When I was planning which chateaux in the Loire Valley to visit while we were living in Orleans, Chateau de Meung sur Loire was not on my list.
In fact, I didn’t even know this castle existed!
We ended up visiting because it was an easy train ride from Orleans and we had a Sunday afternoon free. Since Chateau de Meung isn’t a big name in the Loire Valley, our expectations were low.
But this castle ended up completely blowing us away!
We had an amazing time exploring the grounds and interiors of Chateau Meung sur Loire. Every dragon I came across (yes, there are multiple dragons at the castle) and every room I entered impressed me more and more.
The Castle of Meung can more than hold its own amongst the big players of the Loire Valley, like Castle Chambord and Castle Chenonceau. This place deserves to be on more people’s radar!
Below, I’m going to give you 13 reasons to visit Chateau Meung sur Loire, from the cool parts of the castle you get to access and the animals you’ll meet on the grounds to how affordable it is to visit and how kid- and baby-friendly the chateau is.
By the end of this post, I’m confident you’re going to want to add Chateau de Meung sur Loire to your Loire Valley bucket list!
A quick introduction to Chateau Meung sur Loire
Chateau de Meung sur Loire is one of the oldest and most ancient chateaux of the Loiret. It was originally used as a residence by the bishops of Orleans and saw many royal visitors, like King François I and King Louis XI.
The castle was used a strategic location during the Hundred Years War between the French and English, and was liberated by Joan of Arc in 1429.
It was even used as a prison – and you get to visit the prison cells in the castle’s basement during your visit!
The history of the castle is told through its architecture, such as its 12th Century towers, 16th Century spiral staircase, and chapel from the 18th Century.
All right, now that you know a little about the place, here are 13 reasons why you’ll want to visit:
1. DRAGONS!
The number one reason to visit Chateau Meung sur Loire is because this castle is home to dragons!
Why dragons? Because of the legend of Saint Liphard.
Saint Liphard was born in Orleans (where we lived for six weeks!) and worked as a deacon in Meung sur Loire. He eventually took to a life of solitude (aka became a hermit) so he could devote himself to piety and prayers.
But a dragon was terrorizing the town of Meung sur Loire at the time. Luckily for the scared citizens, Saint Liphard defeated the dragon (there are a few different versions of how he did this) so the town could be at peace and he could continue his prayers.
And that’s why you’ll see dragons at Meung sur Loire Castle today!
When I first read that the castle had dragons, I was expecting one or two silly looking statues. But it was so much cooler than that!
Dragons’ Land is a short path on the castle grounds with probably a dozen different animatronic dragons. Each dragon represents a style of mythical beast from around the world, so they all pay homage to different countries and folklore.
I was so impressed by the dragons. The craftsmanship was at a very high level. And I loved that they modelled them in different styles, rather than having all of the dragons look the same.
Baby C meeting her first dragon 
My mom and Baby C with their Chinese zodiac animal
Because they are animatronic, the dragons also move and make noise. I think they’re on sensors, as they seemed to only start moving when somebody walked by (which was a little freaky at first!).
We walked the path through Dragons’ Land with my mom and Baby C, who are both born in the year of the dragon in the Chinese zodiac. So it was an extra special walk for them!
Besides the beasts in Dragons’ Land, there are two friendly dragons at the entrance to the chateau and perhaps one more dragon lurking underground…
2. Chateau de Meung sur Loire is the perfect size
Check out the three different facades that are all part of the same castle!
We visited a lot of castles in the Loire Valley and got to see how they varied. Some castles, like Chateau de Chambord, were ginormous. We barely had enough time to run through all of the rooms and got lost more than once.
Other castles, like Chateau de Beaugency, didn’t have any grounds to explore. And since the castle itself was a modern art gallery, you really didn’t need more than an hour to see it all.
Kitchens inside the castle
Chateau Meung sur Loire was the perfect size. There was lots to see inside the castle and interesting places to visit on the grounds, so you definitely felt like you were getting your money’s worth.
But it wasn’t overwhelming. Unlike Chateau de Cheverny where you can take a boat and car ride around the grounds, you can easily manage Castle Meung on foot.
You don’t have to devote an entire day to visiting Meung sur Loire but you also won’t breeze through it in an hour. It’s the perfect half day castle trip!
3. The interiors of Meung sur Loire Castle are beautifully decorated
I wasn’t expecting much from the interiors of the Castle of Meung since the chateau hadn’t come up in my pre-trip research. But I was so impressed by what we found!
