Château d'Ussé

In the small village of Rigny-Ussé, on the left bank of the Indre River, stands the fairytale-like Château d'Ussé. The castle's very history begins in the early 11th century when Guelduin I built a wooden motte-and-bailey castle, and his son, Guelduin II, replaced it with a stone castle in 1040. In the 15th century, the castle came into the hands of Jean V de Bueil, a member of one of Touraine's most illustrious families, who commissioned the construction of the basic structure of the current castle. His son, Antoine, continued the castle's construction, but despite receiving an enormous dowry from his wife, Jeanne de Valois, daughter of Charles VII and Agnès Sorel, he was forced to sell it in 1485 due to debts. Jacques d'Espinay, chamberlain to King Charles VII, was the buyer and continued the construction of the castle. The Château d'Ussé changes owners from time to time over the years, but work continues. The gardens, for example, were designed by the famous landscape architect André Le Nôtre, and in the 17th century, the north wall was demolished to provide an unobstructed view of the Indre valley. In 1883, Count Bertrand Blacas d'Aulps inherited the castle, and his heirs remain the owners. The private estate is open to the public, which is fortunate, as the castle boasts a magnificent interior and furnishings. A visit is therefore highly recommended, and who knows, you might be inspired, just like Charles Perrault, to write a fairy tale like Sleeping Beauty!

Lovely time there, could park the bike safety ( cameras in the area ) and had a very nice visit to the sleeping beauty castle. there are caves, jail and gardens, like a fairy tale. Food at the front and wine sale on the side. ( Independent shops )

The wonderful Château d'Ussé presents scenes from the story "The Sleeping Beauty " on the top floor. The ticket price is €14.5 / person. There is parking in front of the castle but it is not signposted but 📍 on google.map and it is free 07.05.2025

OMG what a beautiful picturesque chateau this is. Just like the fairy tale it is reputed to have inspired. Beautiful inside and outside with fresh flower arrangements adding a touch of elegance. A comprehensive tour around the rooms including the story of Sleeping Beauty, brought to life in a lovely set of towers and rooms.

Wow !! Well we've visited some fab places on our French tour .... and this really is a highlight. It's an amazing fairytale (sleeping beauty was initially written here) chateau. Around €15 each. Parking opposite (no height barrier). Allow a good couple of hours to wander. The Chateau has a tower visit - complete with little sleeping beauty scenes, the Chateau itself has numerous rooms - all plaques in French and English. Then there'd beautiful gardens to explore - currently being planted up. The Chapel, the stables and the cellars are just as interesting. There's no toilets in the Chateau itself, (some behind the Chapel - some further down by the entrance), and no refreshments - cafe in the carpark. Little gift shop. English information sheet given to us on arrival. This Chateau is entrancing- we thoroughly enjoyed our visit. Beautiful and fairytale majestic.

The castle is full of history, and the Sleeping Beauty tower is one of their highlights and it would be interesting for children. Their garden was very pretty even in September, and there were still lots of nice flowers blooming. It is definitely worth the visit. It wasn’t too crowded in September, and there were plenty of nice photo spots. What a lovely castle!

This was a wonderful little castle, we had low expectations going in and were pleasantly surprised by how open the castle was and you basically visited the entire thing. On a side note, if using Google maps, if it tells you to go up a small road up the mountain, don’t do it, keep following the signs for the chateau or you’ll end up in the very wrong spot.

The Castle that was the inspiration for sleeping beauty. A wonderful setting close to the River banks. There are some rooms to view in the Chateau, a Chapel, stables, and caves. However, the main promotion is the sleeping beauty story in the tower. If you have mobility issues or do not like spiral stairs you won't be able to view this part. Disappointing for my partner The gardens are beautiful and there are some trees over 200 years old.

Reported to be the Sleeping Beauty Castle, Château d'Ussé has totally latched onto this concept and played it up to the fullest extent They have laid out a tour of sorts that is a self-guided walk through the chateau where they have set up rooms with mannequins and the story of Sleeping Beauty. Lighting effects bring out the evil queen and the innocent princess - campy fun! The gardens are smallish but there was a great fountain that was the perfect spot for those selfies. Well worth a visit!

In a town off the main path is a chateau or castle. You can see it from far away and it looks enchanted.... Some rumored that Disney used this as a model for his castle... This castle is also known as sleeping beauty's castle... You go in the gate and the castle is on a hill. There are two entrances. The sleeping beauty tower and the main castle. Do both. The tower is full of staged scenes from the story of sleeping beauty. Entertaining and yet a little creepy.... It winds around and almost has a feel of a maze. The main castle is also a delight to tour. There is also some caves and church on the grounds. There really is a lot to see here. Or just hang out in the garden and soak up the surroundings. Fields and trees and flowers... Weeping willows... Sigh... This one is a little out of the way but it cutely situated.

Honestly, this was my least favourite chateau on Loire Valley. They said that the fairytale of sleeping beauty has some origins here and I found the exhibition to be funny. Although the gardens are nice and the castle looks pretty from the outside, this place is not worth your time considering all other beautiful castles in the region.