A Christmas Château in the Loire Valley

Visit a Christmas château in France this year and what might you see? A magnificent stately palace lit up; trees decorated inside and out; costumed creatures taking you on a historic journey – let the imagination take over!

I become a child again at Christmas, believing everything I am told (well for a little while), hoping everything will be wonderful. It doesn’t last the January chill but hey ho, I enjoy it while I can.

So Christmas at the château. Which château? Well this year seven have dusted themselves down, brought out the decorations and occasionally gone right over the top. The châteaux taking part are Amboise, Azay-le-Rideau, Chenonceau, Chinon, Langeais, Loches and Villandry

Their Christmas special displays and events run from Saturday 30 November 2024 to Sunday 5 January 2025.

See below for details on special deals, prices etc. for the Touraine châteaux.

chenonceau long view at night lit up for Christmas with lights in front and fir trees — Chenonceau at Christmas © Dominique Coineau

Christmas Châteaux in the Loire Valley

No surprises that the Christmas extravaganzas take place in the Loire Valley. This lovely stretch of river is the place where the Kings and Queens of France and their illustrious courtiers, mistresses and favourites, built their grand castles, strung along the river like a necklace of pearls.

You might wonder what a Renaissance Christmas was like for children. You’ll discover that here in the Loire Valley.

Amboise Château

Amboise castle at sunset with white stone building in background and green flower beds at front — Amboise Château © Amboise chateau/L de Serres

Go back in time with Christmas, dreams of childhood: in the land of toys. This all generations Christmas will see the grandparents looking nostalgic with vintage toys of princes and princesses and the younger lot swooning over Melodica, the iconic Playmobil castle and Corolle dolls. And if you want to guess my generation, I will have to take my grandchild to fathom out the latest. On your way through there’s a fun clash: the spider-king Louis XI faces up to a Spiderman action figure, Leonardo da Vinci is seen trying out a construction set and King Louis-Philippe drives an electric train.

Special events are planned, like the nocturnal evening on December 21 and a Boxing Day Special: A night candlelight walk through the château with a live choir singing carols. Magic!

Amboise Chateau with old piano in middle of room with wrapped parcels all round — Amboise Château © adt_touraine/jc coutand

Château d’amboise
Mnt de l’Emir Abd el Kader
37400 Amboise
Tel: +33 2 47 57 00 98
Website
Department Indre-et-Loire
Region Centre Val-de-Loire
Christmas Opening: Nov 30-Dec 20: Daily 9am-12.30pm; 2-4.30pm; Dec 21-Jan 5, 2025 Daily 9am-4.30pm
Admission: Adult €13.50; 7-18 years €9.20; under 7 years free

Azay-le-Rideau Château

Azay-le-Rideau main huge long corridor with portion at end roped off showing enormous table laden with christmas food and fir trees beside — Azay-le-Rideau © Centre des Monuments Nationaux

Christmas delights celebrates gingerbread with finely decorated biscuits, magical houses and life-size figures filling the rooms of the beautiful Château d’Azay-le-Rideau. Walk past dining tables groaning under rich compositions of plants and food and specially decorated Christmas trees.

Azay-le-Rideau chateau with table in middle covered with green cloth and Christmas tree of wrapped round sweets, cups and small sweets — Azay-le-Rideau Châteaux © adt_touraine/jc coutand

Château d’Azay-le-Rideau
19 rue Balzac
37190 Azay-le-Rideau
Tel: +33 (0)2 47 45 42 04
Website
Department Indre-et-Loire
Region Centre Val-de-Loire
Open Oct 1-Mar 31, 2025. Daily 10am-5.15pm. Closed Dec 25, Jan 1.
Admission: Adult €13; free for under 18 years

Château de Chenonceau

Chenonceau at christmas with fir trees lit up on path to chateau in background — Chenonceau at Christmas © Dominique Coineau

Chenonceau sits astride the river; its long gallery windows reflected in the waters below. It was a recreation by Catherine de’ Medici of her beloved Florence where the Ponte Vecchio connected the Medici galleries with the Palazzo Vecchio and never fails to charm.
Inside the long gallery with its black-and-white-draughtboard floor was where she let her birds from her aviary fly free.
That romantic, if impractical, dream is echoed in Chenonceau, a Christmas in porcelain. Maison Bernardaud, a French porcelain workshop founded in 1863 in Limoges, has made pieces that decorate the ceremonial dining table. For the Christmas holidays, they will delicately decorate the ceremonial dining table, festooned with extraordinary floral creations by the resident florist François Boucher, a master craftsman and Meilleur Ouvrier de France contest.

