The fairytale garden at Villandry

Text and photos: Thu Giang

Since childhood, I've dreamed of one day strolling through fairytale castles, captivated by the movies and stories my mother told me. Having heard of the Loire Valley, France, with its castles, through a friend studying in Poitier, a land of centuries-old castles, famous wine cellars, and romantic gardens, my dream came to life on my journey to that land of my dreams.

From Paris, it's just over an hour by train to Tours, the main city of the Loire Valley. My college friend met me at the train station, and from there, it was only a 5-minute walk to the hotel. Having planned it beforehand, we were eager to visit the famous Chateau de Villandry – built in the Renaissance style and recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

According to historical records, from the 14th to the 16th centuries, the castle belonged to Jean Le Breton, a French general under King Francis I. It was also the place where King Philippe II of France met and negotiated with King Richard I of England. In the 19th century, Napoleon the Great purchased it as a gift to his brother, Joseph Bonaparte. At that time, the castle was still quite simple, and the gardens were not as unique as they are now. It wasn't until Joachim Carvallo, a Spanish doctor, bought and renovated it that Villandry truly became a masterpiece of garden architecture.

The most attractive and famous feature of the castle is its unique garden. It's designed around two main themes: the garden of love and the garden of music. Each garden scene is constructed within a square block, with pieces joined together to mimic stained glass art. The garden is also designed according to four aspects of love: gentle love, passionate love, fickle love, and tragic love. Gentle love is represented by hearts and masks, passionate love by bleeding hearts, fickle love by horn-shaped blocks, and tragic love by knives. Inside each garden are countless types of flowers and colors, expressing the nuances of love from yellow, orange, pink, red to deep purple. All the nuances of emotion seem to be reflected in each artwork, each perspective.

Within each garden are countless varieties of flowers and colors, expressing the emotional nuances of love, from yellow, orange, pink, and red to deep purple. All shades of emotion seem to be reflected in each artwork, each perspective.

We continued our tour of the vegetable garden, the castle's main source of produce, through a vineyard corridor with its charming vines and clusters of ripe grapes. I couldn't have imagined it before, and seeing it in person, I couldn't believe that all the unique creations were made from vegetables. The large, round, deep purple cabbages were arranged in such an order that from afar I mistook them for some kind of flower! Only upon closer inspection did I realize they were cabbages. Then there were the herbs and tomatoes, neatly arranged, all reflecting the meticulous care, care, and patience of the gardeners here, or above all, of the owners who have lived at Villandry. It also reflects their character, full of love for art and nature. That is why Villandry attracts so many visitors.

And just coming here to admire this garden alone gives one a feeling of peace, a love for life, and an appreciation for art through each flower bed and each artwork in this unique garden. During the Christmas season, when the weather is cold, many visitors come here to rekindle their romantic feelings while immersing themselves in the romantic atmosphere of flowers at Villandry.

Additional information:

+Go there

From Vietnam, there are direct flights to Paris with Vietnam Airlines. Round-trip tickets cost approximately USD 1,200. You can also fly with Qatar Airways, with a layover in Doha, for USD 900. From Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, there are bus and metro (TGV) lines to various stations. From Paris Monpanase station, you can take the TGV train to Tours, which takes about an hour. Alternatively, you can rent a car at the airport from reputable companies such as Sixt, Hertz, or Car Europe. You only need your passport and Visa card to pay the deposit.

+ Attractive tourist attractions in the Loire Valley:

There are over 50 castles to visit here. You should only choose the castles you like or the famous ones that tourists frequently visit if you don't have much time: Azray de Rideau, Chambord, Chenonceau, Royal Bloist… It's a good idea to learn a little about the history, construction dates, and owners of the castles to avoid making your visit boring. Spending some time exploring the forests and villages surrounding the castles is also quite interesting.

+ Local specialties:

You should try some of the wines made in the Loire Valley.

The Thanh