Château de Cheverny

Château de Cheverny

A perfectly balanced château

In the Loire valley, among woods and parkland, stands the calm and elegant Château de Cheverny. Unlike the bristling towers of Chambord or the romantic turrets of Ussé, Cheverny is all balance and symmetry: a graceful pale-stone building with matching wings spreading out on either side of a central block, beneath neat slate roofs. Built in the quieter, more orderly style of the 1620s, it is one of the most harmonious châteaux in France.

Home to one family for centuries

One of the most remarkable things about Cheverny is that it has belonged to the same family — the Hurault family — for around six hundred years, with only a short break. The present château was built between 1624 and 1630, and generation after generation of the family has cared for it ever since.

Because it has been a beloved family home for so long, Cheverny is beautifully furnished and decorated inside, with fine tapestries, paintings, furniture and gleaming rooms that have been looked after with great pride. Visitors often say it feels less like an empty monument and more like a grand house whose owners might walk in at any moment.

The home of Captain Haddock

Cheverny has a delightful claim to fame in the world of comics. The Belgian artist Hergé, creator of the famous Adventures of Tintin, used Cheverny as the model for Marlinspike Hall, the grand country house of Tintin's friend Captain Haddock. Hergé simply left off the two end wings of the real château to create his drawing, but the resemblance is clear.

Today Cheverny celebrates this connection with a permanent Tintin exhibition, where fans young and old can explore scenes and settings from the beloved books. It is one of the things that makes a visit to Cheverny especially fun for children.

Hounds and the hunt

Cheverny is also famous for its hunting hounds. The estate keeps a large pack of dogs, and visitors can watch them in their kennels and, at feeding time, see the remarkable discipline of the pack as they wait for the signal to eat. Hunting in the surrounding forest has long been part of life at Cheverny, and the château displays many trophies and traditions connected to it.

Beautiful gardens

Around the château lie lovely gardens and parkland, including colourful flower gardens, a kitchen garden and walks among the trees. Boats and electric buggies let visitors explore the grounds, and the gardens change beautifully through the seasons.

Visiting today

Visitors can tour Cheverny's elegant, richly furnished rooms, enjoy the Tintin exhibition, watch the famous pack of hounds, and wander the gardens and park. Graceful, welcoming and full of charm — and forever linked to one of the world's favourite comic-book heroes — Château de Cheverny is one of the most enjoyable châteaux to visit in the whole Loire valley.