Château de Cheverny

Cheverny is the inhabited one: built in a single campaign by 1634, held by the Hurault family for six centuries and lived in by them still, which is why its interiors are the finest furnished rooms in the Loire, kept as a home rather than dressed as a museum.

Interiors, Hounds, and Tintin

The state rooms hold their original seventeenth-century decoration and furniture down to the tapestries, and the private-apartments circuit shows the house as the family uses it. Outside, the kennels hold the pack of around a hundred French tricolor hounds, with the daily feeding a spectacle of its own. Hergé used Cheverny, minus its outer wings, as the model for Marlinspike Hall, Captain Haddock’s house, and a permanent Tintin exhibition on the grounds documents it.

Visiting

Cheverny opens every day of the year; hours, prices, and feeding times are at chateau-cheverny.com. It sits 15 minutes from Blois and 20 from Chambord by car, making the Chambord-Cheverny pairing the natural day for anyone who wants scale in the morning and warmth in the afternoon.

Cheverny pairs with Chambord, 20 minutes away; the top ten castles page lays out the day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are Cheverny’s interiors special?
Because the same family has lived in the château for six centuries and never sold it up: the seventeenth-century state rooms keep their original decoration and furniture, the best-preserved interiors in the Loire.

Is Cheverny the Tintin castle?
Yes. Hergé modeled Marlinspike Hall on Cheverny with the outer wings removed, and the estate hosts a permanent Tintin exhibition documenting the connection.

What are the Cheverny hounds?
A working pack of around a hundred French hunting hounds kenneled at the château, with a posted daily feeding time that draws a crowd of its own.