CountryThe most famous castle in France is Palace of Versailles, ranked #3 of 9,079 in the world — followed by Bastille and Château de Chambord.
The Castle Map atlas charts 342 castles, 92 fortresses, 187 palaces & châteaux and 172 ruins in France. They span more than 21 centuries — from Bibracte (founded c. 200 BC) to Guédelon Castle (1997). Every one is plotted with its photo and story on the interactive castle map of France.
How many castles are there in France?
Map of castles in France
On the map they cluster thickest around Paris — 104 within a 100 km day trip, then Beauvais (99) and Évreux (95). The northernmost is Fort des Dunes, the southernmost Fort Saint Louis (Martinique).
Planning a visit? Day-trip guides: Castles near Paris · Castles near Strasbourg · Castles near Beauvais · Castles near Tours · Castles near Mulhouse · Castles near Évreux — and 15 more in the city index.
By region: Castles in the Loire Valley · Castles in Alsace · Castles on the Moselle · Castles in the Dordogne · Castles in Normandy · Castles in Cathar Country.
Castle routes in France: The Loire Valley château route (32 stops, Angers to Orléans) · The Alsace castle route (32 stops, Wissembourg to Mulhouse) · The Dordogne castle route (29 stops, Bergerac to Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne) · The Cathar castle route (18 stops, Carcassonne to Foix). See all 22 castle routes.
See them on the map →When they were built
Of the 793 landmarks mapped in France, 694 carry a sourced founding date. Most were founded in the 13th century — 113 of them. 452 predate 1500 and 103 were built after 1700.
