the chateau series: villandry
If you have been following our blog for a while, you may remember the post about 8 of the chateaux in the Loire Valley that we shared last year.
Following on from that post, we will be featuring each one of the chateaux in more photographic detail in an 8-part series.
First off the rank is:
Villandry Chateau and Gardens.
Villandry is famous for its architecture and gardens. Possibly slightly more famous for the gardens… and we hope you can see why by the end of this post.
This model layout of the property really helps put the size of the gardens into perspective (relative to the castle).
The castle is the first one we see during our time in Tours so we are immediately enchanted by the exterior. These perfectly symmetrical windows, the rectangular and sharp corners – it is but a mere fairy-tale castle for us.
Once inside, the interior only adds to the feelings of intrigue. Walking from room to room down the hallways… we are immersed into a slice of French history. Furnished with furniture and art from the Renaissance period, it seems like time has stood still in those very rooms.
Who else has walked these very halls? Who has stayed in these very rooms?
Honestly though, every window we walk past, we get distracted! We catch glimpses of the gardens and can’t help but long to be out and in amongst it.
In total, there are 6 gardens that can be explored. There’s a kitchen garden, filled with fruits and vegetables planted beautifully in geometric patterns.
There’s a water garden, a sun garden, a herb garden, the ornamental salons and the labyrinth. Picture Alice in Wonderland and the Queen of Hearts 🙂
Each shrub in it its place, each bush trimmed to perfection.
It is surely the most impeccably manicured garden, we have EVER seen in our lives. But remember, this is only the FIRST of EIGHT that we would be visiting…
wise monkeys abroad 
June 15, 2015 at 4:56 pm
That garden looks amazing! Can’t wait for the next few castles 🙂 Lovely photos!
June 15, 2015 at 7:51 pm
Thank you kindly for your lovely words! We have another 4 castles/chateaux to share 🙂 Stay tuned…..
June 15, 2015 at 8:13 pm
Looking forward to them! 🙂
May 25, 2015 at 1:36 pm
Pretty amazing! I’m enjoying this series.
May 26, 2015 at 9:01 pm
Thanks Mani… Still 6 more to go 🙂 hope you are well!!
May 25, 2015 at 9:09 am
Holy Opulence Batman!
May 25, 2015 at 12:28 pm
Yes… you could say that!
May 23, 2015 at 1:03 pm
Outstanding gardens! Imagine looking out your window to that kind of beauty.Wow!
May 23, 2015 at 9:24 pm
Absolutely… but only if we weren’t the ones that had to maintain it 😉
May 24, 2015 at 10:21 am
It would take a large staff of gardeners to maintain the beauty of this garden. Maybe I could just live next door and still see it?
May 25, 2015 at 12:32 pm
Yeh. that’s a better idea!! Be the next door neighbour so you can appreciate it without the effort 😉
May 22, 2015 at 1:48 pm
Imagine the number of gardeners who would be employed… 🙂 The gardens are indeed beautiful. –Curt
May 22, 2015 at 3:54 pm
It would be an all year round job… Trimming and weeding and harvesting! It would be rewarding to work and look at the final result, hey? 🙂
May 23, 2015 at 3:38 am
Gardening is like that. I would think/hope there would be great satisfaction. –Curt
May 21, 2015 at 12:07 am
Yes, these gardens look delightful ! 🙂
May 22, 2015 at 3:52 pm
We wouldn’t mind waking up to a garden like that 😉 but not if we had to maintain it!
May 22, 2015 at 6:19 pm
Maintaining a garden is really time consuming, even a tiny one !
May 20, 2015 at 4:02 pm
Those gardens are perfection itself! Enchanting!
May 20, 2015 at 5:15 pm
Are they just?? Absolutely love spending time walking around them 🙂
May 19, 2015 at 5:34 pm
I love visiting places like this where history is practically seeping out of the walls. I like to imagine the people who’ve lived there and wonder what they would make of their homes now. I’m looking forward to the next instalment of this series.
May 20, 2015 at 5:15 pm
We are the same 🙂 We love picturing what life would’ve been like from the rich to the poor… So fascinating!
We’re excited that you are looking forward to part 2 🙂
May 19, 2015 at 4:56 pm
Ah, sweet memories of the life of luxury, a la Francaise 😉
May 20, 2015 at 5:14 pm
Yes – definitely a life of luxury!
May 18, 2015 at 10:50 pm
Just imagine you have to take care of this garden alone! 😀
May 20, 2015 at 5:13 pm
Haha no thanks! We did in fact see several gardeners while there – a massive job they have 😉
May 20, 2015 at 6:18 pm
They must need an army of gardeners. When I think how much time the few flowers on our balcony are taking…
May 20, 2015 at 6:21 pm
Yep – we are absolutely hopeless with planting and gardening. We had a few plants on the balcony and after a few months… they were dead! So don’t put us on a garden like this one and expect it to still look like this LOL
May 20, 2015 at 6:23 pm
I am slowly learning but I have the feeling that I will never be really good with plants, only orchids seems to thrive with us as we have several already for 5 years blooming twice a year 🙂
May 20, 2015 at 6:26 pm
Well done!! They are meant to be hard to grow, right?!! You must have some hidden talent there 🙂