Let us tell you all about Château d'Ussé and immerse yourself in its enchanting world!
Famous for having inspired the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty, this castle will surprise you with its interweaving architecture, sublime gardens and original , immersive tour.
In this article, discover our practical advice and our many photos to visit the Château d'Ussé and have a wonderful time!
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 Château d'Ussé, aka Sleeping Beauty Castle?
Is the castle worth it? Our opinion:
The château is first and foremost worth a visit for its multi-faceted architecture! The fruit of three centuries of construction (XV-XVIIIth), its architecture blends medieval and Gothic inspiration with Renaissance style. The result is a patchwork of stones that's truly fascinating to decipher!
Next, you won't be able to ignore the gardens designed by Le Nôtre, gardener to the "Roi Soleil" Louis XIV and notably responsible for the gardens at Versailles. We were seduced by the harmony of the landscape's geometry.
Last but not least, Château d'Ussé is a magical place that conjures up theimagination of fairy tales! And, of the 103 châteaux in the Loire Valley to visit, it's one of our top 12 most beautiful! So, no more excuses, go for it!
Why is Château d'Ussé famous?
The castle is so enchanting that it inspired Charles Perrault in the 17th century to write his prose tale"Sleeping Beauty". You're sure to fall under the spell of its mysterious yet harmonious architecture, too! And let's not forget our enchanting garden, a veritable invitation to a romantic stroll. Who knows, maybe you'll meet Prince Charming!
Our favorite moments
We'll tell you more about our discoveries below, but here are our top 3 at Château d'Ussé:
- Immerse yourself in the splendor of château life and admire the particularly well-preserved 18th-century furniture (tapestries, paintings, crockery) displayed in the various rooms,
- Take a stroll along the parapet walk, enjoy the superb panorama and discover the top of the dungeon, where wax dolls recreate scenes from the fairytale "Sleeping Beauty",
- Stroll through the magnificent garden, savoring the beauty of the orange and lemon avenues, not forgetting the bucolic view over the Indre River.
History in brief
Château d'Ussé has undergone many changes over the ages:
- Around the year 1000: Viking Guelduin I builds the first fortress.
- 1430-1450: Jean V de Bueil, captain to King Charles VII and a close friend of Joan of Arc, built the basic structure of today's château.
- 1485: Ussé passed to the d'Espinay family, who transformed it under the influence of the Italian Renaissance. The central body of the château and the first part of the right wing were built, as was the chapel.
- 1659: The estate is taken over by Bernin de Valentinay, Louis XIV's finance controller. He enlarged the house, commissioning Le Nôtre to design the gardens and Vauban to create the terraces. The pavilion was built for his son's wedding.
- 1700-1780: The estate is enlarged and Ussé transformed into a pleasure residence, with the courtyard opening onto the valley.
- 1807: The château is bought by the Duchess of Duras.
- 1885: The property reverted to the Comte de Blacas d'Aulps. Since then, their descendants have watched over the castle and still live there!
WHERE TO STAY IN THE Loire Valley
Our independent picks for the accommodation of your dreams:
Access and map: Castle of Ussé, Rigny-Ussé
Where is the castle?
The château is located in the town of Rigny-Ussé (37420).
- Driving time from Chinon or Langeais: 20min
- Driving time from Saumur: 40min
- Driving time from Paris: 2h30 on the A10 freeway
Please note that journey times are indicative and may fluctuate according to traffic conditions.
Here is a map to help you find your way:
How to get there?
There are several ways to get to the castle:
By train: the nearest station is Tours. See available timetables and book your train tickets now. The town is served by regular connections from major cities such as Bordeaux (2h30) and Paris (1h08). From the station, you'll need to take the TER train to Rivarennes and from there take a cab for 7min. And, if you're looking for a 3-day train itinerary to discover the Châteaux of the Loire, we've put together a dedicated article for you!
By public transport: there is no public transport close to the château.
By bike: The château is part of the Loire à Vélo network (details here) and has a bicycle parking area. If you're looking for a great itinerary, have a look at our article La Loire à vélo : nos conseils (pour profiter à fond !).
By car: Ussé is well served by the A10 freeway or the N20+N10. Along with the bicycle, the car is still the best way to visit the châteaux, especially if you're planning to visit more than one Loire château.
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
For those coming by car: a large free parking lot is available in front of the château (approx. 200 spaces).
For those who come by bike: the château is located on the La Loire à vélo cycle path, and bicycle parking (25 spaces) is available just outside the château entrance.
