Long a royal domain, a fertile and rich province, close to the capital, Île-de-France is par excellence a land of castles. Many have disappeared or remain jealously closed to visitors; But more and more of them are opening their doors, as long as you know where to find them and how to get in.
Apart from the most illustrious - Versailles, Chantilly, Fontainebleau, etc. - some are as splendid as they are unknown, such as Neuville (Yvelines), the Marais (Essonne) and Champlâtreux (Val-d'Oise). There are less sumptuous ones, which are attractive manor houses: Nandy in Seine-et-Marne, Asnières in Hauts-de-Seine, Villemomble in Seine-Saint-Denis, etc. Several, such as Blandy-les-Tours and Farcheville, are fortified castles straight out of the Middle Ages; on the other hand, Rentilly, rebuilt in the twentieth century, has a boldly contemporary look. What diversity!
There are many reasons why they can be opened: whether they can be visited at weekends, have a restaurant, are rented out for weddings, house exhibition rooms or offer guest rooms and meeting rooms, the 100 castles selected here are accessible other than just for European Heritage Days.
This guide, illustrated with photos and maps, is not intended to be exhaustive. But it invites you to make great discoveries and, by summarizing the history of each house, it helps to perceive the most interesting aspects of it.
French
191 pages
Éditions L'Indispensable
Collection Les essentiels - Visites et découvertes
