Visiting the Château de Nogent-le-Roi
In the town of Nogent-le-Roi, within the Eure-et-Loir department, you will find a 19th-century château set within a lush park that now serves as a community hub for sports and recreation.
History
In the mid-15th century, Charles VII granted the lordship to Pierre de Brézé, who chose to build a château on the site of an 11th-century fortress.
The structure was completely destroyed during the French Revolution. In 1796, an architect from Chartres named Laurent Morin purchased the ruins from the local government. He subsequently sold the property to Armand Pierre Claude Emmanuel Testu and Jacques Michel Vallou. The state of the property at the time of the sale was dire, with only the ground floor and the cellars remaining.
A bourgeois house was built on the site and stood from 1822 to 1860. Later, Eugène Mesquite commissioned Alfred Chapelain to construct the current château that stands there today.
The remaining vestiges of the original medieval fortress and a Second Empire wind turbine have been listed as monuments historiques since 1993.
The park of the Château de Nogent-le-Roi
While the interior of the château is not open to the public, it is surrounded by a sprawling, green park that offers plenty of activities.
The wooded grounds maintain a natural, untamed feel, which is why a herd of fallow deer roams freely through the trees. Keep an eye out for donkeys, peacocks, and various farm animals as you explore.
This pastoral setting also houses a golf driving range, tennis courts, a BMX track, playgrounds for children, picnic areas, and a ropes course. All of these facilities have been integrated without compromising the wild character of the landscape.
It is a local go-to spot for families looking to enjoy a day in this green oasis.
The Château is pretty nice from the outside, set in a beautiful green area with a great view of the region. I am not sure if the interior is open to visitors, but it was not the case on August 15.
On the other hand, what makes it worth the trip, especially if you are with kids, is the large park all around it. There are lawns, farm animals (chickens, a rooster, goats, rabbits), horses, ponies, donkeys, mules, fallow deer, a free playground, a ropes course (paid), paintball (paid), and tennis (also paid, I think).