Château de Montriou

Château de Montriou stands in Feneu, a small commune in the Maine-et-Loire department, tucked into the gentle Val d'Anjou countryside less than 15 kilometres from Angers.

Where is it, and how do you get there?

Feneu sits away from the busiest Loire Valley circuits, which makes Montriou a quieter stop than the region's headline châteaux. Angers itself — with its cathedral and the celebrated Apocalypse Tapestry — is roughly a 20-minute drive away, and the Terra Botanica gardens are barely a quarter of an hour further. The neighbouring Château des Briottières, also open to visitors, lies about 10 kilometres off, so the two properties pair naturally into a single day out.

A car is by far the easiest option: local roads connect Feneu to Angers in around 20-25 minutes, and there's no meaningful public transport link to the village itself. Angers-Loire airport is the nearest by air, while the TGV station in Angers puts Paris under 90 minutes away — from there you'll still need a rental car or taxi to reach Feneu.

What will you see?

Montriou is built in two distinct architectural moments. The oldest surviving piece is a 15th-century tower in the defensive style typical of late-medieval Anjou: a crenellated crown carried on machicolations, dressed-stone corner quoins, and a conical slate roof. The main residential building came later, styled in the 19th-century troubadour manner that deliberately echoes the Middle Ages — carved dormer windows, steep gables, mullioned cross-windows, and corner turrets capped with pepperpot roofs.

The grounds unfold around the buildings in sweeping lawns, century-old trees — oaks, copper beeches, redwoods — and a scatter of ponds that catch the soft light of the Val d'Anjou. The layout was designed to frame the château like a painting from several angles. The gardens open to visitors seasonally: Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 2pm to 6pm between 1 May and 30 June and again from 16 September to 16 October, and daily except Mondays, same hours, from 1 July to 15 September.

The château has stayed in the same family for more than three hundred years and now operates as a bed and breakfast. Four guest rooms, sleeping up to eight people, are available from roughly €85 to €165 a night, breakfast included — a chance to actually sleep inside the history rather than just walk past it.

When should you visit?

Summer is the most rewarding season, since the gardens are open every day except Monday and there's time to wander the whole park unhurried. Spring and early autumn weekends (May-June and September-October) bring milder weather and fewer visitors, which suits anyone who prefers a quiet visit over daily access.

Frequently asked questions

Is Château de Montriou a listed monument? Yes, it is registered as a monument historique, part of the protected heritage of the Maine-et-Loire department.

Can you stay overnight at the château? Yes — Montriou runs as a chambres d'hôtes with four rooms, run by the de Loture family, who have owned the estate for more than three centuries.

Are the gardens open all year? No, garden visits are seasonal, running from May to October. Access is daily (except Mondays) in July and August, and limited to weekends and public holidays the rest of the season.

Can this visit be combined with other sights nearby? Easily — pair it with the nearby Château des Briottières (10 km away) or Terra Botanica, and set aside time for Angers, less than 20 minutes away, with its cathedral and the Apocalypse Tapestry.