Christmas in Loire Valley châteaux

Christmas passes in the land of chateaux

A little, a lot, crazy? Throughout the duration of the event, benefit from preferential rates with Passes 3, 5 or 7 castles to discover in complete freedom. Bonus gift this holiday season: these Passes give you access to exclusive offers (discounts in toy, craft and local product stores and partner leisure providers: escape games, karting, etc.).

Prices :

• €41 (3 castles)
• €61 (5 castles)
• €77 (7 castles)

On sale online on tourscitypass.com and in Touraine Tourist Offices.

All-inclusive stays

The Tours Loire Valley Tourist Office is offering a choice of three turnkey stays for a real Christmas tale. For a choice of 2 or 3 days, enjoy your Touraine escapade to the full. The package includes your Pass (for 3, 5 or 7 châteaux), overnight accommodation with breakfast in a 3-star hotel in Tours, dinners and a mulled wine and crêpe tasting at the Tours Christmas Market.

Schedule of the event

Chenonceau Castle

Chenonceau, a porcelain Christmas

At Chenonceau, Catherine de Médicis recreates elements reminiscent of the grandeur of Florence, such as the Italian gardens and the gallery spanning the river, in the image of the Ponte Vecchio, where she let her birds fly free. For Christmas, the birds will adorn the château's main table. Château de Chenonceau is collaborating with Maison Bernardaud, a family-owned porcelain manufacturer founded in Limoges in 1863, for a “Porcelain Christmas” celebrating French heritage and art de vivre. Bernardaud's porcelain collections will complement the château's floral displays designed by Jean-François Boucher, scenographer Meilleur Ouvrier de France.

Book your ticket for Château de Chenonceau HERE.

Activities:

• Guided tours of the Christmas floral scenography with Jean-François Boucher: Fridays, December 6, 13, and 20 at 10:00 AM.
  At 2:30 PM, a workshop/conference on a Bernardaud-themed topic. By reservation.
• Special evening at the château: Thursday, December 26 until 9:00 PM, with Jean-François Boucher present for a live demonstration alongside a representative from Bernardaud.
• "Crossed" master class combining floral workshop and Bernardaud: Fridays, December 27 and January 3 at 10:00 AM.
  At 2:30 PM, a workshop/conference by a Bernardaud representative. By reservation.
• "I’m the King" workshop: Sunday, January 5 (Epiphany).
  Enjoy a Bernardaud galette tasting (featuring a special trinket and a Bernardaud collection service for 15-20 people) in the small Orangerie Salon. By reservation.

Château d'Azay-le-Rideau

Christmas delights

Christmas is a time for sumptuous meals and delights! This year, “Château Mirror” honors gingerbread in the form of fairy-tale houses and life-size characters. From room to room, tables are richly garnished and surrounded by decorated christmas trees and plant arrangements, worthy of the most beautiful fairy tales and royal feasts.

Book your ticket for the Château d'Azay-le-Rideau HERE.

Activities:

• Special evening at the château: Saturday, December 7, from 5:00 PM to 8:30 PM.
  Strolling stilt walkers, costumed characters, and an a cappella choir (last entry to the monument at 7:30 PM).
  Included in the admission fee, no reservation required.
• Gourmet tours: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from December 23, 2024, to January 3, 2025, at 10:15 AM and 2:15 PM.
  Duration: 1.5 hours.
  Age: 7 and up.
  Prices: Adults €19 / Children €8. By reservation.
• Family tour “In the Kitchen with Bertille”: Guided by Lady Bertille dressed as a cook, families explore the château's rooms, uncovering the secrets of château life and 19th-century gastronomy.
  Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from December 23, 2024, to January 3, 2025, at 11:15 AM.
  Duration: 1 hour.
  Age: 6 and up.
  Prices: Adults €14 / Children €8. By reservation.
• Cooking workshops: Monday, December 23, 2024, at 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM. A chef from Tours à Table shares their recipe and tips for making and decorating gingerbread figures with traditional white icing.
  Duration: 1.5 hours. Age: 7 and up. Price: €40. Reservation required at toursatable.com.
• Christmas carols by the quartet Make Christmas Great Again: Monday, December 23, 2024, from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
  Included in the admission fee, no additional charge.

Royal City of Loches

Tales from the Royal City: Hansel and Gretel

Each year, the Cité Royale de Loches presents a different interpretation of a folk tale. This winter, the settings and world of one of the Grimm brothers' most famous tales, Hansel and Gretel, will take center stage in the royal dwelling: the forest, the candy hut, the witch's treasure... An immersion in the story of the tale in which visitors themselves become actors.

Book your ticket for the Cité Royale de Loches HERE.

