The Indre Valley is brimming with magnificent castles, beautiful mansions and charming villages. Here is a selection of the most remarkable sights to discover in this peaceful, leafy valley:
Iconic castles:
- Château d’Azay-le-Rideau in Azay-le-Rideau
Style: Renaissance
Special feature: Built on an island in the middle of the River Indre, with a superb reflection in the water; a jewel of 16th-century architecture.
- Château de Saché in Saché
Style: 18th-century mansion
Special feature: Former residence of the writer Honoré de Balzac; now the Balzac Museum.
- Château de l’Islette in Azay-le-Rideau
Style: Renaissance
Special feature: A romantic setting, frequented by Camille Claudel and Auguste Rodin. More intimate than its neighbour, Azay-le-Rideau.
- Château de Candé in Monts
Style: Architecture blending Renaissance and modernist styles (extended in the 20th century)
Special feature: Wedding of the Duke of Windsor (Edward VIII) and Wallis Simpson in 1937.
- Château de Montbazon (Foulques Nerra’s keep) in Montbazon
Style: Medieval (10th century)
Special feature: One of the oldest keeps in France. Medieval re-enactments in the summer.
Beautiful residences and manor houses:
- Manoir de la Guépière near Monts
Special feature: A charming private estate on the banks of the Indre, sometimes visible whilst out walking.
- Historic houses in Artannes-sur-Indre, Veigné and Monts
These villages are home to numerous stately homes and mills, often tucked away in wooded parks or by the water’s edge.
Villages and sights not to be missed:
- Veigné: a charming village with an old bridge, a mill and a church. The setting is idyllic.
- Montbazon: a medieval town with an old quarter that’s lovely to explore on foot.
- Pont-de-Ruan: a picturesque village with mills on the River Indre.
- Artannes-sur-Indre: beautiful rural heritage, including a Romanesque church.
