Castles and estates to film in France
14 of them, 12 with a photo and 3 with practical details the location publishes itself. 5 have a documented shooting history. Every entry links to the location or to the body that manages it.
Castles, fortresses, manor houses and country estates, usually with grounds, outbuildings and period interiors in one place.
Shooting in France pays back through the Tax Rebate for International Production (TRIP / C2I) (30% (40% VFX-heavy)): work out the net value on your own spend in the incentive comparison.
Chateau d'Angers
Castle & estate
Ducal fortress with seventeen dark schist and limestone towers, a curtain wall walk above the Maine, chapel, royal lodging and terraced gardens in the moat.
Chateau d'Azay-le-Rideau
Castle & estate
Early Renaissance chateau standing on an island in the Indre, with a straight flight staircase, furnished rooms and a landscaped park with water reflections.
Chateau de Chenonceau
Castle & estate
Chateau built across the river Cher on a bridge gallery, with vaulted 16th century kitchens, furnished galleries, two formal gardens and a farm.
Chateau de Cheverny
Castle & estate
Symmetrical 17th century chateau still lived in by the same family, with fully furnished period rooms, formal gardens, kennels and a large park.
Chateau de Valencay
Castle & estate
Renaissance and classical chateau once owned by Talleyrand, with Empire and Restoration furnished rooms, large service kitchens and a wooded park.
Chateau de Villandry
Castle & estate
Renaissance chateau known for its terraced formal gardens, with an ornamental kitchen garden, water garden, maze and 18th century interiors.
Chateau du Plessis-Bourre
Castle & estate
Late 15th century moated chateau reached by a long stone bridge, with a drawbridge, painted coffered ceiling, guardroom and unaltered exterior.
Seen in: Peau d'Ane (1970)
Chateau Royal de Blois
Castle & estate
Four wings in four architectural styles around one courtyard, with furnished apartments, painted wall decoration and a view over the Loire, owned and run by the city of Blois.
Seen in: Jeanne d'Arc (Luc Besson), La Princesse de Montpensier, Secrets d'Histoire, Des racines et des ailes
Citadelle de Calvi
Castle & estate
Genoese citadel on a rock above the harbour, with ramparts, bastions, a governors palace, narrow lanes inside the walls and views over the bay and the Balagne.
Domaine national de Chambord
Castle & estate
Renaissance royal chateau with a double helix staircase, terraced roofscape and open state rooms, set in a walled estate of 5,440 hectares of forest, meadow and canals.
Seen in: Coeurs vaillants (2020), Junga (2018)
Fort la Latte
Castle & estate
Coastal fortress on a rock spur near Cap Frehel, reached by two drawbridges, with a round keep, curtain walls, a cannonball oven and cliff exteriors.
Seen in: The Vikings (1958), Les Trois Mousquetaires (1948), Le Parfum de la dame en noir (1931), L'Epervier
Forteresse Royale de Chinon
Castle & estate
Medieval hilltop fortress above the Vienne with curtain walls, three baileys, towers and undercrofts, run by the Indre-et-Loire department.
Chateau de Joux
Castle & estate
Fortress rebuilt by Vauban on a rock above the Doubs gorge, with five walled enclosures, a keep, drawbridges, cells used as a state prison and a 120 m well.
Cite de Carcassonne
Castle & estate
Double walled medieval town with 52 towers, a castle keep, lists between the ramparts and cobbled lanes, managed by the Centre des monuments nationaux.
Seen in: Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Castles and estates elsewhere in Europe
Other kinds of location in France
- Theatres, arenas and venues 30
- Industrial and derelict locations 36
- Offices, schools and public buildings 23
- Transport and infrastructure 20
- Film studios and backlots 14
- Hospitals, prisons and institutions 15
- Houses and apartments 12
- Hotels and interiors 8
- Churches and monasteries 10
- Villages and countryside 8
- Modern architecture 8
All locations in France · Castles and estates across Europe · Search all 2827 locations