The complete restoration of the outbuildings of the Château d'Ainay-le-Vieil will be completed very soon. The means to save the endangered 17th century buildings and to provide the site with a new environment and the possibility to offer new options.
From the opening of the château d'Ainay-le-Vieil on 1 April, visitors will discover the fully restored outbuildings(download the 2020 opening conditions in pdf).
This will provide the public with a more comfortable welcome and new options.
Upon entering through a beautiful Renaissance door, visitors will discover a 17th century farmhouse, the former lower courtyard of the castle, composed of parallel buildings forming a large rectangle. Around a landscaped courtyard, a mansion, stables, barns, a granary and the old canal bringing water to the village mill, covered in the 18th century and transformed into a washhouse, stand side by side.
A marvellous site that has been redesigned with a view to welcoming tourists in the best possible way. This is how the surprises follow one another.
Firstly, a car park with a hundred or so parking spaces under video surveillance, built in place of an old orchard and a wonderful garden called "le petit paradis" at the time.
A museum of popular arts and traditions to be discovered on a self-guided tour, a shop offering souvenir gifts, delicatessen, decoration, and even a second-hand goods area...
Finally, the Volière restaurant will open its doors and offer traditional and regional cuisine for lunch under an aviary in the park opposite the castle, and for dinner in the wash house.
