Parc et jardin du Château de la Bourdaisière

In the heart of the Loire valley, the park and garden of Château de la Bourdaisière breathe joie de vivre. This is the spirit of its whimsical and refined prince, who designed there an outstanding kitchen garden.
A stone’s throw from the Renaissance garden that accommodated Marie Gaudin and Gabrielle d’Estrées in their liaisons with the country’s sovereigns, a gate designed by Leonardo da Vinci leads the visitors to an unexpected collection of lilies. In the entirely restored kitchen garden, close to 400 tomato varieties form one part of this uncanny conservatory. They are of all shapes and every colour, tiny as marbles or heavy golden hearts, rosaries of small pears… all will surprise you. In the vegetable section, lettuce features in the hundreds: long or round, with a larger or smaller a heart, in shades of green and red, sometimes cream, brown or blond… Giving better emphasis to the beauty of edible plants, the master of the house has presented flowers and aromatic herbs in an original fashion, on chestnut-wood stands.
One cannot help being struck with the variety of scents, flavours (they can be tasted, yes indeed!) and colours. Cultivated in the great market gardening tradition, the vegetables of La Bourdaisière are healthy and natural. They call for tasting.
“To cultivate one’s garden is to take up with earth again, with our roots, and recover the simple and refined pleasures that give life its charm”. Prince Louis-Albert de Broglie gives us to understand that the art of living is first and foremost in the pleasure of good eating.
Another mission of the Prince’s kitchen garden is to encourage vocations. The team of gardeners will shower you with advice, tips and tricks to give you every chance to make a success of your own garden as well.