From its past as a seigniorial fortress, the Château du Rivau has kept a human size. From the renaissance, it has inherited a fairy tale architecture. From its agricultural vocation, it has preserved remarkable gardens. From its current owners, who live in the Rivau castle, it makes dialogue between renaissance and contemporary art.
Come with us along the Veude Valley, to discover the bewitching Château du Rivau: keys to its architecture, a guide to appreciate its lush gardens, tips for a successful visit and, like us, succumb to its charm!
This guide is completely independent, based on our experiences. We visited the region anonymously, making our own choices and paying our bills in full.
Why visit the Château du Rivau?
Is Château du Rivau worth it? Our opinion:
Maybe not the most impressive one we visited, but definitely one of the most enchanting castles of the Loire Valley:
- The layout of its various buildings (castle, tithe barn, stables...) betrays its initial vocation of protecting agricultural land and takes you directly to the heart of its glorious past.
- For the perfectly harmonious marriage of medieval and renaissance architecture, which gives Le Rivau the appearance of a fairy tale castle
- For the 15 gardens that take you into a wonderful and fantastic universe in perfect coherence with the rest of the castle.
- The bold and sometimes demanding dialogue between Renaissance furniture and contemporary art in the château's historic rooms.
- For the hotel and restaurant offer that allows you to live a total and truly unforgettable experience in this castle.
In our opinion, it's one of the most beautiful châteaux in the Loire Valley.
At the end of the evening, while looking at the Château du Rivau through the window from our room, after having dined under the green veranda facing the house, Beaudelaire's verses came to us: "There, all is order and beauty, Luxury, calm and pleasure".
Why is Château du Rivau famous?
If the Château du Rivau is known today, it owes a lot to everything that surrounds it:
- Its 15 remarkable gardens, among the most beautiful we have visited in the Loire. They transport you into a dreamlike universe, while ensuring the preservation of the horticultural heritage of the Loire Valley (conservatories of the scented rose and squash).
- Its royal stables, typical of the second renaissance. They form an L shape and are built on 2 floors. They could accommodate between 30 and 40 horses and offered 20 rooms for the grooms. Several kings of France raised their horses there.
- For the almost magical atmosphere that rises from this place. The term "fairy tale castle" is often used in the Loire and sometimes in an exaggerated way. In our opinion, Château du Rivau is one of the 5 or 6 that can really claim to be one!
History in brief
- Middle Ages: as early as the 13th century, a stronghold protected the harvests of neighboring lands.
- Renaissance: the château was built in the early Renaissance, in the 15th century, before being fortified by Pierre de Beauveau, advisor to King Charles VII and a valiant fighter, from 1442. The wooden stables were replaced by the second Renaissance style stables in 1510. The stables have been renowned for their horses since the 13th century, and it is said that Joan of Arc stopped here on her way to the siege of Orléans.
By Carolai - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25425433
- Revolution: Château du RIvau was spared by the revolutionaries, but its land was confiscated and reduced to 6 hectares (compared with 1200 hectares of arable land, including 45 hectares of vines in the 17th century!) It gradually fell into oblivion, having changed hands several times.
- Contemporary period: 2 enthusiasts of heritage, real estate and art, Eric and Patricia Laigneau, originally from Touraine, bought the castle and the outbuildings, before restoring the gardens to their former glory. The restoration work will last 17 years, but they can open it to the public in 2000.
WHERE TO STAY IN THE Loire Valley
Our independent picks for the accommodation of your dreams:
Tips and map: Rivau Castle, France
Where is Château du Rivau
- On the commune of Léméré, in the department of Touraine (37)
- Driving time from Tours: 50 min
- Driving time from Angers: 1 h 10
- Driving time from Blois: 1 h 25
- Driving time from Orleans: 2h
- Driving time from Nantes: 2 h
How to get there
Relativelyisolated at the limits of Anjou and Poitou, the access is done by car, with easy roads, even by stormy weather...
Tours TGV station is less than an hour's drive away.
