Frequently Asked Questions

France has more than 30,000 castles listed on our platform. This figure includes medieval fortresses, Renaissance châteaux, manor houses and listed historic residences. France is the country with the highest density of 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 available on the "Castle Map" page. You can filter by location (department, region, town), by activity (guided tour, accommodation, restaurant), by construction period or by opening status. The map shows in real time which castles are open to the public, with their hours and prices.

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. On our listings, the "Free access" status is shown when this information is provided by the owner.

The Château de Versailles is by far the most visited (around 10 million visitors a 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 geographic location (region, department, town) and their type of activity (visits, accommodation, catering, seminars, wine estate, etc.). Castles may also be flagged as Historic Monuments (listed or registered) or as UNESCO World Heritage sites.

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 offer room hire for private events such as weddings, birthdays or receptions. On our site, filter castles by the "Seminars / Room hire" activity. Detailed listings specify capacity, available facilities 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 ensembles including castles are inscribed: the Loire Valley, the estates of Versailles and Fontainebleau, the prehistoric sites of the Vézère valley, Mont-Saint-Michel, and the castles of Alsace. 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 a geographic area, filter by activity (visits, accommodation, catering, etc.), by opening status or by period. Clicking on a marker takes you to a summary of the listing. The map is regularly updated with new listings and changes made by owners.

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, accessible from the menu. If you are the owner, you can create an account and claim or create your listing directly from your owner dashboard.

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.

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. If your castle is not yet in our database, you can report it via the "Missing castle" page or contact us directly.

The first year is entirely free, with no commitment and no payment method required. This period lets you test all the platform's features and measure the impact on your visibility. After this period, Gold and Silver subscriptions give access to advanced promotional features.

Gold-tier castles benefit from priority placement in search results and on the map, access to all sections of the listing (prices, hours, photo gallery, activities, accommodation, catering, etc.) and a distinctive badge visible to visitors. The Silver tier offers intermediate visibility with a selection of features. Contact us for pricing details.

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.

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.

On your first visit, a banner lets you accept or reject the different cookie categories (analytics, functional, marketing). 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.