20 Châteaux to Visit During the 2026 European Heritage Days
For this 43rd edition, the Journées Européennes du Patrimoine are spotlighting photography and heritage at risk, with the watchwords revive, resist, and reimagine. Two themes that resonate with us: image and restoration.
We've selected 20 châteaux for you that we've personally visited, that we can recommend without hesitation, and whose 2026 program was verified as of September 17, 2026.
Our sources are each château's website, the official program from the Ministry of Culture, or local tourism offices. Programs can change, so be sure to check before you go, especially for visits that require reservations.
Most of these châteaux are privately owned homes: admission fees go directly toward their restoration and/or upkeep.
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, in east-central France
Château de Charmes
This is a historic event, as it's the last chance to see the château exactly as it has looked for the past ten years. For "The Apotheosis of a Decade," the château is showing its full decor and collection one final time, before part of it is auctioned off by the Aguttes auction house. Now restored, the château is being offered for sale.
Hours: Saturday and Sunday, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Admission: €8 to €15, online reservation required
Website: chateaudecharmes.fr
Contact: contact@chateaudecharmes.fr
Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, in eastern France
Château de Digoine
Nicknamed "the Pearl of Charolais," this 18th-century historic monument offers a self-guided tour of the grounds, with information materials provided at the entrance.
Hours: park and gardens from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM with no midday closure, château from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM to 4:30 PM (last entry)
Admission: €10 adults, €5 ages 7 to 12, free under 7. Credit cards not accepted
Website: chateaudedigoine.fr
Contact: 03 85 70 20 27, contact@chateaudedigoine.fr
Château de Meauce
A circular fortress on the banks of the Allier river, saved from ruin since 2016. For the Journées du Patrimoine, the château is open both days with tours of the interior, an exhibition, and talks. Exterior visits are free, and a collection of more than 3,000 vintage postcards will be on display in connection with this year's photography theme.
Hours: 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM, Saturday and Sunday
Admission: exteriors free; for interiors, check with the château
Website: chateaudemeauce.fr
Contact: chateau.meauce@gmail.com, 06 16 56 17 46
Bretagne
Château de la Ballue
The owners personally lead tours of the 17th-century interiors. The story begins with the medieval fortress of the Marches de Bretagne and follows Gilles de Ruellan, who rebuilt it as a Louis XIII-style château in the early 17th century.
Hours: 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM with no midday closure. Guided tours of the ground floor Saturday and Sunday at 10:30 AM, 2:00 PM, 4:00 PM, and 6:00 PM, no reservation needed
Admission: standard rates apply (€10.50 full price, €8.50 reduced, free under 18), with the guided tour included at no extra cost
Program page: laballuejardin.com
Contact: 02 99 97 47 86, chateau@la-ballue.com
Château de La Bourbansais
Guided tour of the 18th-century interiors, including salons, period furniture, woodwork, and tapestries, followed by a walk through the French-style gardens, the Jardin du Carrousel, and the kitchen garden. A photography exhibit compares the château in 1880 with today.
Hours: contact the château.
Admission: €12
Website: labourbansais.com
Contact: 02 99 69 40 07, contact@labourbansais.com
Centre-Val de Loire, part of the Loire Valley region
Château d’Ainay-le-Vieil
Open Sunday, September 20 only. The photography theme is explored through an exhibit by Arielle de La Tour d'Auvergne. Her before-and-after photos show the château in 2019 and then seven years later, once fully restored.
The heritage-at-risk theme highlights the village's Romanesque Saint-Martin church, which is now seriously endangered and supported by an association created to restore it. Its history, tied to that of the château, is recounted during the day's tours.
Hours: 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM on weekends in September
Admission: not specified for the Journées du Patrimoine, check with the château
Program page: chateau-ainaylevieil.fr
Contact: 02 48 63 02 88, accueil@chateau-ainaylevieil.fr
Grand Est, in northeastern France
Château de Jaulny
Open Sunday, September 20 only, with an 18th-century atmosphere. The program includes a market and craft demonstrations, 18th-century "brigands," wooden games, a harpsichord concert, an attic flea market, costumed strolls, and an international restoration workshop.
Guided tours include a theatrical surprise. On-site food service inspired by the 18th century.
The château de Jaulny is currently undergoing restoration.