To book your train ticket, click here!
OUR TIPS FOR RENTING A CAR IN Loire
- Compare prices on our preferred platform: DiscoverCars - one of the best rated sites.
- Choose a fairly compact car (many villages have narrowed the road).
- Think aboutfull insurance (parking in big cities is really tight).
- There is a lot of demand, book it early.
Parking
A large dedicated parking lot awaits you less than 100m from the entrance of the castle.
Best time to visit Château du Rivau
As for all the Loire castles, the summer months are the busiest, but it remains bearable in this castle a little away from the big tourist sites. What should help you select your visit date is the garden!
Patricia Lagneau, the owner and horticultural enthusiast, has chosen to play with the different flowering periods so that you can enjoy at least two gardens in bloom. To see according to your tastes, but some points of reference:
- The fragrant roses will spread their scent from June.
- The grasses will come floating in the wind from mid-August.
- The irises will be in bloom by the beginning of May.
- The lavenders will be in full bloom and will come to intermingle their scent in June.
- The vegetable garden and its squash will be really impressive starting in September.
How long to visit the castle and main difficulties
Duration of visit:
- For exteriors and common areas: 45 min to 1 h
- For the interior of the castle: 1 hour minimum and much more if you are passionate about contemporary art and want to decipher each work
- For the gardens: 1 hour minimum and several days if you let yourself be invaded by the poetry of the place!
Difficulties:
- no particular difficulty for the exteriors and gardens, everything is on the same level and very accessible, the distances to be covered are modest
- as in all castles, you will have to take stone stairs to visit the different rooms of the castle
Advice on how to visit
For once, unlike most of our visits, we do not recommend any particular direction. Each part (exterior, interior and gardens) takes you into very different worlds and what binds them together is the magic of the place. There is no chronological or architectural logic to decipher.
The only thing that should guide you is the weather or the crowd, and above all your inspiration and pleasure!
A LITTLE MORE patience
All the photos, maps, information, good addresses to make your stay in the Loire Valley a success, will soon be gathered in a single ebook!
If you wish to be informed of the publication of our guide on the Loire, register:
The Château du Rivau with children
Because of its relatively small size, the castle is suitable for children. The dreamlike world of fairy-tale gardens can be a source of motivation and interest.
The interiors may be a little more difficult to access, although Eugenie has surprised us several times with her unfiltered and often relevant reading of contemporary works.
The castle offers specific activities for children during the school vacations. Registration is possible from their website.
To facilitate the visit, the teams of the castle propose all the year:
- 3-5 years: treasure hunt in search of the Hind in the Woods
- 6-10 years old: game books on the theme of fairy tales
- 12-16 years old: booklet "The compass of time" to discover the rooms of the castle
This is one of the best Loire châteaux to visit with children - see our list.
Schedules and prices
- Opening hours: daily from April 1 to November 13, 2022
- April-October-November: 10am-6pm
- From May to the end of September: 10am-7pm
Rates :
- full adult: 12€.
- children from 5 to 18 years old: 7€.
- family: 32€ for 2 adults + 2 children
Check the latest prices/times on the official website.
Guided tours
Guided tours are offered every day by Art History students. You have to add 3,50€ to the entrance ticket. Don't arrive too late, if you want to enjoy all the exciting explanations.
Catering
The castle offers 2 ways to enjoy the delights of the castle:
- La table des fées for a quick bite to eat (quiches and salads) with good vegetables from Gargantua's garden, all tasted facing the castle from the outbuildings.
- The secret garden: a magical experience under the glass roof in front of the house, which we will tell you about later!
