Chateau de Villandry Review

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Château de Villandry

Fodor's Review:

Green-thumbers get weak in the knees at the mere mention of the Château de Villandry, a grand estate near the Cher River, thanks to its painstakingly relaid 16th-century gardens, now the finest example of Renaissance garden design in France. These were originally planted in 1906 by Dr. Joachim Carvallo and Anne Coleman, his American wife, whose passion resulted in two terraces planted in styles that combine the French monastic garden with Italianate models depicted in historic Du Cerceau etchings. Seen from Villandry's cliff-side walkway, the garden terraces look like flowered chessboards blown up to the nth power—a breathtaking sight.

Beyond the water garden and an ornamental garden depicting symbols of chivalric love is the famous potager, or vegetable garden, which stretches on for bed after bed—the pumpkins here are les pièces de résistance. Flower lovers will rejoice in the main jardin à la française (French-style garden): framed by a canal, it's a vast carpet of rare and colorful blooms planted en broderie ("like embroidery"), set into patterns by box hedges and paths. The aromatic and medicinal garden, its plots neatly labeled in three languages, is especially appealing. Below an avenue of 1,500 precisely pruned lime trees lies an ornamental lake that is home to two swans: not a ripple is out of place. The château interior was restored in the mid-19th century; of particular note are the painted and gilt Moorish ceiling from Toledo and the collection of Spanish pictures. Note that the quietest time to visit is usually during the two-hour French lunch break, while the most photogenic is during the Nuits des Mille Feux (Nights of a Thousand Lights, usually held in early July), when paths and pergolas are illuminated with myriad lanterns and a dance troupe offers a tableau vivant. There are also a Baroque music festival in late August and a gardening weekend held in early September. There is no train station at Villandry, so train to nearby Savonnières and taxi the 4-km (2½-mi) distance.

  • Cost: Château and gardens EUR 9, gardens only EUR 6
  • Open: Château Apr.-Oct., daily 9-6; mid-Feb., Mar., and 1st half Nov., daily 9-5. Gardens Apr.-Sept., daily 9-7; Oct.-mid-Nov., daily 9-5
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