Hours: 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Admission: activities free; château tours €6 adults, €4 reduced, €2 children. Dogs not allowed
Website: chateau-de-jaulny.com
Contact: 06 08 98 34 02 or 06 25 72 59 67, chateaudejaulny@gmail.com
Château de Landonvillers
On Saturday evening, a candlelit nighttime tour covers the grand salons, cellars, crypt, and Byzantine art collections. It's followed by a concert of early 20th-century French songs, with Vincent Martiny on vocals and Noélie Artus on accordion.
A daytime tour is also available, covering the château's history, antique icons, a reproduction of the Shroud of Turin, and a short concert.
Hours:
Nighttime tour on Saturday the 19th from 8:30 PM to 10:30 PM.
Daytime tours - Saturday: 2:00 PM, 3:00 PM, and 4:00 PM | Sunday: 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 2:00 PM, 3:00 PM, 4:00 PM, and 5:00 PM
Admission: €15, €10 for under 18, payable on site in cash or by check. Reservation required by email. Numerous stairs
Program page: official Journées du Patrimoine program
Website: chateau-de-landonvillers.com
Contact: vogel.chateau@free.fr, 03 87 64 18 07
Normandie
Château de Pont Saint-Pierre
This 15th-century moated château, neglected for decades, is now at risk. A couple from the village bought it in late 2023, and it was selected as an emblematic Normandy site for the 2025 Mission Bern.
For the Journées du Patrimoine, the château is hosting a community festival. A fun guided tour is also offered for children, with an activity booklet to complete.
Hours: Saturday 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM, Sunday 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Admission: free; duck race on the Andelle river at €3 per duck or €10 for five
Website: logempre.fr
Château de Médavy
Ravaged by a fire in late September 2025, the château is opening anyway, free of charge. Visitors have free access to the chapel, the dovecote, and the ship model room. An outdoor photo exhibit chronicles the fire, and a walk lined with statues follows the Orne river.
On Saturday, September 19, the château will officially receive funding from the Loto du Patrimoine.
Hours: 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM, Saturday and Sunday
Admission: free
Program page: chateau-medavy.com
Château de Carneville
A masterpiece of 18th-century physiocratic architecture, the château had been declared at risk due to dry rot. Major restoration work carried out from 2018 to 2022 saved it.
The program includes guided tours departing every hour, a 7-hectare landscaped park open for self-guided visits, and creative workshops for kids. At midday, the Terre et Lune market garden serves its dishes, and the Amis du château association runs a refreshment stand.
Hours: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Saturday and Sunday, no reservation needed
Admission: €4, free under 12, park access included
Program page: official Journées du Patrimoine program
Website: chateaudecarneville.com
Château du Champ-de-Bataille
Nicknamed the "Norman Versailles," this château was built between 1653 and 1665 for Alexandre de Créquy. The Mailloc and then Harcourt families transformed it during the 17th and 18th centuries, adding a neoclassical chapel in the late 18th century. Since 1992, designer Jacques Garcia has overseen its restoration and recreated the gardens in a 17th-century style.
For the Journées du Patrimoine, the visit is self-guided. It includes the château and its prestigious collections, the French-style gardens, and the Anglo-Indian gardens. Exclusively, visitors can also discover the Palais Moghol.
Hours: Saturday the 19th and Sunday, September 20, from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Admission: €20, free under 7. Tickets available at the château's front desk; credit card, check, and cash accepted
Good to know: animals are not allowed inside the château; only small dogs are permitted in the gardens, on a leash. Picnicking is not allowed on the grounds
Website: chateauduchampdebataille.com
Contact: 02 32 34 84 34, contact@chateauduchampdebataille.com
Nouvelle-Aquitaine, in southwestern France
Château de l’Herm
Made famous by Jacquou le Croquant, this château, built around 1520, is the subject of one of the largest private restoration projects in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, launched in 2020. It's open exclusively for 1.5-hour guided tours from September 15 to 20.
Hours: departures at 9:30 AM, 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, and 11:30 AM, then at 2:00 PM, 2:30 PM, 3:30 PM, 4:00 PM, 5:00 PM, and 5:30 PM
Admission: €10, free under 18. Reservation required, 25 spots per time slot, no wheelchair access (construction site)
Program page: official Journées du Patrimoine program
Website (and online booking): chateau-lherm.com
Contact: chateaudelherm@gmail.com
Château de Bridoire
The program includes guided tours of the château, cooking demonstrations featuring honey madeleines, more than 80 large wooden games, and animal encounters. For an additional fee, the Mysterious Valley maze offers forest challenges and puzzles. Food service is available on-site.
