The Château d’Azay-le-Rideau, built in the heart of the Touraine region under the reign of François I, is a charming Renaissance residence. A masterpiece of 16th century architecture, it is built on an island shaped by the Indre river and surrounded by romantic 19th century grounds that were restored in 2014. The château features prestigious décor tracing the course of four centuries of history. Since July 2017, following three years of restoration, the château now offers a new visitor experience.
New :
- Ground floor: the restored décor and atmosphere recreate the château as it was in the 19th century.
- 1st floor: The dreamlike “Les Enchantements d’Azay” exhibition, inspired by the château’s collections and the Renaissance.
- Re-opening of the attics.
- In the Pressoir, a new interpretation space open to all visitors.
- Fully redesigned visit tools: cultural signage, audioguides, visit guides, visit apps downloadable on smartphones, for exploring the grounds and the architecture of the château.
- Flowers in the romantic grounds.
Designated world heritage site by UNESCO
> Unaccompanied tour with guide booklet
French, English, German, Italian, Spanish,
Reservations required
Duration : 1 hr 30 min
> Audio-Guide tour
French, English, German, Italian, Spanish
Junior version in French
Reservations required
Duration: 1 hr 30 min
Group rate : 3 €
> Lecture tour
French, English, Italian, Spanish, German, Polish, Portuguese
Reservations required
Duration: 1 hr 30 min
Different themes possible : the château in the times of François I, life in the château in the 19th century, the romantic grounds.
> Possibility to rent the romantic park (with installation of tents and barnums)
> Private visit outside standard opening hours, with or without catering service
Reservation required
Last admission 1h before closing time.
December 24th & 31st: closes at 4.15 pm (last admission at 3.15).
Closed January 1st, May 1st, and December 25th
From Tours : sortie n° 11, D 751 vers Chinon From Poitiers : N 10 to Sainte Maure, then D 760 & D57 to Azay-le-Rideau
Useful addresses:
Tourist office of Tours Val de Loire
tel.:(33) (0)2 47 70 37 37
www.tours-tourisme.fr
Tourist office of Azay-le-Rideau
tel.:(33) (0)2 47 45 44 40
www.chinon-loirevalley.com
County comitee of Touraine tourism
tel.: (33) (0)2 47 31 47 48
www.touraineloirevalley.co.uk
Val de Loire mission, Designated world heritage site by UNESCO
www.valdeloire.org
Châteaux de la Loire Vallée des Rois
www.les-chateaux-de-la-loire.com/en/
