Sleeping in front of one of the most poetic castles of the Loire Valley and enjoying the calm and the remarkable gardens in an exclusive way, this is the voluptuous experience offered by the Château du Rivau.
In this article, we come back in pictures on this beautiful night and we give you all the practical information if, you too, want to succumb to the charm of the castle of Rivau.
This review is completely independent, we stayed anonymously and paid our bill in full.
Why stay at the Château du Rivau hotel
We don't even know if the question arises, so wonderful is this hotel:
- For its mesmerizing view of the beautiful Château du Rivau, built in the 15th century and featuring truly fairytale architecture (we could have slept in front of the window!).
- For the history of the hotel. You will sleep in the old royal stables built in 1550 and typical of the second Renaissance.
- For the decoration of the rooms, full of taste, which subtly mixes the times by making the link by the use of noble materials.
- For the experience it offers, if you combine it with a dinner in the wonderful secret garden under a glass roof in front of the dwelling and with a visit of the castle and its 15 remarkable thematic gardens!
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DON'T MISS THE BEST CASTLES IN the Loire Valley
- The most beautiful castles of the Loire Valley
- The most beautiful gardens
- 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
Is the Château du Rivau hotel worth it? Our review
The Château du Rivau hotel is certainly the most poetic of the various castle-hotels in which we have stayed in the Loire Valley. This is due to the location itself, but also to the fact that you sleep in front of the castle, separated from it only by the gardens and the moat. As a result, you have the chance to have the Château du Rivau as your only horizon!
The owners, Eric and Patricia Laigneau, have managed to combine this extraordinary heritage with their passion for contemporary art and garden design. They have really managed to create a unique and consistent atmosphere that guarantees a truly incredible experience.
Sleeping in a château in the Loire Valley is a must! Take a look at our suggestions.
A few minutes after settling into the hotel room, we discovered thehistory of the castle with a passionate art history student. We then visited the different rooms where the best ofcontemporary art dialogues with the renaissance furniture.
After a short break in the room, the visitors of the day were gone, we discovered the 15 remarkable gardens of the castle, as many plant paintings with the castle in background.
The evening could then continue under the magnificent glass roof of the castle, in front of the dwelling, for a dinner so pleasant and soothing, in the middle of nature.
All that was left to do was to walk 100 meters to reach the room, observe the sleeping castle one last time and dream!
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Decoration and atmosphere
Decorating a place with such a history is not an easy task, between history and comfort, it is sometimes difficult to find the right alchemy.
For us, this is what the owners have managed to do both in the common areas and in the rooms.
With a relatively sober decoration, in an elegant cameo of greens with a strong presence of bare wood and stone, you will not feel out of place or uncomfortable in the Renaissance.
The fabrics are thick and warm. The pattern is declined from the carved wooden chair, to the carpet to the bedspread and reinterpreted on the headboard.
The bathroom remains in this colorimetric atmosphere, without any fault of taste.
History
The château was built in the early 15th century by Pierre de Beauveau, advisor to King Charles VII and a valiant fighter. We can find the characteristic implantation of the big medieval farms, with its barn and its wine press in the common of the castle.
It was François de Beauveau, Grand Ecuyer to King François I, who built the first stables in 1510, and his son Gabriel who, in 1550, erected the Renaissance-style stone building in which you are about to sleep. These stables are on 2 floors, the first floor hosting the horses, the first floor the grooms' rooms!
Le Rivau's equestrian tradition seems to date back to the 13th century, and Jeanne d'Arc is said to have come here to collect horses for her crew shortly before the liberation of Orléans (1429).
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The breakfast
You will have your breakfast in the hall of honor of the stables, in a Renaissance atmosphere that reflects the interior of the castle. We love it!
The breakfast is of high quality with many good local and homemade products to start your day well.
Price range
We are in a truly extraordinary experience with only 6 rooms, this necessarily has a cost. But nothing exorbitant either, rest assured, and the dream is at this price.
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Practical information on the hotel Castle of Rivau
Opening period
The Château du Rivau, its hotel and restaurant are openfrom April 1st to mid-November.
Where is Château du Rivau
- Driving time from Saumur: 45min
- Driving time from Nantes: 2h
- Driving time from Tours: 50min
- Driving time from Angers: 1h10
- Driving time from Blois: 1h25
- Driving time from Orléans: 2h
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 parking lot awaits you less than 100m from the entrance to the castle, with spaces reserved for hotel guests at the end.
Is Château du Rivau family friendly?
With the exception of the suite, the rooms are only suitable for 2 adults and one child under 3 years old.
Things to do in the area
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.
>> Book your tickets
Or read our article
Where to eat near the Château du Rivau hotel
The tables of Château du Rivau
The castle offers 2 ways to enjoy the delights of the castle:
- La table des fées for a quick lunch (quiches and salads) with good vegetables from Gargantua's garden, all tasted facing the castle from the outbuildings.
- The secret garden, a beautiful gastronomic table and just magical under the glass roof facing the house.
At the local
Direction Chinon, only 15 minutes from the Château du Rivau, facing the vineyards and the entrance to the fortress...
The young chef, Jonathan Brisseau, originally from Chinon, really delighted us with his cuisine full of authentic flavors. Everything translates the attachment to the land, whether in the choice of its products or in the way of cooking them (and of course in the name of the restaurant). We loved our dinner!
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