Hosting
Of course, for us the ideal is to sleep at the RIvau (we will tell you everything in a few moments), but if the 4 rooms are unfortunately taken, some other addresses nearby to console ourselves:
- L'Ecrin de Verdure: only 10 minutes from the castle, in the small village of Ligré, a nice Bed and Breakfast where we spent a pleasant time. The decoration is neatand contemporary, the setting relaxing and the breakfast was just delicious. As an added bonus, the dynamic owner also offers 2CV tours in the beautiful surrounding countryside. Something to console oneself for not being able to sleep every night at Le Rivau... Consolation at the Ecrin de verdure
- Logis Auberge de Crissay: we move away a little but not too much (20 minutes), on the other bank of the Vienne, in the beautiful village of Crissay-sur-Manse. This guest house is built with Tuffeau stone and exposed wooden beams. It has a heated swimming pool and can even offer you the cover in the evening! Take comfort in the Auberge de Crissay
See more accommodation solutions near Château du Rivau in photos.
Plan of the building/visit
Sleeping and eating at Château du Rivau
In addition to the visit of the castle and the garden, which in itself justifies the trip, we decided to live the whole experience, by eating and sleeping in the castle!
- The secret garden, the Rivau restaurant. It is in a small glass room (20 seats), adjoining the castle's dwelling, in the heart of the secret garden under the vine and the rosebushes, that we tasted the creative and ultra-fresh cooking of the Chef NIcolas Gaulandeau. Luckily, he had gone mushroom picking that afternoon... Back on this magical dinner in pictures - Reserve your table now
- Chambres du Rivau, the Rivau hotel. Magnificent experience that the night spent in the room "Catherine de Medicis". The atmosphere of the place is incomparable with our other nights in the castles of the Loire. We were mesmerized by the view of the castle from the room. Empty of visitors, the château seemed to be talking to us... Here's a look back at this enchanting night/- See prices, photos and availability
As you can see, we experienced something truly exceptional at Château du Rivau. The total budget was not negligible (but not exorbitant either...), but do dreams have a price!
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Architecture: an "elegant" fortified castle
The vast majority of the château dates back to the mid-15th century, when the Renaissance was just emerging in France. Heir to a stronghold, it could also have been weighed down by its defensive vocation. However, the whole is quite harmonious, on a human scale and with a lot of charm.
Defensive architecture:
- The double-door drawbridge that allowed the crossing of the moat which has always been without water, the soil being limestone around the castle.
- a rectangular keep built in tuffeau (the white stone of the Loire), with a covered guard path and three-lobed machicolations.
- The two circular corner towers that protect the access to the castle by offering less of an outlet for projectiles than the square keep.
The main building
Once past the drawbridge you enter the main courtyard and can contemplate the dwelling.
Several remarkable elements:
- thepolygonal tower with its spiral staircase which serves the different levels of the house. It is decorated above its portal, with the coat of arms of the house of Beauveau (4 lions crowned with gold) and their motto "Sans départir".
- On the 3 bays of the facade, a sequence of 2 mullioned windows of a sculpted dormer.
- The château was originally shaped like a quadrilateral , and the main courtyard was enclosed by a building to the west that was demolished in the 16th century, and by an independent chapel that was razed around 1880 (traces of which can still be seen to the left of the small turret). The light could then fully enter the house!
DON'T MISS THE BEST CASTLES IN the Loire Valley
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- Where to stay in the Loire castles: unforgettable hotels!
- The best Loire castles to visit with your family
- Castles you can visit with a dog
- Chambord or Chenonceau: our comparison
- itineraries: weekend - 3 days - 4 days - 5 days - 1 week
- Castles around Blois, around Amboise, around Saumur, around Tours, around Angers and around Nantes.
- or our list of over 100 Loire castles
Royal stables
Although the period is poorly documented (Google didn't yet exist, nor did bloggers...), Rivau's equestrian tradition dates back at least to the 13th century, when war horses were bred here.
It is important to realize that in these turbulent times, the strength of a lord or king was judged by his ability to wage war. Horses had a very special place in the company, being the most sophisticated equipment at their disposal. It was rare for horses to be killed on the battlefield. We preferred to capture them to be able to use them again, considering their value and the time needed to train them!
As proof of the reputation of Le Rivau, Joan of Arc came to get horses for her horsemen shortly before the siege of Orleans (1429).
François de Beauveau, Grand Ecuyer to King François I, had monumental wooden stables built in 1510.
