Castles & tourist sites

The Château de Villandry is a unique example of Renaissance architecture and gardens. Six sumptuous gardens await you: the vegetable garden, the ornamental garden, the water garden, the medicinal plant garden, the labyrinth and the sun garden. The château boasts 18th-century interiors and a collection of antique Spanish paintings.

With 8,000 animals, the ZooParc de Beauval is home to the greatest diversity of animals in France. In 35 years, it has become the No. 1 zoo in France*, the most visited site in the Centre region and a company that has won national and international recognition and awards. In 2016, the ZooParc expanded once again, unveiling a facility that is unique in the world in terms of its design and scale: a vast enclosure for hippopotamuses, a species presented for the first time at Beauval. Leading a semi-aquatic life, the hippopotamuses enjoy a space featuring a pool lined with beaches, a river and a waterfall. A lagoon dotted with aquatic plants and inhabited by fish completes this exceptional complex.

How about a fabulous journey through the richness of the world's waters? Through its themed rooms with original decorations, the Grand Aquarium of Touraine takes you on a surprising journey where you can admire different kinds of fish living in fresh waters and in the oceans. You will be amazed by the tunnel allowing you to admire the great species of our regions, sturgeons, pike, zander ... The tropical fresh waters will immerse you in the world of piranhas, caimans, archers fish ... Without forgetting the show electric eels and the rare group of American spatula fish. The youngest will love the tactile pool where the koi carp come to seek contact with the visitor as well as the reptile nursery.

The Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire, which now covers 32 hectares, offers one of the most beautiful views of the royal river and is a belvedere on the wild Loire. It welcomes more than 385,000 visitors each year. It includes the Château (15th-19th century), its stables, its landscaped park and the International Garden Festival. As a centre for the arts and nature, the estate also hosts installations by contemporary artists and exhibitions by major photographers. In season: the "Gardens of Light" invite you to a night walk to discover the gardens of the Festival; the Restaurant of the Domain welcomes you and offers you an inventive cuisine.