Water mirrors, moats full of water or piers planted directly in the river: some French castles seem to float on their reflection, in a staging planned from the outset by their builders.
From Chenonceau spanning the Cher to Azay-le-Rideau set on an island in the Indre, this selection brings together castles for which water is an integral part of the architectural staging, and not just a defensive ditch.
Best visited in calm weather, when the surface of the water doubles the façade in a perfect reflection.
In the heart of the Loire valley, Chenonceau is the most visited private castle in the world. The present castle was built from 1513 to 1521 by Thomas Bohier, receiver of finances under Charles VIII, Louis XII and Francis I.
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Located in Touraine, it belongs to the prestigious line of Loire Valley châteaux.
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Villandry, completed around 1536, is the last of the great Loire castles built in the Renaissance in the Loire Valley. Villandry was built by a finance minister of Francis I, Jean le Breton.
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The château de Sully-sur-Loire, with its high towers and deep moats, is a superb example of a medieval fortress.
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The château du Plessis-Bourré was rebuilt from 1468 on the foundations of a medieval fortress, the château du Plessis-le-Vent, bought in 1462 by Jean Bourré, grand treasurer and trusted man of Louis XI.
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The sumptuous château de Serrant, whose brown schist contrasts with white tuffeau, has a lot of personality.
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Between Tournus and Cluny, in the heart of southern Burgundy, the Château de Cormatin awaits you amid its gardens and ornamental waters.
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In Touraine, on the banks of the Loire, the château de Langeais dates from the late Middle Ages with its wall-walk, drawbridge and imposing towers.
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The Château de Pierrefonds was built in the fifteenth century by Louis d'Orléans and then dismantled on the orders of Louis XIII.
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At the crossroads of Anjou, Maine and Touraine, Le Lude counts among the great Loire châteaux.
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