Travel bucket list idea:
Villandry, Centre-Val de Loire, France
Considered by some to be the world’s most beautiful garden, the grounds of this UNESCO-listed chateau are a must-see.
Created and owned by the Carvallo family, the terraced Renaissance gardens include an ornamental garden, with sculptured hedges, a medicinal herb garden, and a tranquil water garden.
The undisputed star of the show, however, is the stupendous kitchen garden, transformed into a geometrical feast of cabbages and pumpkins, zigzags of leeks, patches of peppers and other colourful vegetables.
Although the gardens take pride of place, also stop by the 16th-century chateau, which has a marvellous carved wooden mudejar ceiling brought from Toledo.
For two nights in July or August, the fabulous gardens at the Villandry chateau are illuminated by thousands of candles – an event known as the Nuits des Mille Feux (Nights of a Thousand Lights). It’s a magical night-time spectacle, culminating in fireworks.
Villandry Chateau is 15km west of Tours, and close to the Loire à Vélo (Loire by bike) cycle route. It’s about an hour by train from Paris to Tours station.
Audio guides in English for the gardens and chateau are available at the entrance (small fee). The chateau’s restaurant, La Doulce Terrasse, serves up excellent food employing Villandry’s own fruit and vegetables, alongside local cheeses and home-made desserts.
The gardens are open all year round, seven days a week. The chateau is open between mid-February and mid-November. The Nights of a Thousand Lights event takes place over two nights usually in July, sometimes in August.
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