The elegant gardens of Valmer Castle A Renaissance jewel in Touraine

At the heart of the Loire Valley, the Renaissance gardens of Château de Valmer unveil their sublime architecture over eight levels of Italian-style terraces. In this theatre of greenery where fountains, balustrades and statues compete in elegance, enter this place where the Vouvray vines rub shoulders with an exceptional vegetable garden and a rare 16th-century troglodytic chapel.

The story of a new story

We often read that after years of professional activity, retirement is experienced as the opening of a new chapter in life. After a career in Paris with a banking institution, Aymar de Saint-Venant has even opted for a whole new tome, taking over the destiny of Valmer,an estate that came into the family fold in 1888.

Valmer, an exceptional landscape setting

When you arrive in thisBrenne valley, it’s hard not to be struck by the charm of the place, whether you arrive by bike (allow around 1h10 to cover 20km, from Tours town centre,on the Saint-Jacques à Vélo itinerary) or by car. The cleverly exploited gradients create a unique plant theatre, labelled a “Remarkable Garden” since 2004.

St Jacques à Vélo

The Hanging Gardens: Pearl of the Renaissance

Amaze the architectural prowess of these Italianate terraces set over eight levels. A succession of elegant balustrades frames the flowerbeds where Florentine fountains and finely chiselled statues spring forth. On the high terrace, a carved column topped by a monumental vase marks the culminating point of the garden’s main axes.

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The conservatory garden Living treasures

As the seasons go by, Alix de Saint-Venant cultivates this unique collection with passion. Respectful cultivation practices preserve biodiversity: home-made compost, mulch and green manures nourish a generous soil where bees and butterflies forage.

On the lowest terrace, a checkerboard of colours and flavours stretches over a hectare. The conservatory vegetable gardenpreserves more than 900 species of rare or forgotten fruit, vegetables and edible flowers. In this open-air laboratory, visitors discover surprising varieties: the squash pergola offers a stunning spectacle while the boxwood squares, faithful to the 15th-century design, are home to gustatory treasures.

The idea is to show that you can eat good things all year round, such as root vegetables that once picked can be stored in cellars. What’s more, even flowers can be eaten, starting with the orange lily “hémérocalle”. In short, it’s a delight to stroll around, with your eyes flattered by both the wide range of colours in the flowers and the pretty vistas, which sometimes feature a statue or fountain in the middle.

Vouvray wines Castle Nectar

The Valmer vineyards are planted on 29 hectares of clay-limestone slopes, 6 hectares of which are nestled within the estate’s historic walls. The tufa stone cellars, veritable underground cathedrals, patiently welcomethe metamorphosis of the chenin. Under the leadership of Jean de Saint Venant, the fifth generation of passionate winegrowers, cuvées with multiple faces are born: traditional method with fine bubbles, chiselled dry whites, voluptuous demi-sec and unctuous mellow wines.