Fontevraud L'Ermitage
Fontevraud-l'Abbaye - 38 Rue Jean de l'Habit
Book now
Legend has it that this fabulous castle inspired the writer Charles Perrault to write the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty, back in 1697.
But the castle came into the limelight thanks to the Disney animated feature film, released in cinemas in 1959. The popularity of the cartoon thus brought the small town of Rigny-Ussé into the limelight and Ussé Castle became the castle of Sleeping Beauty.
With its spires and turrets embellishing its vision, this castle dates back to the 15th century but has been remodelled several times by different owners: over the years, first a chapel in typical Gothic style, dedicated to Saint Anne, was added, then the perfectly maintained gardens and finally an entire wing was demolished in order to be able to admire a marvellous panorama over the Indre river.
Like all Renaissance châteaux in the Loire Valley, the château of Ussé boasts simply sumptuous interiors: period furniture, old parquet floors and paintings of all kinds await you.
The most interesting rooms are the guards’ room, where there is a trompe-l’oeil painting that perfectly imitates marble, and the salon designed by Vauban: it is a marvellous gallery with Brussels tapestries from the 16th century. Also worth admiring are the grand staircase, the vaulted hall, the central loggia, the roofs and the royal flats.
From the central donjon, a steep spiral staircase leads up to the patrol walkways. From here, a series of rooms open up, retracing the Disney story of Sleeping Beauty in the Woods.
Thanks to life-size statues, the most important scenes from the film will be relived before your eyes, with Princess Aurora, the wicked witch and the bewitched spindle, the three fairy godmothers and, of course, Prince Charming waking the protagonist with a kiss. An exhibition is definitely fun for children.
Don’t miss a visit to the gardens of the Château d’Ussé, a marvel of geometry.
Every single plant has been positioned to make the final effect, orderly and harmonious. You can admire trees of all kinds, but the cedars of Lebanon, orange trees and scented lemons stand out for their originality.
Magnificent is the addition of ponds and fountains, giving the gardens an enchanting and relaxing appearance.
The castle is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., from mid-February to mid-November, and from April to September until 7 p.m.
There are also special openings, linked to important events such as Halloween, when the castle gardens are decorated with lots of pumpkins, or for Christmas, with a magical and dreamy atmosphere.
The Château de Ussé is located very close to the town of Tours, in the heart of Turenne: it is 14 kilometres from the Château of Azay le Rideau and about twice as far from the Château of Chinon. The nearest airports are Paris Orly Airport and Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport.
The most convenient and fastest way to reach the château is by car: in fact, it is about 50 minutes by car from the centre of Tours and 300 km from Paris, which can be reached by following the A10 motorway.
Other useful distances are: 40 minutes from Saumur, 1 hour 45 minutes from Orléans via the A10 motorway, 1 hour from Angers via the A85 motorway.
Parking at the château is free, with approximately 200 spaces available.
If you prefer to travel by train, you must first arrive in Tours from Paris by TGV fast train, leaving from Paris Montparnasse station, and then take a regional train. Once in Tours, the only way to reach the castle is by taxi. The journey is quite long.
The village of Rigny-Ussé is really tiny and the accommodation possibilities for those who want to sleep near the castle of Ussé are meagre. Facilities are scattered in the surrounding area, characterised by many small villages in the middle of the countryside.
Within a radius of about 10 km, there are mostly B&Bs in beautiful period buildings, often with lovely gardens, swimming pool and where excellent breakfasts with local products are served.
The most convenient alternative, for more amenities, is to move to the nearby towns of Saumur or Tours, which are only a few kilometres away from Ussé Castle.
What's the weather at Ussé Castle? Below are the temperatures and the weather forecast at Ussé Castle for the next few days.
The Château de Ussé lies on the banks of the river Indre, in the commune of Rigny-Ussé and is part of the Loire château circuit.
Hotel 
Budget accommodations 
Apartments 
Family Hotel 
Luxury Hotel 
