versailles and Fontainebleau attract millions of visitors annually, while smaller estates like Château de Breteuil or Château de Condé provide quieter alternatives. Some, like Château de Guédelon, offer unusual perspectives on medieval construction methods, while restored sites such as Château de Pierrefonds demonstrate 19th-century interpretations of medieval architecture.
The Loire Valley has castles built between the 15th and 17th centuries. They show the history of the French Renaissance and the classical period. These royal and noble homes tell stories of how people lived and built during those times. You can see carved staircases, water galleries, moats, defensive towers, and parks with geometric designs. Some castles like Chambord or Chenonceau are large and bold in design. Others, like Azay-le-Rideau or Villandry, are charming for their natural settings and restored gardens. Leonardo da Vinci is buried in Amboise. In Blois, four different building styles appear one after another. Loches has a medieval tower. Each place offers a different view of how kings, queens, and noble families lived and shaped this region.
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The fact that all rooms are perfectly decorated is a real plus!
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