There was a ton to see inside. Each room was beautifully decorated with a lot of attention to detail – some rooms even had audio tracks playing to really put you back in time!
On the main floor we walked through the Lady’s Room and Liquor Cabinet, staged with lots of furniture and artifacts. We saw a kitchen on this level and another, larger kitchen downstairs.
Also on the lower level was a dining room, sitting room and two unique spots: a little bedroom under a staircase (like in Harry Potter!) and the Bishop’s Bathroom, which is not a room you get to see in many castles!
Bishop’s Bathroom
Upstairs were all of the bedrooms with furniture and outfits on display. The only thing I didn’t like was that you couldn’t enter into most of these rooms; you were only able to view them from the doorway.
But overall, I was really blown away by the number of rooms we got to see and how well they were all presented.
In fact, the only castle interiors I liked better were at Chateau de Chenonceau, and that’s probably because each room at that castle had ornate flower arrangements. Otherwise, Meung might have won out!
4. You can explore the castle’s attic
One of the most unique features of Chateau de Meung sur Loire is that visitors have access to the castle’s attic. I don’t think we saw this at any other chateau we visited!
It was super cool to walk up the creaky stairs and duck under the wooden rafters to visit this lesser-seen part of a castle.
The attic had been staged to show off some historic trunks and carriages. There was also a whole room dedicated to laundry!
5. And you can explore the basement!
From the attic to the basement, Meung sur Loire Castle really does let you see it all!
Again, this was super unique, as not many castles have a basement that is accessible to visitors.
From the lower level where the kitchens are, you descend into the underground of the castle. I was surprised how far down the stairs went.
And right away, things felt spooky. The fact that the underground tunnels are colder than upstairs (12C/54F all year round) didn’t help matters. I actually made my mom go first because I was scared something might jump out at us!
Down in the basement you’ll see little cave cut-outs, plus the dungeons and torture chambers that were used when the castle was a prison.
And right at the back is the Dragon’s Lair. A giant red, animatronic dragon sits waiting to snarl, move and scare the crap out of kids (and me!).
6. There are cool videos explaining the history of the castle
I’m a sucker for any sort of interactive or multi-media experience when visiting historic places, so Meung sur Loire definitely won me over with their videos.
To be clear, these videos are not super high-tech. Colin, my husband, said they reminded him of the graphics on old school video games. But I thought they were cool!
In the very first room of the castle, you’re invited to press a button. Once you do, a video is projected on the wall above the knights in armour.
The video goes through notable people who visited the castle – including Joan of Arc – and is filled with all sorts of fun 90’s Powerpoint effects like images flying in and bursts of flames at the bottom of the screen.
Cheesy? Absolutely. But I loved every minute.
The second video happens upstairs after you tour the bedrooms and attic. An entire room is dedicated to this presentation as the video is projected on three walls, making it feel like it’s taking place all around you.
This second video goes through the history of the castle, showing you how its architecture and purpose changed over time. Dates and titles appear (in French and English) so you can track what’s happening.
Once again, despite the old-timey graphics, I was fully engrossed in the video and thought it was such a cool way to tell the castle’s story.
7. The grounds are beautiful
Besides all of the fun stuff inside the castle, the larger Chateau Parc de Meung is also an incredible place to wander around and explore.
I really got to know the place as I was tasked with doing laps while Baby C dozed in her stroller. So I spent a good hour plus walking the grounds!
Between the castle and Dragons’ Land is an outdoor event area with a gazebo and a historic ice house where ice used to be kept.
You can then follow a trail behind Dragons’ Land, which feels like walking along a secluded path in the forest (just with the faint roar of dragons in the distance).
This leads out to the main forest where you’ll find more paths, gardens and greenery. There’s also a fountain in the centre. Honestly, it was a very nice place to walk a baby in her stroller!
The rose garden
Around the front of the castle, there’s a small rose garden. It wasn’t in bloom when we visited in October but was still very pretty.
And I didn’t see them myself, but there are beehives on the property too. You can buy honey made from those beehives at the castle gift shop!
8. You can also visit a church that dates back to the 6th Century
Right next door to Chateau de Meung sur Loire is Saint-Liphard Collegiate Church – a church dedicated to our dragon-slaying friend!
This church began as a Benedictine abbey in the 6th Century that was built over Saint Liphard’s tomb. The fortified residence was built in the 12th Century and restored in the 16th.