Useful tips: duration, schedules, eating...
Best time to visit
We recommend that you come in the summer to enjoy the gardens in full bloom! As the site is quite popular in the afternoons, we advise you to come when it opens for a more leisurely visit, and to give preference to weekdays if you can.
Length of visit and main difficulties
We advise you to allow between 2 and 3 hours for your visit, to ensure you have enough time to see the entire château indoors and then enjoy the gardens.
As the entire château grounds are on a hillside, there is a slight natural slope. Inside the château, climb the grand staircase designed by François Mansart (architect of Château de Blois). And to get to the Sleeping Beauty tale, you'll need to climb 100 steps up the spiral staircase in the dungeon.
Visitors with reduced mobility or disabilities can drive up to the château. It's a good idea to warn people here first. Unfortunately, the castle's upstairs interiors are not open to visitors.
Advice on how to visit
We recommend you start with the castle. After going through the main rooms, you will be able to access the dungeon which will plunge you into the world of Sleeping Beauty. Thus put in condition, you will be able to walk in the gardens designed by Le Nôtre, to admire more closely the frontages and to let you carry by the romanticism of the place. And don't forget to visit the beautiful chapel and stables on your walk through the park. You'll be able to find your way around thanks to the little tour booklet provided at reception.
A LITTLE MORE patience
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Visiting with children
The Château d'Ussé is clearly one of the best Loire castles to visit with your children! As well as reliving the famous Sleeping Beauty fairytale in the dungeon, they'll get a complete overview of castle life in a relatively short visit. The site also features a treasure hunt entitled " Entre Comptes et conte de Fée " ( Between Accounts and Fairy Tales), in which children must answer the riddles left by Charles Perrault. We recommend that you contact the château directly in advance of your visit for more information on the treasure hunt here. And don't forget the store: it's full of fairy-tale figurines and toys that could seriously tempt your little ones!
In fact, it's on our list of the best Loire châteaux to visit with children.
Schedules and rates
Note that the castle falls into a deep sleep several months of the year (between mid-November and mid-February)!
Château d'Ussé is open:
- February 17 to March 31: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- April 01 to September 30: 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
- October 1 to November 11: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Prices are as follows:
- Adults (+ 16 years): €14.50
- Children aged 8 to 16: €7
- Children (under 8): free of charge
Please note: The last ticket is issued one hour before closing time. Check details of times and prices on the official website here.
Guided tours
There are no guided tours, but an audio-guide is available for €3. Otherwise, a tour brochure is available at reception to help you find your way around the spaces (different versions are available in English, German, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Mandarin and Cantonese), and numerous explanatory labels accompany your visit to the indoor and outdoor spaces.
Catering
There is no restaurant on site, but you can eat at the Restaurant Hôtel Clos d'Ussé, 80m from the château. Another option is to take a snack bar in the château parking lot, which offers light meals (sandwiches, quiches, salads and waffles). All you have to do is show your entrance ticket to continue the tour. Alternatively, if you prefer to eat out in a big city, look out for our selection of the best restaurants in Tours.
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A grandiose castle
Château d'Ussé has a majestic appearance, with its gleaming tufa stone facade and 10,000 m² roof. And yet, although it appears harmonious, the château has several architectural superimpositions, as its construction took place between the year 1000 and the mid-19th century.
A heterogeneous architecture
Before it looked like something out of a fairy tale, the château was a fortress! Already, its location (on a hillside close to the Chinon forest) made it perfectly strategic. In the 15th century, in the midst of the Wars of Religion, Jean V de Bueil reinforced the castle (ramparts, drawbridge), and certain elements, such as the "machicolations" (openings in the walls to launch projectiles at enemies), can still be seen today. In the photo below, you can even see the dungeon on the left, a former prison built around the year 1000!
After its initial foundations, typical of the Middle Ages, the Renaissance style was introduced by the d'Espinay family in the 15th century. The façade is pierced by dozens of windows, flooding the castle with light. We recommend you visit the Cour d'Honneur to understand the "architectural mille-feuille" we're talking about. We loved detailing the different sculpted decorations and mouldings on this Renaissance façade. Finally, to the right of this courtyard, you'll find the classical-style Vauban pavilion (late 17th century), while the left wing blends primitive Gothic with neo-Gothic contributions (19th century), such as the balcony added in 1830 by General de La Rochejaquelein.
