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Discover the garden
don't miss...
  • A unique 15th century ensemble.
  • The tremendous vegetables in Gargantua’s Garden (a collection of cucurbits and cabbages).
  • Les jardins clos et d’amour (The closed gardens of love), located in the heart of the Château, a secret garden where knights used to court ladies.
  • Le Jardin des Nœuds de lavandes (the lavender knot garden), inspired by Renaissance style embroideries.
  • Le tapis des mille-fleurs (the thousand flower carpet) where the visitor walks through the flower-beds.
  • Native botanical species.
  • Contemporary art work.
  • A collection of gallic roses.
  • A mushroom shaped hut, sheltering elves and dwarves.

Le Rivau,
a castle and its
Fairy Tale gardens

The Rivau gardens were inspired by the tales and the enchanting legends of literature. Vegetables illustrate the themes of the imaginary fairy tale world.

Elves, ogres, giants, good fairies and fabulous animals guide the visitor for a walk in a marvellous world combining fantasy and poetry.

Gargantua’s garden makes you want to taste its tremendous vegetables whereas the Paradise Orchard brings back childhood memories. The gardens are filled with discoveries such as the Running Forest, imagined by Basserode.

It is also a garden of sculptures, in which some artists exhibit their art work. The flower pot chess game illustrates the gardening savoir-faire.

The Damier de roses anciennes, the Tapis de Mille-Fleurs, the Parterre à Nœuds de lavandes, the bouquets de la Bordure Délice perfume the gardens throughout spring and summer.

The Alienor Garden was opened in 2004: this love potion garden contains plants with magical effects, and bewitches both the spirit and the senses.

Château du Rivau
37120 Lémeré
(entre Chinon et Richelieu)
Tél : 02 47 95 77 47
Fax : 02 47 95 78 46

©2003-2010 Conseil Général d’Indre-et-Loire