We walked through the church before the castle opened; it’s on the castle grounds but you can enter the church separately and visit even if the castle isn’t open.
Like most churches in Europe, this one was beautiful, with lots of historic pieces, colourful stained glass and ornate arches to look at. We also saw some depictions of Saint Liphard, for whom the church is named.
Many Loire Valley chateaux have small chapels on their ground. But not many castles have churches as old and large as this one!
9. There are animals at the chateau (besides dragons)
At Chateau Meung sur Loire, the wildlife doesn’t stop at dragons! You’ll be able to meet lots of other creatures on the grounds.
While walking through the forest paths, I noticed a family out on the big green field, crowded around a fence. I saw that they were trying to pet (and maybe feed?) one of the resident donkeys.
I thought it’d be fun to get a closer look, so started to walk towards the fence. As soon as the donkey saw me, he made a bee-line towards me. He must’ve assumed I too would want to pet and feed him.
Don’t eat her blanket, donkey!
While I was happy to view him up close, I had no intention of touching or feeding him. The donkey, however, was very interested in Baby C’s blanket!
Besides donkeys, there’s also a Mini Farm at the front of the castle where you can see goats, sheep and chickens.
When we visited, a group of kids were having a ball reaching through the fence to feed the goats, who needed no encouragement to stick their heads out and say hello.
10. Chateau de Meung sur Loire is very kid-friendly
If the dragons weren’t enough to entice your kids to visit Meung sur Loire Castle, I think the Knight’s Path might do the trick.
The Knight’s Path is an outdoor obstacle/ropes course for kids with giant trampolines, rope bridges, zip-lines and more. It looked like so much fun!
Every kid we saw at Meung sur Loire took off running towards this area and could next be heard yelling gleefully from the trampolines in the trees. We’ll have to bring Baby C back when she’s older!
There’s also a mystery phone game kids can play throughout the castle, a guidebook just for 5-12 year olds, and special events throughout the year with kid-friendly activities, like sword fight demonstrations and ancient games.
Is Chateau de Meung sur Loire baby-friendly?
Stroller parking inside the castle
Sure, it’s great for kids, but how is this Loire Valley castle for a baby?
Like many other castles we visited, you’re not able to bring your stroller into the castle building. There’s a designated, unsupervised stroller parking area in the first room you enter. The castle will also lend you a baby sling if you need one!
A potty, step stool and change table
There are also lots of great facilities for babies like changing tables, bottle warmers and even little potty seats if you have a little one who needs the assistance.
I also found the paths around the castle great for pushing a stroller around. Some areas were a bit more challenging – such as when there were too many pebbles or big holes – but overall it was a smooth and peaceful ride.
11. It’s easy to visit from Paris & reach by train
One of the best things about Chateau Meung sur Loire is its accessibility. Unlike some chateaux that take hours to get to and require a car, this castle can be reached quite easily.
The Castle of Meung is only a 10 minute walk from the Meung sur Loire train station. We took the train from our base in Orleans (only a 12 minute train ride away!), which was very convenient.
From Paris, you can get to Meung sur Loire in about two hours on a connecting train ride. This makes it do-able to visit on a DIY day trip by public transport.
Chateau de Meung sur Loire is also located on two major cycle routes, Loire à Vélo (EV6) and the Scandibérique (EV3). The castles provides free bike parking, cycle luggage storage, electrical outlets and bike repair kits.
12. It’s one of the cheaper Loire Valley chateaux to visit
Prices below are current as of Nov 2025
Would you believe you get to experience all of the awesome things I’ve told you about the castle for the low cost of just €12.50 ($14 USD) per adult? Such a great deal for a Loire Valley castle ticket!
Students under 25 pay €11 ($13 USD) to enter and children 4-15 years old pay €9 ($10 USD). Anyone under four or over 80 can enter for free.
Of all of the Loire Valley chateaux we visited, Meung sur Loire had the cheapest entrance fee. We spent longer and enjoyed ourselves more at this chateau than we did at many of the more expensive ones!
13. Chateau Meung sur Loire is in the middle of a very cute town
Colin, Baby C and I strolling through Meung-sur-Loire
In case you’re looking for one more really good reason to visit, here it is: It’s not just the castle that rocks, the rest of Meung sur Loire is awesome too!