Hours: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Guided tours at 11:30 AM, 2:30 PM, and 4:30 PM; cooking demonstrations at 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 2:30 PM, and 4:00 PM
Reduced rates: €9.50 for ages 13 and up, €7.50 for ages 7-12 and reduced rate, €5.50 for ages 4-6
Program page: chateaudebridoire.com
Contact: 06 31 83 92 99, accueil.chateaudebridoire@gmail.com
Château de Montastruc
This private residence opens its doors on this exceptional occasion. Guided tours are led by the owners, with help from volunteers from the reading club in Lamonzie-Montastruc, a village in the Dordogne, in southwestern France.
Hours: departures starting at 9:30 AM in the morning and 2:00 PM in the afternoon
Rates: free, no reservation required, tour lasts about 90 minutes
Website: montastruc.com
Château de Bonneval
Guided tour of a residence that has been inhabited by the same family since the 14th century, its heritage passed down from generation to generation.
Hours: departures Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 PM, 3:30 PM, 4:30 PM, and 5:30 PM, limited to 50 people per time slot
Rates: €10 (adult), €7 (ages 13-25), €4 (child)
Website: chateaudebonneval.com
Contact: 06 29 19 49 06
Château de Purnon
Bought in 2020 by an Australian couple who saved it from ruin, this Louis XVI-era château only opens for Heritage Days. Free guided tours cover the château's history and the extensive restoration of its roof and facades.
Also on offer are walking tours of the moat, bread-making in the 18th-century bakery, a barbecue lunch, a wine bar, and book signings at the shop. On Sunday at 3:00 PM, the Orchestre des Champs-Élysées performs a concert.
Hours: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Guided tours at 11:00 AM in English and 2:30 PM in French; moat walking tours at 10:30 AM, 11:30 AM, 2:30 PM, and 3:30 PM; lunch at noon; book signings at 2:00 PM
Rates: free admission, no reservation required
Program page: chateaupurnon.com
Pays de la Loire, in western France
Château du Lude
The weekend coincides with the Fête Renaissance, held every two years. In the 19th-century kitchens, jams are cooked over a wood fire in copper pots, to be sampled on crepes. Staff greet visitors in period costume.
Children can tour the château dressed as princes or knights. On Sunday at 10:30 AM, a large costumed parade departs from the château, and the street performances offered in town are free.
Hours: Saturday 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM, Sunday 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Jam-making activity Saturday from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM and Sunday from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Rates: €12 adult, free for under 18. Jam-making activity included, tasting extra; tickets sold only at the welcome desk, no reservation required
Program page: lelude.com
Contact: 02 43 94 60 09
Château de Brissac
The neoclassical mausoleum of the Dukes of Brissac, set on high ground in the park, opens its doors on this exceptional occasion, and the château's timber framework is illuminated. The self-guided tour takes in the galleries, bedrooms, the drawing room, and the Belle Époque theater, and a tasting of the estate's wines is offered in the cellar.
Hours: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, last entry to the château at 5:00 PM
Rates: single reduced rate of €11.50, free for under 18. Free access to the park (pets not allowed)
Program page: brissac.net
Contact: 02 41 91 22 21, bureau@chateaudebrissac.net
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, in southeastern France
Château du Villard
Guided tour of a fully restored medieval château, covering anecdotes, architecture, and furnishings from the 15th to 18th centuries. Highlights include a medieval table of justice, a 17th-century cabinet of curiosities, a chapel with 16th-century stained glass, a medieval garden, and a vaulted sheepfold. A discovery hidden in a wall for more than five centuries is also revealed.
Hours: Saturday and Sunday, tours at 10:00 AM and 2:30 PM (and 4:45 PM depending on turnout)
Rates: €12.50
Reservations: recommended, as tours are usually by reservation only
Website: chateauduvillard.com
Contact: contactchateauduvillard@gmail.com
Getting ready for Heritage Days
Most of these châteaux are privately owned homes: admission fees go directly toward their restoration and/or upkeep. Book without delay for L'Herm, Landonvillers, and Charmes, where availability is limited.
Bring cash for Digoine and Landonvillers, which do not accept credit cards. If in doubt, contact the château, as the owners are often best placed to help.
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