The landscaped park

Let yourself go for a stroll and contemplate in this eight-hectare green setting. Two water mirrors offer the castle its most beautiful reflections: this is THE spot for your selfies!

A case of greenery

A romantic park

The château d'Azay-le-Rideau is built on an islet, between two arms of the Indre river.

The park that surrounds it is composed of winding paths through copses, massifs and meadows.
There are a variety of tree species, some of which were particularly exotic in the 19^th century.

Numerous footbridges and small bridges span the river, giving rhythm to the stroll.

All these elements make it an exceptional site and give the castle a romantic charm.

Castle park from the air
Christian Glückman

The origin of the park

When he bought the château in 1791, Charles de Biencourt, a botanical enthusiast, wanted to transform the regular garden into a landscaped park, also known as an English park.

Are you familiar with these so-called "English gardens"? With their irregular layouts, the free forms of the plants and the movements of the ground created, they reflect a natural and uncontrolled conception of nature. The configuration of the site and the abundant presence of water lend themselves perfectly to such a project.

The revolutionary events postponed the creation of the garden, which was supposed to be underway when Charles de Biencourt died in 1824. His son, who inherited the property, continued the work of creating the park.

The west facade of the château — The château in its green setting
Léonard de Serres - Centre des monuments nationaux

A new exoticism

The park is planted with exotic species for the time. Precious shrubs (sequoia, cedar, tulip tree) coming from North America, South America, China and Asia form a choice plant palette for which the Marquis de Biencourt did not hesitate to pay large sums of money to fashionable nurserymen.

Sinuous alleys are also realized and offer pleasant and surprising points of view on the castle.

Cedar of Lebanon in the park of the Château d'Azay-le-Rideau
Léonard de Serres - Centre des monuments nationaux

The water mirrors

Mirror, my beautiful mirror, tell me which is the most beautiful castle ?

On these south and west facades, the castle is lined with two pieces of water, also called "water mirror".

These water mirrors, so famous, are partly an invention of the 20th century. In the previous century, a terrace ran along the south wing. It was only in 1950 that the river arm was widened so that the water bordered the foundations of the castle. This work also had the effect of slowing down the current. Since then, the castle is reflected in its mirrors.

The reflection of the château in its water mirror
Léonard de Serres - Centre des monuments nationaux

The park today

A major restoration

From January 2014 to April 2015, the Center for National Monuments conducted a vast campaign to restore the park. Based on archival documents, the chief architect of historical monuments has redesigned the alleys as they were in the 19th century and some species have been replanted.

The architecture of the château of Azay-le-Rideau is part of a singular territory and landscape: the château cannot be fully appreciated without the setting of its intimate park.

The commune of Azay-le-Rideau is located in an exceptional territory that has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since November 30, 2000.