Set in Centre-Val de Loire, two hours from Paris, the Château de Cheverny celebrates 100 years of opening to the public in 2022. As a matter of fact, in 1922, Cheverny was the first private castle to open to visitors! 100 years later, it still has lot of charm and provides us with treasures and fabulous entertainments to delight children and adults.

When we came, during spring break, an incredible amount of Easter decorations adorned the gardens and the inside of the castle. It was also the end of the tulip blooming season, creating an incredible colorful carpet in spring.

On site, enjoy a gorgeous 100-hectare estate, lined with trees, and 6 themed gardens for fabulous walks:

The Kitchen Garden mixing seasonal flowers and vegetables.

The Apprentice Garden, an adorning garden placed over the former French formal garden that disappeared long ago, but which original plans still exist.

The Garden of Love, by the water, unveiling six monumental bronze sculptures by Swedish sculptor Gudmar Olovson. A great garden paying tribute to life, love of course and family.

The Garden of Tulips that unveils 250,000 tulips over 250m in the spring.

The Maze, a playful garden so you can get lost and run. With its height, it is impossible to look over, can you find your way out?

The Sweet Garden, created during lockdown. This orchard with 370 trees and bushes has apple trees, quince trees, cherry trees, persimmon trees, fig trees and more.

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Before or after, discover the castle, a gorgeous building from the 17^th century. Inside, many pieces of unique furniture tell us the story of the place. The Château de Cheverny is famous for being one of the Loire Castles enjoying one of the most beautiful collections of furniture, great decoration and remarkable density.

This castle – still inhabited by the owners – is in an incredible state of preservation. The apartments on the 1^st floor are the witnesses of the French lifestyle with the nursery, children’s bedroom, the dining room and the bride’s room.

In the weapons room, you can discover the Gobelins tapestry from the 17^th century, or the chest of drawers built during the Louis XIV era, in the Boulle style.

Literature fans, and especially comics, are invited to dive into the story of Tintin. As a matter of fact, Cheverny inspired artist Hergé for the Château de Moulinsart. Discover a 700smq annex displaying a permanent and interactive exhibition called “Les Secrets de Moulinsart”, for an extra cost, and taking you under Moulinsart, to the laboratory of Professor Cuthbert Calculus, Tintin’s bedroom and the castle dining room.

The castle also offers you to discover the forest estate in a cart, followed by a boat ride on the water. For 30 minutes, discover the centenarian and majestic cedar trees, and the bald cypresses that have the special feature of being immerged in water. An incredible ride leading you to caress a tree to bring you luck… Watch out for crocodiles…

Last but not least, moving on to food, note the Orangery across the gardens of the castle serves picnic baskets and warm dishes to enjoy inside or on the terrace. This is the perfect spot to quench your thirst or enjoy a delicious snack. Get some hot chocolate and homemade tatin tartlets.

In short, for a complete walk discovering the building, gardens and exhibition, it has it all for a great time. As for the tour, it is up to you. You can choose the gardens only for €8; allow €13.50 for the gardens and castle or €8.50 for the reduced rate. For the version including the Tintin exhibit, allow €18 to €13.50 for the reduced rate; and for the full tour including the exhibition, the cart and boat ride, allow €23 or €18 for the reduced rate. And allow €18.50 or €14 for the version excluding the Tintin display.

The good deal you might find interesting is that whatever ticket you choose, for 2 full-rate adult tickets for grand-parents, and 2 reduced rate tickets for grandchildren, the reduced rate the least expensive is gifted. The gardens and the castle can be visited in 1 to 2 hours, whereas the complete tour will take 3 to 4 hours.