CHATEAU ET JARDIN DE BOURNAZEL

Private Renaissance château listed as a Historic Monument. One of southern France's most significant buildings with its innovative architecture and remarkable carved decor. Its gardens are classified 'Jardin Remarquables'.

Situated in the west of the Aveyron département, between Rodez and Villefranche de Rouergue, Château de Bournazel is one of the most remarkable Renaissance châteaux in Occitanie, thanks to its innovative architecture and the quality of its sculpted decoration. After 15 years of exemplary restoration work, crowned by the award of the Grand Trophée Dassault Histoire et Patrimoine, it is now considered to be the finest Renaissance château-museum in the south of France, housing a rich collection of paintings, furniture and objets d'art from the 16th and 17th centuries.

The restoration of the gardens at Bournazel, fruit of extensive archival work and an archaeological dig, offers a rare example of a Renaissance garden in France. The walled garden includes nine parterres themed on the education of a wealthy prince and the enigma of life, fountains, vases, polyandrion, chamber gardens with bower partitions, orchard, ‘Hortus Conclusus’, labyrinth, arbours and terraces, water feature, whose symbolic, literary and intellectual organisation is reminiscent of the ambitions of the Renaissance. Classified as a Remarkable Garden in 2019.

Visite Renaissance : the ‘Visite Renaissance’ is the ideal opportunity to discover the interior and the collection. Led by a guide, this one-hour tour immerses visitors in the atmosphere of a bygone golden age. After the tour, visitors can take a leisurely stroll through the Renaissance garden.

Visite Médiévale & Renaissance : in addition to the ‘Visite Renaissance’, this tour gives access to the medieval tower and its museum exploring the restoration of the chateau.

Visite des extérieurs : visitors can explore the exteriors and the garden only thanks to a site map and panels with QR codes.

Guided tours of the interior only.

Average time spent on site: 2h - 2.5h

Private guided tours outside opening hours are available all year round for groups of 20 or more.