His successor, Gabriel de Beauvau, inspired by Italian models, decided to build a stone building in 1550, decorated with sculptures and renaissance decoration.
When we enter the stables, we can only be surprised to findcarved vaults.
The initial plan was for a rectangle, but in the end a single L shape was built. Another originality, the building is on 2 floors, the first floor hosted the horses, and the first floor the grooms' rooms.
Historians believe that the stables housed between 20 and 40 horses, the stallions in one wing, the mares in the other. Up to 17 grooms would have been housed in the building.
At that time, knights had to wear armor weighing more than 30 kg and had to be able to get back on their steed quickly in case of a fall. The horses were not to exceed 1m50 at the withers.
The Château du Rivau offers a short film projected in the stables that will take you back to the time of the knights.
Dreamlike gardens
The agricultural past
The Château du Rivau has always been directly linked to the nature that surrounds it. It is even believed that the castle was built primarily to protect the crops of his land. Until the revolution, the estate covered 1200 hectares (arable land, vineyards, orchards and forests...).
In the outbuildings, immediately to the right after crossing the castle's enclosure, you will find the tithe barn (where the collection of the tithe, an agricultural tax in favor of the Catholic Church, was stored) and the wine press (notably for the 45 hectares of vines on the estate). We are here in the classic configuration of a medieval village!
The horticultural revival
After purchasing the estate in 1992 and undertaking titanic restoration work, the new owners turned their attention to the gardens. Patrica Laigneau decided in 1995 to give them back their lustre. She completed her training in art history with a course at the Ecole Nationale Supérieur de Paysage de Versailles.
With 4 full-time gardeners, she decided to create 15 different gardens. She opts for a singular and creative path where art and the marvelous come to complete a rather naturalistic approach, closer to English gardens than to French ones.
Today, the park offers 15 gardens:
- Ornamental grasses are in the spotlight in the Little Thumb Garden. She seems to lie down in front of so much beauty... A very graphic introduction where natural elements are combined (wind, sun, vegetation ...) for our pleasure. They will be at their peak in early fall, but will be pleasing to the eye by summer.
- The fairy alley: We were so charmed that we walked through the well named fairy alley 4 times! In autumn, it is the place to be for two of our favorite plants: imperata and mischantus (a little more fit than on our balcony...). At the beginning of the summer it is the tulips which color it of red.
- The labyrinth of Alice au Pays du Rivau, a great classic of the Loire castles (we always found the exit) but in a much more magical version. Do this before mid-August in years of low rainfall.
- The secret garden, once occupied by the chapel, is now the territory of the English roses. It also hosts the plant canopy in which we had the chance to dine, but we will return ... and finally a beautiful green chapel to enjoy a little shade and the magic of the place in early spring!
- The Paradise orchard: plum, cherry and apple trees are on the program, for a flowering as soon as April, for only a few weeks, and fruits from June for the cherry trees, in August for the plum trees, while waiting for the apples at the beginning of the year. Will you eat the forbidden fruit of this little paradise?
- The garden of the love potionswhich puts in scene the plants with magic effect. Poison or cure, make the right choice!
- The truffle plantation, replanted in 1999, dates back to the 17th century!
- The wood in love, where the trees intertwine to offer us a well-deserved rest... Let's face it, we couldn't resist!
- The bioclimatic garden of the butterfly, respectful of the environment and very low energy consumer.
- Wild Plant Garden, the latest addition to the garden, with its incredible collection of edible plants!
- The Cassinina garden, located behind the castle, is hidden from view. This hedge populated with native plants (really) jealously protects the Rivau's collection of fragrant roses...
- The enchanted forest in which you may have the chance to meet elves who like to walk among the hellebores in bloom in early spring...
- Gargantua's vegetable garden, authentically Rabelaisian (François Rabelais actually quotes Le Rivau in his work Gargantua published in 1534) with more than 43 varieties of cucurbits (squash, pumpkins, pumpkins...)
