Visitor guide
Château de Beauregard visitor guide — everything you need to know before visiting
Château de Beauregard stands in parkland in Cellettes, about 10 km south of Blois in the Loire Valley. Built in the 16th century as a hunting lodge for King François I, it was remodelled in the early 17th century by Paul Ardier, a secretary of state under Louis XIII, who commissioned the château's signature room: the Galerie des Illustres, a 26-metre gallery holding 327 portraits tracing three centuries of French political history. Outside, the same family has cared for the 40-hectare park since 1926, including a garden designed as a living companion to the gallery and one of the Loire Valley's largest rose collections.
At a glance
- Address
- 12 Chemin de la Fontaine, 41120 Cellettes, France
- Hours
- Daily, 3 April–11 November 2026. 10:30–19:00 (Apr–Jun), 10:00–19:30 (Jul–Aug), 10:30–19:00 (Sep–late Oct), 10:00–18:00 (late Oct–Nov)
- Entry style
- Date-specific — no fixed time slot within the day's opening hours
- Built
- 16th century, as a hunting lodge for King François I
- Signature room
- The Galerie des Illustres — 327 portraits, a lapis-lazuli ceiling, and a floor of 5,500 Delft tiles
- Grounds
- 40-hectare park including the Jardin des Portraits and one of the Loire's largest rose gardens
- Nearest city
- Blois, about 10 km / 15 minutes away by car
- Book in your languageYour currency, final price.
- No time slot to plan aroundDate-specific admission, valid all day.
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- 24/7 human supportReal people, instant answers — any hour, any time zone.
From royal hunting lodge to a gallery of French history
Château de Beauregard's story runs from a 16th-century hunting lodge built for François I to a 17th-century remodelling that gave the château its most famous room — the Galerie des Illustres.
Inside the Galerie des Illustres
The Galerie des Illustres runs 26 metres along the château's ground floor, its 327 portraits arranged in chronological order from 1328 to 1643 beneath a lapis-lazuli ceiling and above a floor of 5,500 Delft tiles.
Read the full guide: What to See Inside Château de Beauregard →
The 40-hectare park and the Jardin des Portraits
Beyond the château, a 40-hectare landscaped park includes the Jardin des Portraits — designed by Gilles Clément as a living echo of the gallery inside — and one of the Loire Valley's largest collections of old roses.
Getting to Château de Beauregard
The château sits about 10 km south of Blois and around 50 km from Tours, making it a natural stop between the two cities and close to both Cheverny and Chambord.
On the day — what to know
The château is open daily across its April-to-November season, with longer hours in July and August; comfortable shoes and a little time for both the gallery and the gardens are the main things to plan around.
Combining Beauregard with the rest of the Loire
Beauregard's position close to Blois, Cheverny and Chambord makes it an easy addition to a wider Loire Valley itinerary, and its smaller scale suits a half-day visit rather than a full one.
Frequently asked questions
What is Château de Beauregard?
Château de Beauregard is a 16th-century château in Cellettes, near Blois in the Loire Valley, built originally as a hunting lodge for King François I. It is best known for the Galerie des Illustres, a 26-metre gallery of 327 portraits tracing French political history from 1328 to 1643, commissioned by secretary of state Paul Ardier in the 17th century.
How do I get to Château de Beauregard?
The easiest route is by car, about 10 km — roughly 15 minutes — south of Blois, or around 50 km from Tours. The nearest train station is Blois-Chambord, from where visitors typically continue by taxi.
Do I need to book a specific time slot?
No. Entry is date-specific rather than timed, so your ticket is valid any time during opening hours on the date you choose. Simply arrive within the published opening hours on your selected day.
What can you see inside Château de Beauregard?
The centrepiece is the Galerie des Illustres, with its 327 portraits, lapis-lazuli ceiling and floor of 5,500 Delft tiles. The château also includes period furnished rooms, and the ticket covers the full 40-hectare park and gardens outside, including the Jardin des Portraits and the rose garden.
Is Château de Beauregard part of UNESCO's Loire Valley site?
The château sits within the broader Loire Valley region, but it is not itself individually UNESCO World Heritage listed — its recognition comes through its Monument Historique classification, granted in 1840, with the park and its enclosure walls separately inscribed in 1993.
How long does a visit to Château de Beauregard take?
Most visitors spend one and a half to two hours exploring the château and gardens together. Because entry is date-specific rather than timed, you can move through the site at your own pace.
Is Château de Beauregard suitable for children?
Yes — the rows of painted portraits and the marching-army tile floor in the gallery tend to catch children's attention, and the 40-hectare park gives plenty of room to run around afterwards.
Is Château de Beauregard accessible for visitors with limited mobility?
Largely, yes. The gardens and ground-floor rooms, including the Galerie des Illustres, are generally accessible, though some park paths are gravel and a few interior thresholds are not step-free. Contacting the château ahead of your visit is worthwhile if you have specific needs.
Sources
This guide is written by the concierge team and cross-checked against the official operator every time we update it. Primary sources:
About our service
Château de Beauregard Tickets is an independent concierge service that helps international visitors reserve and receive their admission ticket in English. We are not the château and we are not an official vendor — Beauregard is a privately owned estate, in the care of the same family since 1926, and it is not a government body. We obtain a genuine admission ticket on your behalf from the château's ticketing system, and our service fee is included in the price you see. If you prefer to buy directly, the château runs its own ticket desk on site and its own online shop.
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