"Château de Villandry: Gardens of Earthly Delights" Top 5 Page for this destination Villandry by von.otter

Villandry Travel Guide: 74 reviews and 266 photos

Château de Villandry, Its Gardens & Castle, 07/08

“By the time we had reached Villandry the sun was struggling through the clouds.”
— from “Antiques Digest” 1911

There is no struggle at Château de Villandry, only the delights of its gardens. They are among the most wonderful gardens in the world. Wandering around the paths it is easy to get lost in thought and the sights of the flowers, the plants and the vegetables.

Spread out over 12.5 acres there are three different gardens, planted on three different levels; on the first level is the potager, a kitchen garden, regal in its neat geometric parterres edged in clipped boxwood. Next comes the Jardin d’Amour, the Love Garden, with great symbolism in how its hedges are arranged. And lastly, on the third level is the water garden.

Château de Villandry, Its Gardens & Castle, 07/08

The château too is open for tours. Its early eighteenth-century interiors are sweet and deserve a serious look, especially the art gallery; its art is mostly Spanish in origin. Seized in the late 18th century by odious French Revolutionaries, Château de Villandry had been bought in the early 1800s by Napoleon for his brother Joseph, later made king of Spain by the Little Corporal.

Château de Villandry, Its Gardens & Castle, 07/08

The castle dominates the village of Villandry, population 920. Villandry lays 11 miles west of Tours; it is open daily, 09.00 to 17.00. Visit its excellent and entertaining web site, www.chateauvillandry.com.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Acres and acres of flowering gardens
Cons:Very little
In a nutshell:The Gardens of Earthly Delights

Last visit to Villandry: Jul 2008
Intro Updated Dec 29, 2008
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Reviews (15)

Napkins, Château de Villandry, Love Garden 07/08 - Villandry

Love Garden, On a Napkin Shopping (1)

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Château de Villandry, Roses + Tom, July 2008 - Villandry

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Château de Villandry, Dining Room, July 2008 - Villandry

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Château de Villandry, Bed, July 2008 - Villandry

Château de Villandry: Its Interior, Part... Things to Do (13)

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Restaurants (1)
A Sweet Restaurant

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Comments (2)

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iandsmith Jun 2, 2012 at 11:57 PM

Excellent pages, thanks for sharing. Cheers, Ian
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balhannah Sep 6, 2011 at 3:30 AM

You have a great page on Villandry! I loved the Chateau and its garden's, weren't they wonderful!