Secret castles of south Touraine

This privately-owned castle with its white rose garden is very well-balanced, even though it was built over several different periods. Only the 11th-century square-shaped keep, featuring machicolations, remains from the original fortress. Climb to the top to get a bird's eye view over the Indre Valley and the village of Saint Germain… Worth visiting: a room with a superb inverted ship's hull frame.

www.chateaudestgermain.com

Its 30-metre-high keep, built in 1400, offers one of the highest points of view over south Touraine. Bridoré is an incomparable example of military architecture history. It played a key role in the Hundred Years' War and three kings of France lived here: Charles VII, Charles VIII and Francis I.

Worth a mention: its caponiers inspired Vauban.

www.chateaudebridore.com

This castle, which was built as of 1037, boasts a square tower, accessible via an original 15th-century flight of steps. The guard room is home to the dungeons! With its underground galleries, its watchtower and its machicolations, it's a prime example of a medieval castle and warfare techniques.

It also boasts underground hideaways set along a 250 m troglodyte maze.

www.souterrainsdebetzlechateau.com

+33 671 03 95 39

This castle, surrounded by a moat, appears to be standing on an island. Only the outside can be visited.

You can stroll around the grounds to view the castle from various angles: its 15th-century square tower, its 17th-century central part and its 17th-18th-century east wing. This majestic fortress sits in a park of 6 hectares that is freely accessible to the public.

www.chateaudeboussay.com

This elegant, privately-owned dwelling features a Renaissance castellum adorned with two turrets. Behind the castellum, a 12th-century medieval fortress reigns, with two of its three corner towers still standing. Rouvray, rebuilt during the 14th century, was extended in the 15th century with an octagonal tower, then a fine fortified gateway, which was renovated during the 16th century. Only the 3.5-hectare park is open to the public.

www.loches-valdeloire.com/sit/chateau-de-rouvray/

You first discover the majesty of this castle from the bridge over the Creuse. Building began on this impressive stronghold at the end of the Hundred Years' War. The roofs and top floor were demolished during the 18th century then restored in 1829. The furnished salons, the library and unusual "troubadour"-style design, along with the artillery casemates featuring embrasures of this castle, set in an English-style park, are outstanding.

www.chateaudelaguerche.com

Château du Châtelier and its spectacular 25-metre circular spur keep reign on a rocky outcrop overlooking the countryside. This medieval citadel is surrounded by a moat and a large park. A lord's dwelling and a hexagonal tower were added at the end of the 15th century. The building continued to be developed until the dawning of the 17th century, and was restored as of the 1960s.

Worth visiting: the "Grange des Protestants" (Protestants' Barn), one of the first places where Protestants could worship, featuring a splendid inverted ship's hull frame. 

www.loches-valdeloire.com/sit/chateau-du-chatelier

The castle comes into view out of the heart of the forest, like something out of a fairy tale. It was founded in 1050 and owned by several families until 1465 when it became the property of the Lescoët family. It was purchased by Dangé d’Orsay in 1739 then renovated in 18th-century style. Three towers and the curtain walls remain from the original fortress. In 1850, the castle was restored and adorned with Italian furnishings. The entrance hall with its wrought-iron banister, the music room and two 19th-century rooms are worth a visit.

www.chateau-de-grillemont.com