The best known in Chinon: Forteresse royale de Chinon
16 of the 28 places to visit in and around Chinon are châteaux or heritage sites. The commune itself has 18 places on our list; 10 others are within 5 km of its centre. France lists 7 of the town’s sites as historic monuments. On foot, 10 are within 1 km of the centre. Day-trippers head 15 km out to Château de Montsoreau.
Chinon’s big names
Beyond Forteresse royale de Chinon, there are 2 attractions, a house and a monastery.
AttractionForteresse royale de Chinonin townAttractionAttractionAbbaye Saint-Mexme de Chinonin townHistoric houseHistoric housePalais du Bailliagein townMonastery or conventMonastery or conventCouvent des Calvairiennes de Chinonin townChâteauChâteauManoir de la Fuyein townAttractionAttractionChâteau de la Vauguyonin townBest known first: by how many Wikipedia and sister-site articles cover each place (Wikidata’s count). It isn’t a ranking of how good they are.
Finding your way
The map ends at Château de La Roche-Clermault, 5 km out.
The first 20 on the list, numbered as below. The shape is the commune of Chinon; the orange dot is its centre. © OpenStreetMap contributors · commune boundary: IGN
What sort of places
Most are châteaux or heritage sites, 16 in all, ahead of other sights (7).
Dark: in Chinon. Light: in the communes within 5 km of its centre.
All of it
The 18 inside Chinon come first, then 10 more within 5 km of its centre.
Abbaye Saint-Mexme de Chinon
Abbey located in Indre-et-Loire, in France.
Couvent des Calvairiennes de Chinon
Convent located in Indre-et-Loire, in France.
Couvent des Augustins de Chinon
Convent located in Indre-et-Loire, in France.
Église Notre-Dame de Rivière
Church located in Indre-et-Loire, in France.
Prieuré des Roches-Saint-Paul
Priory located in Indre-et-Loire, in France.
The 18 places in Chinon first, then those within 5 km of its centre.
A drive away
Of the 12 day trips, Château de Montsoreau (15 km) is the best known.
AttractionChâteau d'Azay-le-Rideau19 km northeast, in Azay-le-RideauAttractionAttractionChâteau du Rivau9.5 km southeast, in LémeréAttractionAttractionCentrale nucléaire de Chinon8.6 km northwest, in Avoine
AttractionChâteau de Langeais21 km northeast, in LangeaisAttractionAttractionChâteau de Villandry28 km northeast, in Villandry
AttractionChâteau de Saumur26 km west, in SaumurChâteauChâteauChâteau des Réaux11 km northwest, in Chouzé-sur-LoireAttractionAttractionChâteau de la Mothe-Chandeniers18 km southwest, in Les Trois-Moutiers
MuseumMusée des Blindés de Saumur25 km west, in SaumurPlaces within 40 km of Chinon with an article in both French and English Wikipedia, nearest first.
Common questions about Chinon
What is there to see in Chinon?
The first on our list in Chinon are Forteresse royale de Chinon, Abbaye Saint-Mexme de Chinon, Palais du Bailliage and Couvent des Calvairiennes de Chinon. We list 18 places in town. Another 10 are within 5 km of the centre.
Are there museums in or near Chinon?
4 museums and galleries in town or within 5 km, including Musée du vieux Chinon, Musée d'Art et d'Histoire, CHIMOMU and Musée animé du Vin et de la Tonnellerie.
Which places in Chinon are listed historic monuments?
7 places on this page in Chinon are listed or registered historic monuments (Mérimée), including Forteresse royale de Chinon, Abbaye Saint-Mexme de Chinon, Palais du Bailliage and Couvent des Calvairiennes de Chinon.
What well-known places are within a day out of Chinon?
The nearest with articles in both French and English Wikipedia: Château de Montsoreau (15 km), Château d'Ussé (9.4 km), Abbaye de Fontevraud (15 km), Château d'Azay-le-Rideau (19 km).
How is this list made?
From OpenStreetMap and Wikidata: named museums, galleries, châteaux, abbeys, gardens, zoos, theme parks and other visitor attractions whose mapped point lies inside the commune of Chinon, then those in the communes within 5 km of its centre, and well-known places within 40 km. Houses, ruins and gardens need a sign they’re open to visitors; places marked private, closed or disused are left out. The historic-monument link is the Culture ministry’s Mérimée record. A place that isn’t mapped isn’t listed, so this isn’t everything there is to see.
Sources: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), Wikidata (CC0: descriptions, websites, Wikipedia articles), the Culture ministry’s Mérimée database (Licence Ouverte 2.0), IGN commune boundaries. Distances are from the commune’s centre point.
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, each under its own licence (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (6)
- Forteresse royale de Chinon: Franck Badaire, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Château de Coulaine: Grefeuille, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Château d'Azay-le-Rideau: Manfred Heyde, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Château de Langeais: Carsten Steger, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Château de Saumur: Morrisjm, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- Musée des Blindés de Saumur: User:Fat yankey, CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
Contains public sector information under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab): INSEE, DGFiP, the Interior Ministry’s statistics service (SSMSI), the Ministry of Education (DEPP), the Health Ministry’s statistics service (DREES) and the Housing Ministry (Carte des loyers). Commune boundaries: IGN Admin Express.