Frequently Asked Questions

Our platform lists nearly 30,000 castles in France. This figure includes medieval fortresses, Renaissance châteaux, manor houses and listed historic residences. France is one of the countries richest in castles in the world, with a particularly strong concentration in the Loire Valley, the Dordogne, Alsace and Normandy.

The Loire Valley is often called the "garden of France" and concentrates the highest density of Renaissance châteaux in Europe. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Other regions rich in castles include the Dordogne (Périgord), Alsace, Normandy, Burgundy and Occitanie. Each region has its own architectural style, reflecting its history and geography.

Use our interactive map ("Castle Map" page) and its "Near me" button: it centres on your location and shows the castles around you. You can filter by activity (visits, accommodation, restaurant...), by period or by opening status, then click a marker to discover the listing. You can also describe what you are looking for to our AI search, for example: "a castle to visit within an hour's drive of Lyon".

Yes, many castles offer free or conditional access. European Heritage Days (every third weekend of September) open hundreds of castles usually closed to the public. Some castles are freely accessible year-round, particularly ruins and parks. Access conditions and prices appear on each castle's listing when the owner has provided them.

The Château de Versailles is by far the most visited (several million visitors every year). Other must-sees include Mont-Saint-Michel, the châteaux of Chambord, Chenonceau, Carcassonne, Les Baux-de-Provence and the Château de Fontainebleau. The Loire Valley alone concentrates several of the country's most visited sites.

We classify castles by their construction period (from the 9th to the 20th century), their architectural style, their geographic location (region, department, town) and their type of activity (visits, accommodation, catering, seminars, weddings, wine estate, etc.). Castles may also carry labels: Historic Monument (listed or registered), UNESCO World Heritage, Remarkable Garden or Museum. Most of these criteria have their own themed page.

Each castle listing displays an opening status calculated in real time from the hours provided by the owner. A green "Open" or red "Closed" badge appears directly on the card and on the listing. We nonetheless recommend checking directly with the castle before travelling, as opening hours may change with the seasons.

Yes, many castles host weddings, birthdays and receptions. On our site, filter castles by the wedding activity, or browse our dedicated page of castles for weddings. When the owner has provided them, listings specify capacity, number of rooms, facilities, accessibility and contact details to request a quote.

Absolutely. Many castles have been converted into hotels, guest houses or self-catering cottages. On our platform, use the "Accommodation" filter to find castles offering overnight stays. You'll find establishments at every level, from simple guest rooms to luxury Relais & Châteaux properties.

Yes, several hundred castles offer on-site catering, ranging from a simple tea room to a Michelin-starred restaurant. Some wine estates also serve their own production during tasting tours. Use the "Restaurant" filter on our interactive map to identify these establishments.

Yes, many castle owners offer their estate for film, advertising or photo shoots. On our site, castles offering this service are identified with the "Filming" icon (a camera). Listings specify whether the castle offers this and how to contact the owner.

Castles offering seminars are identified on our platform with the "Seminars" filter. Listings show room capacity, available equipment (projector, internet connection, on-site accommodation) and booking terms. We recommend contacting the castle directly to arrange a tailored quote for your needs.

A fortress (or fortified castle) is above all a medieval military structure designed for defence: keep, ramparts, moats, machicolations. A château refers more broadly to a lordly residence, whether fortified or not. A manor house is a smaller-scale lordly residence, generally in the countryside, with no defensive purpose. In practice, the boundary between these categories is often blurred and usage varies across periods.

The main periods are: the Merovingian and Carolingian era (7th–10th century) for the earliest defensive structures; the High Middle Ages (11th–13th century) for the rise of Romanesque and Gothic fortified castles; the 14th–15th century for the great royal castles; the Renaissance (16th century) under Italian influence with the Loire châteaux; the Grand Siècle (17th century) with Versailles as a model; and the 19th century with Viollet-le-Duc's major restorations.

A Historic Monument is a property protected by the French State because of its historical, architectural or artistic interest. There are two levels of protection: classification ("classé", maximum protection, for the most remarkable monuments) and registration ("inscrit", partial protection). Owners of classified or registered monuments may receive grants for restoration work, in exchange for conservation obligations.

UNESCO World Heritage inscription recognises the "outstanding universal value" of a site. In France, several sites including castles are inscribed: the Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes, the palaces and parks of Versailles and Fontainebleau, the fortified city of Carcassonne, the historic centre of Avignon with the Papal Palace, and the fortifications of Vauban. This inscription supports heritage preservation and cultural tourism development.

Renaissance châteaux (16th century) are recognisable by their large mullioned windows, decorated dormers, façades adorned with pilasters, steeply pitched slate roofs and corner turrets. A spiral or straight-flight staircase is often prominently featured. French formal gardens with geometric flowerbeds usually complete the ensemble. Chambord, Chenonceau, Azay-le-Rideau and Villandry are iconic examples.

Our interactive map shows all the castles listed in France. You can zoom into an area, filter by activity (visits, accommodation, catering, etc.), by opening status or by period, and refresh the results for the visible area with the "Search this area" button. Clicking on a marker shows a summary of the listing. From the map, you can also create a route to link several visits together.

Instead of ticking filters, simply describe what you are looking for in everyday language: "a castle to visit within an hour's drive of Lyon", "a castle with accommodation for a romantic weekend"... Artificial intelligence interprets your request and suggests a selection of matching castles.

