Candle Light Castle Tour: Park and Chateau de Valencay

The chateau de Valencay is one of my favourite chateaux in the region; firstly because it is family friendly and secondly because it is always trying to deliver new exhibitions and entertaining shows.

Usually the chateau is open from around 10am to 7pm but for the delight of its visitors, this year it opened its doors twice (the 23^rd of July and the 6^th of August) to the general public at night time to offer a candle light castle tour.

I have visited the chateau several times; usually I take my little ones there every year for Easter as they love to go egg-hunting in the Park of the castle.  However, seeing the castle at night time is and entirely different experience.  From the moment you enter the town of Valencay, you can see in the distance the castle, and you can start admiring the beauty of this building illuminated by candles.

A romantic candlelit evening

We arrived to the castle near 10pm, ready to spend an enchanted evening.  The entrance was very different to the day entrance, at this time of the night the garden paths to the castle were illuminated with discreet candles on the floor.  Once we reached the main hall of the castle I was surprised to see how well lit it was.  I have read that they use more than 3000 candles to illuminate the castle, but somehow I couldn’t imagine it until I saw it.  The big Chandeliers hanging of the ceilings with dozens of candles were breathtaking.     

Walking through the corridors and rooms of the castle, bumping into people dressed as if they were expecting the Prince the Tayllerand, or even Napoleon at any minute, you couldn’t avoid to feel transported in time.  Every room, from the smallest bedroom to the big dining room and kitchens were candle lit, even the outside windows of the castle were lit with candles.  The gardens were not exception to this extravagance and they were also candle lit so you could appreciate the beauty of its park in a romantic horse and carriage ride that would have Cinderella green with envy!

It was impossible not to feel transported in time to the great banquets organized by the Prince de Tayllerand in this castle.  There were also flamenco dancers all along the castle –I suppose to highlight the fact that the King of Spain lived exiled in this castle for about 4 years. 

To end our magic visit, we were taken back to the gardens where we were treated to a small but beautiful firework display in front of the castle, accompanied by period  music.

If all that hadn’t been magic enough, on the way home we stopped in the middle of the fields to appreciate what I call “nature’s fireworks” which is an amazing event that happens every summer in the region, a “rain of stars”, meaning and abundance of shooting stars, so numerous that you don’t even have the time to make up enough wishes…

Who said that magic doesn’t exist anymore?   

For more information on tours, opening times and prices  you can visit the Chateau de Valencay official site.

Chateau de Valençay


The town of Valençay has a lot to offer to the tourist. A detour into Valençay is certainly worth your time. It is not a surprise that Valençay is known as one of the "Most beautiful detours in France".  Located in the Indre department  Read More