A richly furnished château
The blend of styles is also on display in the château's various salons, which feature a collection of French furniture. It dates mainly from the 17th century, when the Marquis de Valentinay overhauled the premises to match the flamboyance of the court of the "Roi Soleil", Louis XIV.
We loved wandering through the different rooms (grand gallery, antechamber, royal salon), each with its own elegant staging. And we couldn't resist dreaming of being castellans as we admired the splendor of the furnishings!
We spent a long time examining the Italian cabinet (16th century) above, located in the Salon Vauban on the first floor. Look how beautiful the ebony is! Inlaid with precious stones (ivory, mother-of-pearl, lapiz-lazuli), it has 49 secret drawers: enough to hide a host of love bills! On the walls, you'll also appreciate the three tapestries, also from the 16th century, depicting the biblical theme of David and Goliath.
Our favorite? The large gallery featuring a collection of tapestries
in Brussels. Before it linked the east and west wings of the château, in the 15th century this corridor was an arcaded passageway opening onto the courtyard! Today, you can admire the tapestries created in the 18th century, based on designs by David Teniers, known as le Jeune. Observe the different characters at work: each one recounts scenes from popular life. We loved the contrast between these large, colorful country tapestries and the sober checkerboard floor and serious bust of Louis XIV (after Bernini, the original of which is at the Château de Versailles). From this corridor, you can also escape to an underground passageway over 1,000 years old.
A sumptuous estate
While the interior is richly decorated, the exterior is full of panache! The estate extends over almost 1000 hectares, 600 of which are enclosed around the château.
A French garden
This garden is the fruit of two 17th-century geniuses! First, it's Le Nôtre himself, gardener to the King and of the gardens of Versailles, who drew up the plans for the gardens in 1664. It's impossible not to be struck by the purity of the lines, the perspective and the balance between plant and mineral components and the water basins, typical of the French garden. In addition to this meticulous composition, the terraces were designed by Vauban, an engineer and architect famous for his citadels. Terraces offer a view of the outside world and a greater appreciation of the symmetry of the garden and its perfectly trimmed shrubs!
For our part, we fell in love with the alley of fragrant orange trees, whose fruit was a luxury in those days. You'll notice that some of them are even centenarians! In the face of such splendor, it's easy to imagine a princess languishing in thought, waiting for her prince! It's not for nothing that a statue of Sleeping Beauty was installed on the terrace in the 18th century.
The chapel
Another colourful feature of the château is its chapel! To find it, head back towards the entrance and take the path up into the park. While its structure is medieval, the details of its façade and interior furnishings make it a jewel of the Renaissance. Built between 1530 and 1535, the church's size indicates the power of the d'Espinay family at the time. Indeed, to obtain permission to build such an edifice, you had to have a significant place in the court!
We were particularly surprised by its architectural purity: it's incredible to know that everything has remained intact since the 15th century. Even inside the church, you can see a stained-glass window above the door, with a little moon head that has been watching visitors for almost 500 years!
Before entering the church, take the time to admire the entrance door, adorned with a typical Renaissance arched pediment. There are also several carved medallions, some with morbid scenes. They bear witness to a troubled period, the church having been built at the end of the 100 Years' War.
Stables and tack room
We also recommend a visit to the stables and tack room in the building directly opposite the church. Here, you can imagine a princess fleeing the castle on horseback at dusk! Unfortunately, you won't see the trotting horses of yesteryear, but you will still see the various vehicles that were used for a simple ride or to transport vegetables from the farm to the castle. We were amazed by the "dog cart", designed to entertain small children! This room is a true testament to life at the time, as is the tack room where harnesses and saddles are on display.
An atypical visit
In addition to the beauty of its architecture and the sublimity of its gardens, we also loved the Château d'Ussé for its highly original themed exhibitions. Whether you're a fan of enchantment, history or even wine, there's something for everyone!
Once upon a time, Sleeping Beauty at Château d'Ussé
We couldn't visit a castle without seeing a princess! In the 17th century, Charles Perrault, famous for his Tales, was invited to stay in Ussé. In his correspondence with the Marquis de Valentinay, to whom he was close, he said he was inspired by the mystery of the château to set the scene for "Sleeping Beauty". To pay tribute, the château has decided to recreate the famous scenes from the fairytale, in wax dolls. Fortunately, this is the Disney version, as Perrault's 1697 version is far more morbid (Aurore's stepmother eats her grandchildren).
