Castles & tourist sites

A medieval stronghold, Montpoupon was transformed into a Renaissance residence in the 15th century. Owners since 1857, the Motte Saint-Pierre family modernized the château in the 1920s, turning it into a comfortable residence. The château takes you into the intimacy of the owners' family through a self-guided tour of the fully furnished château, from the kitchens to the dining room and private apartments. The outbuildings reveal the family's passion for horses and horse-riding, with stables, tack rooms, horse-drawn carriages, artists' paintings and Carrés Hermès.   A forest walk is available in the château grounds.  The “Solange enquête à Montpoupon” booklet is available for children.

Price: €35.50 (public price: €36) The 4th most beautiful zoo in the world*, the ZooParc de Beauval invites every visitor to take a trip around the world and meet over 35,000 animals. From the unmissable giant pandas to the adorable koalas, not forgetting the okapis, manatees, elephants and many more, there are more than 800 animal species for you to discover, some of them unique in France, or even in Europe! In 2025, to celebrate the ZooParc's 45th anniversary, the rare golden monkeys, considered to be Chinese national treasures but highly endangered, were welcomed to Beauval. During your visit, you can explore the extraordinary facilities, designed with animal welfare in mind, as well as the comfort of staff and visitors. Don't miss the impressive Equatorial Dome, covering an area of almost 1 hectare, or the Nuage de Beauval gondola lift, the only one of its kind in a French zoo, which towers 40 metres above the park. You can also attend two different shows, L'Odyssée des Lions de mer and Les Maîtres des Airs, to learn more about sea lions, but also birds of prey, parrots, pelicans and storks... and better understand the importance of protecting them and the actions taken by the ZooParc and its association Beauval Nature to achieve this. To extend the trip, you can also stay for several days in one of the park's eight themed hotels. *TripAdvisor ranking 2018

Price: €13.50 (public price: €15) Ten kilometres from Chinon, Le Rivau offers an enchanting escape into the heart of history, art and nature. Far from a traditional castle or garden tour, Le Rivau takes you on an astonishing journey into the heart of extraordinary gardens...  Here, all your senses will be awakened: 500 varieties of fragrant roses, an extraordinary vegetable garden whose produce can be sampled in the castle restaurant, monumental works of art in the gardens and castle. But there are also treasure hunts and costumes for children, a tea room, a locavore restaurant, a gourmet restaurant, exhibitions and hammocks for adults. You'll find it hard to leave... Since 2020, a Garden Escape Game has also been available.

Price: €15 (public price: €17.50) Enter the incredible world of miniature castles! You will be captivated by an exceptional park where you will discover 41 miniature castles, the most beautiful jewels of the Loire Valley. In this green setting, you can contemplate the richness and diversity of French architecture.