In the Loire Valley, in the Indre-et-Loire department, is located the château d’Ussé, which inspired Charles Perrault when he wrote “la Belle au bois dormant”.
A first fortress was built around the year 1000. The current castle was built in the 15th century, enlarged in the 16th century and transformed into a pleasure residence in the 17th century. Since the nineteenth century, it is inhabited by the Duke of Blacas and his family.
Visit
The visit of the castle is a self-guided tour, an explanatory document translated into many languages allows you to stroll through many rooms furnished and richly decorated, in the castle. A part of the visit is dedicated to the fairy tales and especially to the Sleeping Beauty. Indeed, Charles Perrault, the author of the Sleeping Beauty, stayed at the Chateau d’Ussé and was inspired by this castle when he wrote this tale. A document will allow the children to participate in a little track and respond to quizz scattered throughout the castle. Besides the castle, you can also enter the chapel of the property and walk in the French gardens, designed by Le Nôtre.
Activities
Ussé Castle organizes various events throughout the year including an Easter hunt and animations for Halloween. To complete your journey through time, Ussé Castle offers an exhibition of period costumes, each year different.
We advise you to visit this castle straight out of the fairy tales. The price of the entrance ticket is a bit high for adults but very accessible for children, so we wish you a pleasant visit to Ussé Castle, with your family. The castle is open to public from mid-February until mid-November.