Chenonceau chateau lon gallery with black and white floor, trees along walls and decorations — Chenonceau Châteaux © adt_touraine/jc coutand

Château de Chenonceau
37150 Chenonceaux
Website
Department Indre-et-Loire
Region Centre Val-de-Loire
Christmas Opening: Nov 12-Dec 6, Dec 9-13, 16-20 daily 9.30am-4.30pm; Dec 7-8, 14-15 9.30am-5pm; Dec 21-Jan 5, 2025 9.30am-6pm
Admission: Adult €17; child 7-18 years €14. Audio guide available

Chinon Château. La Fortresse Royale

Chinon at night in Loire Valley. Huge long chateau walls lit up with towers reflected in waters of Loire river — Chinon at Night © Chinon Tourisme

Christmas myths and legends: Christmas of Queens at Chinon celebrates the 900th anniversary of the birth of Eleanor of Aquitaine. Step back into the middle ages with an itinerary that takes in history, poetry and nature. Designed by two women, the rooms honour both Eleanor and Marie of Anjou. Witness a banquet fit for Eleanor and birds and sacred music that pre-occupied Marie of Anjou.
The photographic exhibition Debout les Reines! in the Tour de l’Horloge remains with the female theme, highlighting some great photographs taken by women who might be called modern ‘queens’.

Forteresse Royale de Chinon
2 rue du Château
37500 Chinon
Tel: +33 (0)2 47 93 13 45
Website
Department Indre-et-Loire
Region Centre Val-de-Loire
Christmas Opening: Nov-Jan, 2025: Daily 9.30am-4.30pm. Closed at 4pm on Dec 24 and 31. Closed Dec 25, Jan 1, 2025 Admission: Over 7 years €10.50; under 7 years €2.50

Château de Langeais

Langeais chateau in long room with child running between two tables laden with food and goodies — Langeais Châteaux © adt_touraine/jc coutand

The medieval Château de Langeais was lit by candlelight and lanterns. This Christmas, A light display features candles and lanterns as well as fairy lights, creating spectacular lighting effects. The rooms are specially lit, showing up the superb furniture, tapestries and more and illustrating the time when only the rich could afford to light their castles; the poor lived in semi darkness.

Langeais château in long vaulted roofed room with tapestries on walls © adt_touraine/jc coutand

Château de Langeais
Place Pierre de Brosse
37130 Langeais
Tel: +33 (0)2 47 96 72 60
Website
Department Indre-et-Loire
Region Centre Val-de-Loire
Christmas Opening: Nov 30-Jan 31, 2025. Daily 10am-5pm. Dec 25: 2-5pm.
Admission: Adult €11; 18-25 years €9; 10-17 years €5.50

The Château of Loches: Royal City of Loches

Royal City of Loches. Old room with beamed roof, Christmas tree in left and other trees around the room — Royal City of Loches © adt_touraine/jc coutand

The Château of Loches (known as the Royal City of Loches) is a huge defensive building on a rocky spur overlooking the Indre river. At one end stands a mighty keep, at the other, the château which this Christmas celebrates The Tales of the Royal City – Hansel & Gretel. Like all the fairytales of the Brothers Grimm, it mixes magic and fear, though it’s probably the parents who will feel the feat as you walk through the forest to the sugar house and the witch’s treasure.

Château of Loches; The Royal City
5 place Charles VII
37600 Loches
Tel: +33 (0)2 47 19 18 08
Website
Department Indre-et-Loire
Region Centre Val-de-Loire
Open Nov 30-Dec 31 Daily except Dec 25, Jan 1. 9.30am-5pm
Admission: Adult €10.50; child 7-18 years €8.50

Villandry Château

Château de Villandry at night. Long view of building in distance and lit windows. Formal gardens in front. — Château de Villandry © adt_touraine/jc coutand

Villandry’s theme fits perfectly: At Christmas, the château opens its doors to nature. Villandry is known for its gardens, so their Christmas show brings all the glories of nature inside. Walk past crackling fires, Christmas trees are bedecked with all kinds of baubles; reindeer, fawns, owls, squirrels and foxes fill the main rooms; there are plant decoration and an enchanted forest.
Look out of the windows onto the winter gardens with mosaics of ornamental cabbages and leeks, box tree lacework, yew tree topiary, and long avenues of sleepy lime trees.

Villandry chateau table covered in decorations and food and lit up lanterns — Villandry Château © adt_touraine/jc coutand

Château de Villandry
3 Rue Principale
37510 Villandry
Tel: +33 (0)2 47 50 02 09
Website
Department Indre-et-Loire
Region Centre Val-de-Loire
Christmas Opening: Castle and Gardens: Nov 30-Jan 5, 2025. Closed Dec 25 and Jan 1
Admission: Adult €13; child 8-18 years €7.50

Visiting the Loire Valley Christmas Châteaux

The Touraine Tourist Offices have special rates if you want to visit more than one château.
3-château pass: €41; 5 châteaux: €61; 7 châteaux: €77).
If you have the pass you can get various discounts at shops, and tour companies.

You can buy the pass at the Touraine tourist offices or on line here.