The rich costumes and sets allowed us to immerse ourselves in the fairytale's enchantment: from the scene of the 3 good fairies' wishes to the final scene of the prince's kiss! We also enjoyed rereading excerpts from the original text across the different desks. Last but not least, we thought it was a good idea to set the story inside the dungeon and attic, both of which are reminiscent of the imaginary world of fairy tales.
A castle still occupied
Château d'Ussé is the only private château among the great Loire Valley châteaux to have been inhabited by the same family for over two centuries. For Casimir de Blacas, the current owner, a château should remain a place to live, which is why his family still lives in the former Vauban pavilion. For our part, we loved learning that they still sometimes use the dining room on the first floor (pictured below), and to say we'd love to be invited for dinner is an understatement!
However, it was Casimar de Blacas who, in 1955, opened the site to tourism and decided to showcase elements not usually seen in castles. Starting with a costume collection! Each year, a themed exhibition (hats, day dresses, etc.) showcases outfits from 1863 to 1955. All the more reason to bring the castle's interior to life! We particularly liked the scene in room 3 on the first floor (the former dining room), where time seems to have stood still. It was almost as if the ladies were waiting to chat and their children were waiting to play...
The château will also delight wine enthusiasts, with a tour of the cellars dating back to the 14th century. Carved out of the Touraine tufa stone, they offered ideal conditions for preserving wine. The exhibition features traditional winemaking and harvest scenes, again with wax models. Also on display are an original wine press and antique barrels, illustrating the region's winemaking tradition dating back to the 4th century! The tour ends with a small chapel dedicated to Saint Vincent, patron saint of winegrowers. Remember to bundle up for this part of the tour, as temperatures get cooler in the basement.
A castle steeped in history
Did you know that illustrious figures have stopped off at Château d'Ussé to enjoy its gentle lifestyle?
- 17th century: The Valentinay family welcomes famous authors Charles Perrault and Voltaire. Not forgetting their son-in-law, Vauban, who was appointed Marshal of France by Louis XIV, and who elevated the Seigneurie d'Ussé to the status of marquisate in 1700. As he often stayed there, a bedroom was reserved for him, as well as a salon that can be visited today, renamed Salon Vauban (on the first floor).
- In the 18th century: Louis XIV stopped off at Ussé on his way to the trial of Fouquet, his finance superintendent, who was overshadowing him.
- 19th century: Chateaubriand pays many visits to the Duchesse de Duras. It is even said that he wrote part of his Mémoires d'outre-tombe here! The owners also own a number of letters from the Chateaubriand-Duras correspondence, which are unfortunately not on public display. Another reminder of the author's visit: two majestic Lebanese cedars donated in 1805, which can still be seen next to the chapel! We loved their peaceful presence in the château grounds.
Finally, two other royal personalities have honored Ussé with their visit: Queen Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon of England, mother of Elizabeth II, and Haile Selassie I, the last emperor of Ethiopia. He was the last monarch to use the royal bedroom in 1972 (photo below). Located on the 1st floor, we loved the invigorating pink that covers the entire room from floor to ceiling.
In short, once you've experienced life as a châtelin, it'll be hard to go home, but there's no doubt that you'll leave your visit to Château d'Ussé with stars in your eyes!
Frequently asked questions
What activities are organized at Castle of Ussé?
Themed activities are offered according to the season, such as an Easter egg hunt with Sleeping Beauty herself, or a Halloween candy hunt. The château also takes part in the national Rendez-vous aux jardins event (June) and the European Heritage Days (September). All the latest news can be found here.
What to do around Château d'Ussé
Ideally located on the banks of the Indre, we invite you to enjoy a bucolic getaway, with a choice of :
- If you're a keen cyclist, you can plan an entire tour of the Châteaux de la Loire. See prices and availability.
- Another bike tour, aptly named "Sleeping Beauty", departs from the castle. The route of this 1-hour loop can be found here.
- If you want to continue the reverie inspired by Château d'Ussé, there's nothing like a visit to an old village! Read our article on the 12 most beautiful villages in the Loire Valley here.
Where to take the best photos of Château d'Ussé?
We had a lot of fun taking photos of this incredibly photogenic castle! Once you've seen it from every angle, we recommend the bucolic view from the garden's cedars. And let's not forget the one on the other side of the bridge over the Indre, which is particularly picturesque!
The château was also the setting for Nils Tavernier's 2006 film Aurore , starring Carole Bouquet and François Berléand.
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