Château de Vaujours

Château-la-Vallière, France, France

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The Château de Vaujours is a picturesque ruined castle dating from the 12th and 15th centuries, nestled in the commune of Château-la-Vallière in France's Indre-et-Loire department.

Originally built around 1250 by Hugues VI d'Alluye or Rotron of Montfort to guard Anjou's eastern borders, it withstood the Hundred Years' War under the formidable Jean V de Bueil, known as the "Scourge of the English," who fortified it further before his death there in 1477.

Later acquired by Louis XIV in 1666 and gifted to his mistress Louise de La Vallière—who became Duchesse de Vaujours—it fell into ruin after the French Revolution, serving briefly as a quarry before gaining monument historique protection in 1944 and full classification in 1989.

Today, its romantic remnants, including a double enceinte with cylindrical towers, moats fed by a lake, a donjon, and chapel ruins, emerge from lush greenery south of the town, open to visitors since 2011.