The Château du Lude, a perfect testimony of the French architectural history

The facades relate the evolution of castles in France during 8 centuries, from the medieval fortress to the great restaurations of the 19th Century. The different architectural styles, easily identifiable, follow one another over 30 metters high, from the bottom of the moat to the top of the roofs: military architecture of the middle ages, Italian Renaissance, French Renaissance, or Neo-Classicism of the 18yh Century.

The medieval kitchen come back to life

On the afternoon, the wood stove from the 19th Century lights up for the cooking of the jams. In the coper pans, the season fruits slowly stem with the sugar: rhubarb, raspberries, peaches and plums. Once ready, the jams can be tasted on delicious creps. The gourmands can bring some jars back home.

Discover the everyday life of a great French home over 5 floors.

On the ground floor, the visit strats with the state rooms – library, Renaissance Gallery, living rooms – and an exceptionnam room from the 16th Century, the studiolo, entirely covered by paintings executed by the school of Rafael.
In the tower, immerge in time of the Belle Epoque, with the hinting room, the guests rooms, the linen room, the staff appartment and the chapel.

In the park, discover a rich horticole architecture

Together with the castle, the gardens have evolved over the centuries. They testify of an important landscape architecture work. Enclosed in the medieval walls, the rose garden and the maze are in harmony with the taste for regularity and elegance during of the neo-classical facade. Along the Loir river, the French low gardens, drawn 150 year ago by Edouard André, were restyles at the beginning of our century. The agricultural park and the spring garden, meanwhile, illustrate the romantic spirit of the 19th Century.

informations:

hours: Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 September
garden: 10am – 6pm
castle on self-guided tour: 10am-1pm / 2pm-6pm

Prices :
Unique price “castle + garden”: adult 10€ / under 18: free

Other informations:

• House and gardens reachable for disabled people (escept upstairs floors and medieval kitchen)
• On-leached dogs allowed in the garden.
• The buggies are not allowed in the house

SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER, the castle and the garden are open:

• SEPTEMBER : every day 11am-12.30 / 2.30pm-6pm
• OCTOBER : weekends only 2.30pm-6pm
• ALL SAINTS HOLIDAYS (18 October to 2 November): every day 2.30pm-6pm