Our route planner helps you link several castles together and draws the itinerary on a map. It is available from the interactive map, with the "Create a route" button. For inspiration, the "Itineraries" page also offers ready-made routes: Loire Valley castles, Cathar castles, Périgord, Normandy and Île-de-France.

Yes. Click the "Compare" button on castle cards and in the interactive map pop-ups: a banner shows your selection. Then launch the comparison to display the castles side by side: activities, opening hours, prices, accommodation.

Yes, several pages group castles by theme: castles for weddings, for families, romantic castles, castle museums, cultural events and exhibitions, Historic Monuments, UNESCO World Heritage, remarkable gardens, ruins, and the castles best rated by visitors. You will find them in the site footer.

Yes, every listing has a "Visitor reviews" section where you can share your experience and give a rating. Reviews may be moderated before publication. By ticking the box provided, you can also subscribe to our newsletter.

Yes, our blog regularly publishes articles on the history, architecture and legends of French castles, along with ideas for visits and outings.

Base listings are populated from public sources and heritage databases. Castle owners with a Gold or Silver subscription can update their information directly (hours, prices, activities, photos). We recommend checking opening hours directly with the castle before a visit, especially outside peak season.

If you notice that a castle is not listed on our platform, you can report it to us via the "Report a missing castle" page (tousleschateaux.com/chateau-manquant). We add it to the directory after checking. If you are its owner, you can then claim the new listing.

Yes, our favourites system lets you save the castles you're interested in. Click the ♡ icon on any card or castle listing. Your favourites are accessible from the "My favourites" button in the navigation bar. This feature is available without creating an account.

Yes, the free All French Castles app is available on Android (Google Play). It shows the castles around you and those open today, the map with its filters, castle routes, and keeps your favourites readable offline. It works without an account and without ads. Download links are on tousleschateaux.com/en/application. The iPhone version will follow.

Our site offers both a French and an English interface. The language selector is accessible from the top bar of the site. English-language castle listings are being rolled out progressively, with priority given to the most visited castles and those with an active subscription.

Your castle is probably already listed in our directory. Start by searching for it via our map or search engine. If a listing already exists, you can claim it by creating an owner account from the "Login" page. Once your claim is approved, your listing is upgraded to the Gold tier free of charge for one year for any claim made before 31 December 2026 (launch offer), then for 3 months for later claims. Please note that the owner dashboard is currently available in French only. If your castle is not yet in our database, you can report it via the "Missing castle" page or contact us directly.

Being listed in the directory is free for every castle. To enrich and promote your listing, the Gold subscription is on us: as soon as your claim is approved, your castle is upgraded to the Gold tier for one year for any claim made before 31 December 2026 (launch offer), then for 3 months for later claims, with no payment method required. After that, the subscription is annual: €60 per year for Silver, €120 per year for Gold. If you do not renew, the listing returns to the Standard tier: it remains visible in the directory and your content is kept should you subscribe again.

The Gold tier offers maximum visibility: priority placement in search results and on the homepage, display of all your activities (visits, accommodation, catering, weddings...), a 10-photo gallery and an English version of your listing. The Silver tier showcases your main activity, with a 5-photo gallery. The subscription is annual: €120 per year for Gold, €60 per year for Silver.

Yes. Every listing on the website appears in the All French Castles app, with the same rules: a Silver or Gold listing shows its opening hours, today's "Open" status, its activities and contact details, and Gold castles are part of the app's "Featured" selection. There is nothing more to do: changes made in your owner dashboard apply to the website and the app at the same time.

Log in to your owner dashboard from the "Login" page. Go to the "Manage my listing" section, then to the relevant tab (Hours, Prices, Photos, etc.). Changes take effect immediately on the public listing and on the interactive map. Hours are managed by season, letting you set up your yearly opening schedule in a single operation.

The "Gold" and "Silver" selections shown on the homepage are reserved for castles with the corresponding subscription. They are rotated regularly to offer fair visibility to all subscribers. The "Other castles" section of the homepage is open to all listed castles.

It is a small widget to install on your castle's website, linking to your listing. The embed code is provided in your owner dashboard: simply copy and paste it into your site. It reassures your visitors and strengthens your listing's search ranking.

From your owner dashboard, you have full access to all your listing's information and can edit it at any time. To request full deletion of a listing, or to exercise your GDPR rights, use our contact form and select the subject "Personal data / GDPR".

We only collect the data needed for the site to function properly: for owners (first name, last name, email, phone number when creating an account) and for visitors (anonymised browsing data via Google Analytics). We never sell personal data to third parties. Our full privacy policy is available on the Legal Notice page.

The bare minimum. The app works without an account. Your location is only requested when you tap "Around me", never in the background; it is rounded before being sent and is not stored. Your favourites stay on your phone. No advertising, no ad tracking. Details are in the privacy policy, "Mobile app" section, on the Legal Notice page.

On your first visit, a banner lets you accept or reject non-essential cookies, such as audience measurement. You can change your preferences at any time via the "Cookies" link at the bottom of the page. Only cookies strictly necessary for the site to function are enabled by default.

You can exercise your rights of access, rectification, erasure, portability and objection by contacting us via our contact form (subject: "Personal data / GDPR") or by email at the address shown in our Legal Notice. We aim to respond within 30 days in accordance with GDPR.