Activities:

• Reading of the story Hansel & Gretel at the Royal Lodge:
  Follow Hansel and Gretel deep into the forest and witness their escape! Every Sunday from December 1 to December 20, 2024, at 11:00 AM and 2:15 PM. Daily from December 21, 2024, to January 5, 2025, at 11:00 AM, 2:15 PM, and 3:30 PM. Duration: 40 minutes. Age: 3 and up. Price: Included in the monument’s admission fee.
• Workshop “The Most Beautiful Gingerbread House for Christmas!”: Create and decorate the most beautiful gingerbread house with your family! Saturdays, December 7, 14, and 21 at 2:15 PM in the dungeon. Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes. Age: 7 and up. Price: €11 (monument admission included). By reservation.
• Themed tour “A Fortress in Winter” at the Dungeon:
  Go beyond the clichés to discover the daily lives of the château’s inhabitants (nobles and peasants) during wintertime. Tuesdays, December 24 and 31, and Thursdays, December 26 and January 2, at 11:00 AM in the dungeon. Duration: 45 minutes. For families: Adults and children aged 12 and up. Price: Included in the monument’s admission fee. By reservation.
• Special evening at the château:
  Be entertained by the antics of the Touraine Improvisation League as they interact with visitors. Sunday, December 29, 2024, open until 8:00 PM. Price: Included in the site’s admission fee.

Villandry Castle

At Christmas, nature invites itself to the château

As an extension of its famous gardens, the Château de Villandry invites the forest and its inhabitants into its Renaissance home. Every room, from the dining room to the bedrooms, is decorated with Christmas trees, forest animals and natural greenery, to bring you to the heart of a green fairytale.

Book your tickets for Villandry castle and gardens HERE.

Royal Fortress of Chinon Christmas

Myths and legends: queens'christmas

To celebrate the 900th anniversary of the birth of Eleanor of Aquitaine, the Royal Fortress of Chinon honors women through a journey created by floral designer Géraldine Leclerc and decorative artist Véronique Chauvet. The royal dwellings are transformed into a magical setting, with plant compositions evoking a Christmas banquet in Eleanor's time, and Marie d'Anjou's love of birds and sacred music. The “Debout les Reines!” exhibition in the Tour de l'Horloge spotlights contemporary women who reinvent themselves as modern “queens” through photography.

Book your ticket for the Fortress of Chinon HERE.

Activities:

• Decorating a Candle Holder: children aged 6 to 12 will explore the Christmas trail with a guide before heading to the attic of the Royal Lodge to decorate a candle holder in the style of a stained glass window. Each child will take their creation home! Dates: Daily from December 23, 2024, to January 3, 2025 (except December 25 and January 1) at 11:00 AM. Duration: 1 hour. Prices: €2.50 for children under 7, €11 for ages 7 and up (monument admission included). By reservation.
• Special evening at the château:
  At nightfall, enjoy the Christmas trail accompanied by musical performances by Les Ménestriers de Diabolus in Musica.Date: Saturday, December 28, 2024, open until 8:00 PM. Price: Included in the site’s admission fee.

Château of Langeais

Christmas of Light

As the year draws to a close, the medieval chateau reinterprets its tradition of light and plunges into the magic of Christmas, thanks to scenography created by Christopher Lacassagne, of the Quart de Soupir company. With the banqueting hall glowing with a thousand lights, the children's rooms illuminated by lanterns placed by elves, and the procession of angels shrouded in a golden halo, the installation promises a magical visit.

Book your ticket for the Château de Langeais HERE.

Activities:

• Lantern Workshop: create your own Christmas lantern with medieval designs! Dates: From December 22 to 31 (Sunday to Tuesday) and January 2 to 4 (Thursday to Saturday). Times: 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, and 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Age: 7 and up. No reservation required, subject to availability.
• The Stories of Léon the Dragon: Who said dragons don’t exist? Certainly not Jeannette the storyteller, who knows Léon, the grumpy dragon who loves to be coaxed into sharing his tales! Dates: December 26 to 29 at 11:30 AM, 2:30 PM, and 3:30 PM. Duration: 45 minutes. Age: 4 to 8 years old. By reservation.
• Special evening at the château:
  Enjoy a mesmerizing fire juggler and a poetic stroll with the "Star-Men" stilt walkers, revealing the secrets of constellations. Date: Friday, December 27 at 6:00 PM, 7:00 PM, 8:00 PM, and 9:00 PM. Duration: 20 minutes. Last admission: 8:30 PM. Reservation required.

The Loire castles by train

To discover the "Christmas in the land of castles" events in all simplicity, opt for the train!

• Less than 15 minutes walk from destination stations: the castles of Chenonceau, Langeais, Blois and the Royal City of Loches.
• Between 15 and 25 minutes on foot from the destination stations: the Château Royal d'Amboise, with the Château du Clos-Lucé, the Royal Fortress of Chinon and the Château d'Azay-Le-Rideau

Rémi (Regional Interurban Mobility Network) offers two passes for unlimited travel at a reduced rate.

• “Rémi Découverte Pass”: unlimited travel in the Centre-Val de Loire region on the Rémi network at €45/2 days and €60/3 days for 1 to 5 people.
• “Rémi Découverte Plus Pass”: unlimited travel from Paris and the Centre-Val de Loire region on the Rémi network at €95/2 days and €120/3 days for 1 to 5 people.
• “Rémi Yep's card": free ticket on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays for 15-25 year-olds in the Centre Val de Loire region.