Castles, Palaces & Monasteries in France
Palaces, castles, residences and monasteries with museums, guided tours and historic rooms.
Île-de-France (13)
Château de Versailles
Château de Fontainebleau
Château de Malmaison
Château de Rambouillet
Château de Monte-Cristo
Château de Nemours
Musée des Archives nationales
Galerie des Carrosses
Château de Chamarande
Château de Rentilly, musée intercommunal
Musée du château de Dourdan
Musée du domaine royal de Marly
Musée national de la Renaissance
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (12)
Musée de la Révolution française
Château de la Bâtie d'Urfé
Château des Allymes
Château d'Alba-la-Romaine
Musée de l'automobile Henri-Malartre
Musée-Château d'Annecy
Château de Grignan
Château de Montélimar
Château de Murol
Château-Musée de Montrottier
Château-Musée de Tournon-sur-Rhône
Musée de la faïencerie fine
Nouvelle-Aquitaine (10)
Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (10)
Bourgogne-Franche-Comté (9)
Occitania (9)
Centre-Val de Loire (8)
Grand Est (7)
Hauts-de-France (7)
Pays de la Loire (6)
Normandy (5)
Brittany (4)
Castles, Palaces & Monasteries in France: Overview & Tips
Our guide lists 100 castles, palaces and monasteries in France, spread across 12 regions and 98 towns and cities. Most of them are in Île-de-France (13), Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (12), and Nouvelle-Aquitaine (10).
At the city level, Versailles (2), Vitré (2), and Alba-la-Romaine (1) lead the way – ideal if you want to see several castles, palaces and monasteries in a single day.
12 museums are free to visit. For the others with a published price, a regular adult ticket costs €8 at the median, and the middle half charge between €6 and €10.
9 museums are fully wheelchair accessible, 76 offer dedicated programs for families, and 17 have a café or restaurant. These figures come from our ongoing research – museums whose details we haven’t verified yet aren’t included in the counts.
Top 10 castles, palaces and monasteries in France
The best-known castles, palaces and monasteries in France
Château de VersaillesCastles & Palaces · Versailles
Château de Montsoreau - musée d'Art contemporainArt · Montsoreau
Château de FontainebleauCastles & Palaces · Fontainebleau
Palais des papesCastles & Palaces · Avignon
Palais du TauHistory · Reims
Château de MalmaisonCastles & Palaces · Rueil-Malmaison
Château de SaumurCastles & Palaces · Saumur
Musée CondéArt · Chantilly
Château de GuédelonOpen-air · Treigny
Château de CastelnaudCastles & Palaces · Castelnaud-la-Chapelle
Castles, palaces and monasteries in France with free admission
Musée de la Révolution françaiseHistory · Vizille
Château de FlersCastles & Palaces · Villeneuve-d'Ascq
Musée des Archives nationalesHistory · Paris
Palais des ducs de Lorraine – Musée lorrainHistory · Nancy
Château Borély – Musée des Arts décoratifs, de la Faïence et de la ModeArt · Marseille
Galerie des CarrossesArt · Versailles
Château de ChamarandeCastles & Palaces · Chamarande- Château de Rentilly, musée intercommunalArt · Bussy-Saint-Martin
Musée franco-américain du château de BlérancourtHistory · Blérancourt
Musée du château de FlersCastles & Palaces · Flers
Castles, palaces and monasteries in France with programs for families
- Château de VersaillesCastles & Palaces · Versailles
- Palais des papesCastles & Palaces · Avignon
- Château de SaumurCastles & Palaces · Saumur
- Musée CondéArt · Chantilly
- Château de GuédelonOpen-air · Treigny
- Château de CastelnaudCastles & Palaces · Castelnaud-la-Chapelle
Château de RambouilletCastles & Palaces · Rambouillet
Château de ChâteaudunCastles & Palaces · Châteaudun
Château de CompiègneCastles & Palaces · Compiègne
Château d'AbbadiaCastles & Palaces · Hendaye
Wheelchair-accessible castles, palaces and monasteries in France
- Musée de la Révolution françaiseHistory · Vizille
Villa Ephrussi de RothschildCastles & Palaces · Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat- Château de FlersCastles & Palaces · Villeneuve-d'Ascq
- Palais des ducs de Lorraine – Musée lorrainHistory · Nancy
- Château de ChamarandeCastles & Palaces · Chamarande
Château de SenonchesCastles & Palaces · Senonches
Château de LaàsCastles & Palaces · Laàs
Musée d'art contemporain de la Haute-Vienne – Château de RochechouartArt · Rochechouart- Château de MontaubanHistory · Fontvieille
Castles, palaces and monasteries in France with the highest published visitor numbers
- Château de VersaillesCastles & Palaces · Versailles
Musée des Beaux-Arts de BloisArt · Blois- Musée CondéArt · Chantilly
Musée national et domaine du château de PauCastles & Palaces · Pau- Château de CompiègneCastles & Palaces · Compiègne
- Château de SaumurCastles & Palaces · Saumur
- Palais LascarisCastles & Palaces · Nice
- Palais des ducs de Lorraine – Musée lorrainHistory · Nancy
- Palais du TauHistory · Reims
Château de Foix – Musée départemental de l'AriègeCastles & Palaces · Foix
By region
Cities with the most museums
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
How many castles, palaces and monasteries are there in France?
Our directory currently lists 100 castles, palaces and monasteries in France across 98 towns and cities.
What are the best-known castles, palaces and monasteries in France?
Some of the best known are Château de Versailles, Château de Montsoreau - musée d'Art contemporain, Château de Fontainebleau, Palais des papes, and Palais du Tau.
Which castles, palaces and monasteries in France offer free admission?
12 museums are free to visit – for example Musée de la Révolution française, Château de Flers, Musée des Archives nationales, and Palais des ducs de Lorraine – Musée lorrain.
Which castles, palaces and monasteries in France are open on Mondays?
Many museums are closed on Mondays, but according to their regular hours 52 are open, such as Château de Montsoreau - musée d'Art contemporain, Château de Fontainebleau, and Palais des papes.
Which castles, palaces and monasteries in France are wheelchair accessible?
9 museums are fully wheelchair accessible, including Musée de la Révolution française, Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, and Château de Flers. Others are partially accessible – you’ll find the details on each museum’s page.
How much does it cost to visit castles, palaces and monasteries in France?
A regular adult ticket costs €8 at the median, with prices ranging from €2 to €35. Children, students and families usually pay less.
Other categories: Art & Design · History & Cultural History · Natural History · Science & Technology · Archaeology & Antiquity · Memorials · Open-Air Museums · City & Regional Museums · World Cultures & Ethnology · People & Literature · Special-Interest Museums