The Salle des Archers, a vaulted room dating from the 17th century, is situated on the left as you enter the courtyard, opposite the Renaissance Logis, which is illuminated at night.
According to the standards, it can accommodate 250 seated people for meetings, seminars, conferences, concerts, receptions, weddings, cocktail parties, etc.
It has a surface area of about 200 square metres, partly covered with a short carpet, partly with a wooden floor of 5m x 8m used as a dance floor.
Château d'Ainay-le-Vieil, general view of the store
The postern
Salon Colbert
Chartreuse, the embroidery parterre
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Practical information

NEW: tours for children on request*.

Opening times, 2023 season:

Saturday, April 1 to Sunday, April 30 :

  • Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 10 am to 12 pm and 2 pm to 6 pm*.
  • Tuesday: closed
  • Weekends and public holidays: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Monday May 1 to Sunday September 3 :

  • Daily: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Monday, September 4 to Sunday, October 1 :

      • Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 10 am to 12 pm and 2 pm to 6 pm*.
      • Tuesday: closed
      • Weekends and public holidays: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
      • Exception: Sunday, September 17, European Heritage Days: 10 am to 7 pm

*last access 30 minutes before château closes

Guided tour schedule, season 2023 :

April, May, June:

  • Monday to Friday: 10.15 a.m., 10.45 a.m., 2.15 p.m., 4 p.m.
  • Saturday and Sunday: 10.15 a.m., 10.45 a.m., 11.45 a.m., 2.15 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m., 4.30 p.m.
  • additional tours subject to availability, please contact the ticket office for more information.

July, August :

  • Monday to Friday: 10.15 a.m., 10.45 a.m., 11.45 a.m., 2.30 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m., 5.15 p.m.
  • Saturday and Sunday: 10.15 a.m., 10.45 a.m., 11.45 a.m., 1.15 p.m., 2.30 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m., 4.45 p.m., 5.15 p.m.

September :

  • Monday to Friday: 10.15 a.m., 10.45 a.m., 2.15 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m., 4.30 p.m.
  • - Saturday and Sunday: 10.15 a.m., 10.45 a.m., 11.45 a.m., 2.15 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m., 4.30 p.m.

* NEW: a special tour for children
These tours can be arranged on request and subject to availability.
To find out more

Contacts / for groups :
It is preferable to book in advance to ensure the availability of the guide:

Parking under video surveillance (closed at night):
Google Maps link: https: //goo.gl/maps/UXJa34v3QXuY2nkf6

  • 2 places to recharge an electric vehicle
  • 2 spaces for people with reduced mobility
  • 2 motorhome spaces

Coaches are not allowed in the château parking lot, but can be parked next to the town hall.

Payment methods 

Credit card (except American Express), vacation vouchers, culture vouchers, Clarc vouchers

Gardens :

Downloadable map of the gardens in pdf

Animals :

Yes, only in gardens and on a leash.

Languages:

  • French 🇫🇷
  • English 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (guided tours available on request or via an app downloadable from the store)
  • Flamand 🇳🇱 (via an application downloadable from the store)
  • Spanish 🇪🇸 (via an application downloadable from the store)

Picnic area:

An area in the château grounds is reserved for visitors wishing to picnic.

Picnicking is not permitted in the rose garden and chartreuse trees.

Labels and rankings :
See "Labels & Rankings" tab

 

* according to the health regulations in force at the time of the visit

 

2023

Castle*, parc and gardens
*guided tour

 Visit
park and gardens		 European Heritage Days 2023
ADULT* 10 € 8,50 € 7,50 €
CHILDREN* aged 12 to 18
(upon presentation of card)
STUDENT under 27,
UNEMPLOYED,
LARGE FAMILY*, PASS		 7,00 € 6,00 € 6,00 €
CHILDREN* (ages 5 to 11) 6,00 € 5,00 € 4 €
CHILD* under 5 years Free of charge Free of charge Free of charge

ADULT GROUP
(from 20 people)

 8,50 € 7,00 € NC

SCHOOL GROUP

 6,00 € 5,00 € NC

Person with reduced mobility
(accompanying person free of charge)

 4,00 € Free of charge

PRIVILEGE PASS
Route Jacques Cœur*
(Pass purchase: €5)

 10 €
€6.50		 NC

PASSPORT de la DEMEURE HISTORIQUE
Free and does not give rise to a preferential rate (simply, after 8 stamped visits, the visitor is offered a 1-year subscription to the DH magazine).

  

RHS members
Free garden tours from June 1 to August 31

   Free of charge NC

 

Payment methods :
Credit card (except American Express), Holiday vouchers, Culture vouchers, Clarc vouchers, etc.

* Large family rate: on presentation of card

* Take advantage of the Jacques Coeur PRIVILEGE PASS to visit the Route Jacques Coeur sites and Route Jacques Coeur and some 50 partner sites. Obtain the PASS on the Route website or ask for it at the site reception desk.

Free and reduced rates

  • Admission to the Château and gardens is free for children under 5.
  • Reduced rates apply for children aged 5 to 11 (park and garden tour OR guided tour of château + park and gardens: see Rates tab).
  • Reduced rates apply to children aged 12 to 18 (park and garden tour OR guided tour of château + park and gardens: see Rates tab).

Costumed tour

  • More magic in the visit of the castle! Children are invited to dress up in a beautiful costume that will transform them into knight or a beautiful lady of the Middle Ages and with whom they will follow with passion the whole visit of the ramparts and the castle! Welcome knights and ladies!

