Chilleurs-Aux-Bois: Château, Gardens and Forest

Chilleurs-Aux-Bois offers several reasons to stay: château architecture, gardens, church history and a forest route. The Château de Chamerolles lies on the edge of the Forêt d’Orléans. The Circuit de Chamerolles passes through the Forêt domaniale d’Orléans and offers glimpses of wildlife and plant life that change with the seasons. The historic buildings and gardens therefore offer a different focus from the natural surroundings of the forest route.

Château, Church and the History of Fragrance

The Château de Chamerolles is architecturally described as a transition between medieval heritage and Renaissance innovations. Lancelot du Lac oversaw its construction from 1500 to 1530. During restoration work, Protestant inscriptions were discovered in the former château chapel and are considered rare evidence. This discovery adds a religious aspect to the château’s history.

The Église Saint-Pierre has major construction phases dating from the 13th and 15th centuries and has been listed as a historic monument since 26 October 1925. The Promenade des parfums in the Château de Chamerolles offers a different perspective on time: it presents the history of hygiene and perfume from the 16th century to the present day and displays 800 numbered historic perfume bottles. While the church’s construction phases mark two centuries, the promenade explores a theme spanning several centuries up to the present day.

Gardens and Forest Landscape

The Renaissance gardens at Chamerolles were reconstructed during restoration work from 1987 to 1992, on the exact site of the original gardens. The grounds comprise six areas. This combines their historic location on the original site with a clearly structured layout today. The Jardin André Eve has a different character, with colourful, fragrant rose beds, perennials and pergolas. Admission to this garden is free during the shop’s opening hours. The two garden sites therefore differ in both their history and their design.

The Circuit de Chamerolles passes through the Forêt domaniale d’Orléans. The wildlife and plant life you encounter change with the seasons, making seasonal variation a distinctive feature of the route. By contrast, the Renaissance gardens focus on reconstruction and their layout in six areas. When choosing the focus of your outing, you can therefore weigh up the historic garden, rose beds and pergolas, or the forest landscape shaped by the seasons.

Plan Your Visit

A shuttle service runs to the Château de Chamerolles on weekends and public holidays from May to September. Two different time conditions therefore apply when planning: free admission to the Jardin André Eve depends on the shop’s opening hours, while the shuttle operates according to the season, weekends and public holidays. If you plan to visit both, check the current shop opening hours and shuttle operating days separately.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Chaingy, Barville-En-Gâtinais, Saint-Jean-De-Braye, Orléans, Vennecy, Saint-Pryvé-Saint-Mesmin, Baule, Saint-Benoît-Sur-Loire.

For the broader travel overview: Loiret.