- For the 15th and final garden, we'll have to come back next year (much to our delight!). There are 2 terraces that you can see before entering the castle. One is dedicated to the irises that bloom in May, and the second to a bed of lavender that will fill the air from June to the middle of July!
When the garden is pricked with art...
Some of the works of art encountered in the gardens:
Really, a very beautiful and rich dialogue between contemporary art and gardens, we loved it! The often playful and offbeat dimension of the works can be a great introduction for children.
When we tell you that this place has something"magical"!
A LITTLE MORE patience
All the photos, maps, information, good addresses to make your stay in the Loire Valley a success, will soon be gathered in a single ebook!
If you wish to be informed of the publication of our guide on the Loire, register:
The interiors: the joyful mix of arts...
Always surprising, sometimes offbeat, often daring, but definitely consistent! The owners of the castle have decided to bring together their collection ofhistorical works (tapestries, carved wooden furniture, earthenware...) with the best ofcontemporary art. Each year, a theme and major Parisian galleries join forces with Le Rivau to open the doors of the castle to contemporary artists.
Small personal selection of the rooms of the castle and the works:
- The"Salle du grand Logis" is transformed into a real cabinet of curiosities that mixes the centuries, the real and the marvelous. Guaranteed effect as soon as you enter the castle!
- The Feasting Room with its 16th-century ceiling fresco. But what is this fawn doing that we thought we had met at the castle gate and that is now bathing in the "lotus pond" of the Chinese artist Ru Xia Fan...
- The Seigneur de Beauveau's study , with a magnificent 16th-century Spanish bargueno (Moorish cabinet with secret drawers) in the background. For this year's theme, the Seigneur de Beauveau will have to try to focus on a bird cabinet with works by Bertrand Gaenne (this owl that hypnotizes you with its gaze...) and Renate Rabus, with her pearl birds under a glass bell.
- We catch our breath with the wisest room of the lords of Beauveau. This neo-Gothic room is the only one in the château to have been refurbished in the 19th century, the others dating from the 15th. It presents numerous representations of Joan of Arc as she was perceived after the French Revolution...
- ... before diving back into the cabinet adjoining the room of the Lords of Beauveau. Joan of Arc prays in a completely immersive and mystical sound environment.
- The ladies' room with cushions carved in the stone under the windows to allow the Dâmes to embroider in the daylight. In the background a gothic fireplace and in the center of the room an oversized crown by the artist Vincent Olinet: 6 centuries difference between these 2 works!
Most of the contemporary works are renewed every year in April, a good opportunity to come and return to the Château du Rivau!
Not to be missed nearby
- The medieval fortress of Chinon: 15 minutes from the castle, discover an impressive group of 3 castles overlooking the Nièvre and the old town of Chinon. We go up and down the different towers of the fortress and discover the defensive genius of the Middle Ages!
- The Royal Abbey of Fontevraud: less than 30 minutes from the Château du Rivau, an exceptional site in Anjou, the Royal Abbey of Fontavraud. This historical place will immerse you in the silent and bewitching universe of the novices in the Middle Ages. It is full of treasures, including the necropolis of the first Plantagenet kings and a richly decorated chapter house. Purchased in 1975 by the Pays-de-la-Loire Region and patiently renovated since then, the abbey now houses an exciting art museum, and has its own hotel and several restaurants.
Frequently asked questions
What are the events that take place every year at the Château du Rivau?
The Château du Rivau offers animations all year long:
- Halloween, to enjoy the bountiful pumpkins of Gargantua's garden, the last weekend of October.
- The traditional Easter egg hunt , in the fairy garden of the castle.
- The Rose Festival at the beginning of June, when the roses exhale their most beautiful scents.
- The Heritage Days, of course, the3rd weekend of September.
- Equestrian jousts in mid-August to revive the spirit of the castle's great royal stables.
- The Fall Plant Festival, at the end of October, to celebrate with the family the arrival of the beautiful fall blooms.
To see the details of the animations and reserve your tickets, it's here!
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