NEW: dramatized tour

Learning while having fun: that's the project our guides have been working on since the beginning of May, organizing theatrical tours. To find out more

* according to the health regulations in force at the time of the visit

Groups are welcome at Ainay-le-Vieil castle!

From a richly furnished and decorated castle to its gardens and green park, you will discover an exceptional site at the Château d'Ainay-le-Vieil.

We can advise and assist you in developing your programme, for a visit adapted to the needs of everyone: tourism professionals, associations, local authorities, etc.

Reservation:

For schools,

Here you can find the workshops available during a "Discovery Day at the Castle" for school children and college students.

People with disabilities

Due to the architecture of the monument, certain areas of the castle are narrow and make it impossible for people in wheelchairs to get around (stairways to the ramparts and the renaissance house). However, the whole of the park and gardens remain accessible; grass and sand.

For more information, please contact the reception on 09 71 46 01 83

A specially equipped parking area

Parking under video surveillance :
Google Maps link: https: //goo.gl/maps/UXJa34v3QXuY2nkf6

  • 2 places to recharge an electric vehicle
  • 2 spaces for people with reduced mobility
  • 2 motorhome spaces

Coaches are not allowed in the château parking lot, but can be parked next to the town hall.

Closed at night

A 100 square metre area dedicated to welcoming visitors and selling souvenirs and gifts.

On the programme, decorative objects, delicatessen, books for adults and children, toys, not forgetting a charming flea market for bargain hunters and picnic baskets for gourmets. A great way to start or end your visit to the castle, its park and gardens.

A new must-visit address for discovering the expertise of local artisans and producers, as well as a selection of products created exclusively for Château d'Ainay-le-Vieil.
Highlights include our excellent Château d'Ainay-le-Vieil cuvée, created in association with the Bourgeois family, duck rillettes, lentils from Berry, honey from the château's bees...
But also tablecloths by Thevenon, filament lamps, slate trays, a selection of Opinel knives, Casa Lopez tableware, Le Creusetcasseroles...

A shop of art craftsmen

In this space dedicated to local crafts, you will find the work of a cabinetmaker, a ceramist and a jewellery designer. Materials, shapes, unique know-how...

The restaurant "La Volière

The restaurant of La Volière offers traditional and regional cuisine for lunch under an aviary in the park facing the castle and for dinner in the covered "Lavoir".

Details

Fresh, local and French produce.
Weekly menu from €16 to €25.

Where?

"La Volière" is located at the entrance to the rose garden. The "Lavoir" is accessible via the store entrance.

Read more :

Restaurant "La Volière

In the grounds of a 17th century farmhouse, the castle has set up a museum of "Arts and Popular Traditions".

A permanent exhibition reproducing the daily life of the village of Ainay-le-Vieil before the 1914 war.
To discover, the rural world, its customs, its daily life and the wealth of trades that existed at the time: a shop, a classroom, the workshop of a clog maker, a blacksmith, old beehives, or even the typical interior of a peasant family from the beginning of the 20th century.

Free admission.
Free admission in high season.

The Château is pleased to present its fun activities!

Come and experience a unique moment within the walls of the Corps de Logis Féodal.
Season 2023, coming soon.

 

1 overview-plan des jardins-Ainay-2022

 

Press releases for events in the 2023 season

  • coming soon

La Volière 2023 restaurant menu

  • coming soon

Activities for schoolchildren :

Prepare your stay in Berry...

From the medieval streets of Bourges to the Sancerrois vineyards and gardens, Berry celebrates nature and heritage. Get ready for some amazing discoveries...

Berry province

Other remarkable gardens...

Le Prieuré d'Orsan, Maisonnais

Château and park of Jussy-Champagne, Jussy-Champagne

Apremont-sur-Allier Floral Park, Apremont-sur-Allier

Marie's garden, Neuilly-en-Sancerre

Château and park of Pesselières, Jalognes

Le domaine de Poulaine, Poulaine

Other friendly addresses

Château de Meillant, Meillant

Château de Peufeilhoux, Vallon-en-Sully

Donkey and horse center, La Celle Condé

Noirlac Abbey, Noirlac

Musée des arts et traditions paysannes, Château du Plaix, Saint-Hilaire en Lignières

Grand Meaulnes school house, Épineuil-le-Fleuriel

House from "Jour de fête" (Jacques Tati), Saint-Sévère

Nearby cities

Bourges,

The capital of the Berry region, with its Unesco World Heritage Cathedral, the Palais Jacques Cœur, the marshes and timber-framed houses of its historic center, and much more.

Sancerre,

Its hilltop town and world-famous vineyards, such as those of Menetou-Salon, Quincy, Reuilly, etc., make it an ideal place to visit.

Saint-Amand-Montrond,

Its ancient fortress, gold town and Gallo-Roman site.

Greenways

The Berry Canal

Labels and ratings :


The château and gardens are listed as a "Monument Historique".
The gardens have been awarded the "Jardin Remarquable" label.

The site is a member of theAssociation des Châteaux de la Loire, the Demeure historique, the Route Jacques Coeur, the Jardins secrets en Berry, theAssociation des Parcs et Jardins de la région Centre (APJRC) and the Royal Horticultural Society.

The site has also been awarded the Nouvelles Renaissances and Accueil vélo labels.

The château is a member of the Qualité Tourisme initiative in the Centre Val de Loire region and is committed to the "Together for sustainable tourism" project.

The château's accommodations are members of the Gîtes de France and Charme & Traditions networks.

 

* according to the health regulations in force at the time of the visit