Accueil Discover Visit a garden The most beautiful gardens in France: must-sees in the Loire Valley
Captivating smells, an incredible palette of colours, plants that look like sculptures, breath-taking scenery… Welcome to the gardens of the Loire Valley! Famous the world over for their poetry and inimitable style, they charm all those who are lucky enough to tread their paths. From the gardens of Villandry to the Arboretum of Les Grandes Bruyères, via the Domain of Chaumont-sur-Loire and the Flower Park in Apremont-sur-Allier, read on to find out more about the most beautiful gardens in France!
The magical gardens of the Loire châteaux
Famous for their beauty and architecture, the gardens of the Loire Châteaux are also prized for their refinement and romantism. Whether in the French or English style, they delight visitors with their unique atmospheres and offer a one-of-a-kind sensory experience. Take a walk through time and different styles!
The most beautiful french gardens of the Loire châteaux
CRT Centre-Val de Loire
Classic, precisely aligned and fascinatingly perfect, French-style gardens often feature in the postcard pictures of the most prestigious châteaux. There are several places to admire this beautiful plant decor in the Loire Valley, starting with the gardens of the Château of Villandry, where you will discover one of the finest examples of the French garden style, right next to the Loire. What’s to see? A spectacular display of parterres and broderies, terrasses and magnificent fountains! You will also find a Renaissance kitchen garden, which is famous for its colourful squares that fill the place with romantic hues in every season.
Known for their symmetry and elegance, the grounds of the Château of Chenonceau are also home to some of the most beautiful gardens in France. Lose yourself in the plant labyrinth or among the many green spaces designed in homage to the great ladies who once trod these paths, such as Catherine de’ Medici and Diane de Poitiers. The park also has a pleasant English-style garden and a stunning kitchen garden with flowers that are used in bouquets to adorn the château!
T. Cantalupo – Inventaire Général Région Centre-Val de Loire
THE ENGLISH-STYLE PARKS AND GARDENS OF THE LOIRE CHÂTEAUX
Unfettered, prolific and sometimes even wild, English-style gardens celebrate the natural charm of the landscape. In the Loire Valley, they form a beautiful country-style setting for exceptional châteaux. For example, the garden of the Château of Chaumont-sur-Loire has superb winding alleys where you can stroll between rare and flossy plant species. Every year, the estate hosts the very popular International Garden Festival, which celebrates contemporary art and landscape design around a given theme.
At the Château of Cheverny, the splendid botanical park contains six magical gardens. The Floral Kitchen Garden, which provides the vegetables and flowers served in Café de l’Orangerie, is a gourmet ode to nature. In spring, the Tulip Garden is a stunning sight with nearly 500,000 colourful heads that all spring up at once! The Sweet Garden, meanwhile, is home to dozens of apple and cherry trees and, since 2020, fig trees. This infinite world of delights will enchant all garden lovers!
Less well known but just as attractive and worth a visit is the park of the Château of La Bussière, not far from Given, which offers plenty of opportunities for nature walks in its 60 hectares of land. Don’t forget to visit the Kitchen Garden, which is listed as a Remarkable Garden. Those who love sweet treats will be pleased to know that you can even come and pick your own red berries in season!
Œuvre : Leon Kluge – Photo : I. Scipion-CRT Centre-Val de Loire
C. Mouton – CRT Centre-Val de Loire
C. Mouton – CRT Centre-Val de Loire
(Re)discover all the gardens of the châteaux of the Loire
BOTANICAL AND FLOWER GARDENS IN THE LOIRE VALLEY
Lavish plant compositions, captivating smells, delightful labyrinthine paths… Who could say no to a walk in one of the many botanical and flower gardens in the Loire Valley? From the La Source Flower Park in Orléans to the Flower Park in Apremont-sur-Allier, the Arboretum of Les Grandes Bruyères, the Garden of Les Plessis Sasnières and the Gardens of Roquelin… Each garden is a world of its own where time stands still and you are at leisure to smell the fragrances filling the air, see the buds coming out and admire the picture-perfect plant life!
JF Grossin – Arboretum des Grandes Bruyères
At the Arboretum of Les Grandes Bruyères, in Ingrannes, an impressive collection of rare trees and unusual shrubs awaits you. From Spring to Autumn their colours are a feast for the eyes! As for the rose garden, it reveals the charm of over 800 roses. In harmony with the moss and bark, they create enchanting smells that you’d love to take away with you!
Lastly, among the remarkable gardens in the region, don’t miss a visit to the English-style garden of Le Plessis Sasnières with its magnificent perspective of magnolias and its lake in the heart of the Loire Valley, or the Flower Park of Apremont-sur-Allier with its captivating arches of fragrant wisteria and its melodious waterfall.
Jardin du Plessis-Sasnieres
