It's a wonderful park near Angers in France. It's a Japonese park that is built around the symbolic…read moretheme of "the cycle of life". If you can read a bit of French, I would advise you to have a look at their website as they explain it. http://www.parc-oriental.com/le-parc/histoire/10-symbolisme.html When you leave this park you feel relaxed, spiritually uplifted...

From the owner: Jardin japonais Cet endroit magique est traversé par un cours d'eau qui coule d'est en ouest,…read moresuivant la course du soleil. Le cours de la Moine (rivière dont le cours a été détourné) franchit ainsi les trois étapes obligatoires : l'étang, la cascade et le ruisseau. En bordure de l'étang, deux îles furent aménagées : l'île de la Grue et l'île de la Tortue, symboles de sagesse et de longévité. Vous pourrez aussi admirer 200 espèces d'arbres exotiques venus d'Extrême-Orient, très rares en Europe. Une salle d'exposition est installée à l'intérieur de la pagode et des panneaux dans le parc vous présentent les différentes constructions, comme le pont rouge, symbole du chemin vers le paradis.

Chateau and garden is one of my favorite. This chateau is famous on the very well maintained…read moregarden. The chateau was built 1536. This is the actual chateau without castle. It listed as UNESCO world heritage site for their landscape. The chateau has 14 rooms to visit. I like the drawing and study room. It has a grand piano in that room. The office of Joachim Carvallo is the location he plans his vegetable garden. The dining room has a checker board marble floor. The Prince Jerome's bedroom is Napoleons youngest brother. The red silk reflects military lance. There table in front of the bed has decorative surface. The garden is huge. There are total 7 sections. This includes Ornamental, Wood, Water, Sun, Maze, Herb and Vegetable Garden. The ornamental garden is my favorite. This garden has multiple colors. The edge of each tree or bush corner was perfectly trim. Picture perfect. I wish my lawn care company can do this.

Surprisingly this ended up being my favorite chateau out of our 2 day visit in loire valley. We…read moreonly toured the Jardin but that alone was still quite lovely. Villandry boasts some of the best, if not the best Jardins in the region. Signage is well posted so you can understand what is being grown and the trimming is immaculate! The castle itself is beautiful, complete with running water in front outside. Definitely worth the visit even though it's in the other direction as compared to the other chateaus. This was also the only chateau we found with free parking, which we appreciated!

3.5 stars This is a…read moregreat chateau/fort with a lot of history. If you're in the area, it's definitely worth a stop. However, their self-guided tour was really poorly put together, and it forces you to click through endless maps and details, rather than telling a story or guiding you through the highlights. The museum shop was cute, and the people working there were nice.

From the owner: Chargé d'histoire Bâtie sur un éperon rocheux, dominant la vallée de la Vienne, la forteresse de…read moreChinon fut édifiée à l'emplacement d'un ancien lieu celtique fortifié. Les Plantagenêts : Henri II, Richard Coeur de Lion, Jean sans Terre... furent les premiers hôtes célèbres de ces lieux. Les femmes marquèrent également l'histoire de ce château, Aliénor d'Aquitaine, épouse d'Henri II et surtout en 1429 Jeanne d'Arc qui rencontra le Dauphin futur Charles VII dans la grande salle du Château.

It became chateau at mid 14th century when King Louis XI decided to build it. This chateau is name…read moreafter Captain-Governor of Langeais. This chateau also located at the town of Langeais at Loire Valley. 1491, the chateau host an wedding of Charles VIII with Anne of Brittany. This wedding incorporated the duchy of Brittany to France. The chateau has 16 rooms to visit. It includes Banquet Hall, Antechamber, wedding hall, The Luini Room. The wedding hall is where Anne of Brittany got wed. They run the history show of the wedding. The visit also includes the walk at castle surrounding wall. The garden is big at the back of castle. The sacred art room contains Saint Agnes paintings. To visit the castle take 1.5 hours. Parking is in the town and is free. Easy access to the castle.

We spent pretty much an entire day in this place, surprisingly. The history was very interesting. I…read morereally enjoyed the tour. Definitely a must-see if you are in the area.