If you visit on a Sunday, you’ll get to experience Meung sur Loire’s Sunday market. We happened to arrive just as the market was closing (blame Baby C who overslept) but it looked like a cool collection of handcrafts and food stalls.
Porte d’Amont
As you walk from the train station to the castle, you’ll enter through Porte d’Amont, a 13th Century building that was once the main door to the city.
As soon as we walked through, it felt like we had been transported back in time. I loved all of the cobblestone, cute medieval buildings and flags waving overhead.
We stopped at Café du Commerce for a drink and small snack before the castle opened. There are lots of little restaurants in Meung sur Loire to choose from (just watch their limited opening hours).
The Mauves
Walking through town, you’ll also see the Mauves, ancient waterways that were created by Saint Liphard to transform the marshy swamps of Meung sur Loire into a beautiful village. You can walk along the Mauves and spot 12th Century water mills.
If you have more time, you can leave the town centre and visit:
- Les Jardins de Roquelin, a remarkable rose garden
- Le Parc de la Folie Hubert, a botanical garden and large park
- Le Jardin Arboretum d’Ilex, a large arboretum with plant collections
- Royal Basilica of Notre Dame in Cléry, a beautiful church just a five minute drive from Meung sur Loire
Are there any downsides to Meung sur Loire Castle?
I could go on and on about how much I enjoyed visiting Château Parc de Meung-sur-Loire, but our visit wasn’t 100% perfect.
Because Meung sur Loire Chateau is a smaller castle, it has limited opening hours. For seven months of the year, the castle is either closed or only open from 2-6pm.
We visited on Sunday, October 5, which was the only day the castle was open that week, and only from 2-6pm. So make sure you check opening hours before you plan your trip!
Another downside was that the castle’s snack shop, the Peckish Stop, was closed during our visit. And because it was a Sunday in a French village, so was every other restaurant in town when we left the castle around 5:00pm.
Good to know: Many restaurants in France close between lunch and dinner, usually not opening up again until 7:00pm. Many are also closed on Sundays and/or Mondays.
So we were pretty hangry by the time we boarded our train back to Orleans. It would’ve been nice if the castle snack shop had been open, since the castle itself was open, and there were no other options available in town.
Lastly, I have a small nitpick with the guidebook we were given to use through the castle.
Because most of the information in the castle is written in French, we were given a guide booklet with the English translation. They offer translations in a few different languages, which is awesome.
However, this guidebook was not very user-friendly. It looked like a thick book report with long pages covered in single-space, tiny font. I felt my eyes glaze over as soon as I opened it!
Not only did I not want to do homework while on vacation (I’m happy to learn but can we make it fun?), but a big booklet like that was also not ideal for tight castle corridors.
As I walked along the upstairs bedrooms, I often found myself stuck behind a group of people who were blocking an entrance or the view into a room because they were mid-read in their too-long guidebook.
Each group seems to have been only given one guidebook too. Which means you all have to huddle around the booklet together and can only turn the pages as fast as the slowest reader.
I think an audio guide would’ve been way better. Listening as you walk through the castle frees you up to take in your surroundings, doesn’t slow anyone else down and doesn’t feel like homework!
Wrapping up: Don’t skip Chateau de Meung sur Loire!
My mom, Colin and Baby C making more dragon friends at the castle
Even though the hours are limited and the guidebook could use work, I still had such an incredible time visiting Chateau de Meung sur Loire and highly recommend you add it to your Loire Valley chateaux itinerary.
This castle is seriously underrated! I had not even heard of it before we arrived in Orleans, and just so happened to see a brochure for the castle left behind at our Airbnb.
But it ended up being one of my favourite castles of the trip.
The inside of the chateau is incredible with lots of rooms to visit and tons of details. There are cool video projections and you have the rare opportunity to visit a castle’s attic and basement.
Outside you’ll find a beautiful forest, mini farm, gardens, huge obstacle course for kids, ancient church and, best of all, DRAGONS!
All of that and the castle is affordable to visit, easy to access by train, in the middle of a cute town, and crowd-free, since few tourists know about this place.
I hope I’ve sold you on visiting Chateau de Meung sur Loire. It’s seriously one of the best chateaux in the Loire Valley and one I think visitors of all ages will love.
After spending a half day at Chateau Meung sur Loire, why not visit the nearby medieval town of Beaugency, grab a meal in Orleans, or explore castles, magic and museums in Blois?
Check out the rest of my Loire Valley, France posts to plan your trip:
Please visit:
Our Sponsor