The theme "The Garden Goes to the Movies" explained
For 2026, cinema — its light, sets, iconic gardens. The 20 selected teams (out of 200 international applications) worked for 18 months: create a 240 sqm garden evoking a film. Expect a "Tim Burton garden", a "Studio Ghibli garden" forested, a "Tarantino garden" with saturated colors. The theme is demanding but inspiring: Chaumont remains the most beautiful landscape design showcase in France.
The 20 creations not to miss
Five priorities. "My Neighbor Totoro": mystical forest with catalpas, Japanese mosses. "In the Mood for Love": Hong Kong mineral garden. "Dune": desert composition. "Amélie": retro Parisian vegetable garden. "Lost in Translation": cherry-tree garden in a hotel room. The permanent gardens (Blue Garden, Mist Valley, Living Island) are worth seeing. Contemporary art center presents site-specific works.
Dates, hours, prices 2026 (April-November, ~€21)
Open April 17 to November 1, 2026, every day. Hours: 10 AM to 7 PM April-May and September-October, 10 AM to 8 PM June-July-August. Full "Domain + Festival" adult ticket €21. "Festival only" ticket €16. Free under 6. Online booking strongly recommended July-August. Annual pass €65 pays off from two visits per year.
How long to plan?
Quick (3h): Festival only. Half-day (5h): Festival + château + one exhibit + lunch. Our recommended option. Full day (8h): Festival + château + all exhibitions + lunch + walk in the English park. Tip: start with gardens in the morning (soft light, fewer people), then château in the afternoon.
Winning combo: Festival + Château + Art Center
Classic mistake: visiting the Festival without entering the château. Chaumont is a Gothic-Renaissance jewel, former property of Diane de Poitiers, sumptuously decorated apartments, spectacular Loire view. The art center showcases first-rate contemporary artists (Andy Goldsworthy, Patrick Dougherty). The snack break at the "Bee Barn" — honey pastries — is one of the domain's best-kept secrets.
Getting there from Meung-sur-Loire (45 minutes)
Chaumont is 50 km from Meung, 45-minute drive via A10 then D952 along the Loire. The riverside trip is superb: Beaugency, Mer, Blois, Chaumont. Free parking. By train: no station at Chaumont, but Onzain 4 km away from Orléans (change at Blois). Suggestion: leave Meung at 9 AM for 10 AM opening, lunch at Chaumont village, continue in the afternoon, back to La Maison du Château by 6 PM.
A unique rendezvous in Europe: 20 contemporary landscape creations renewed every year. Book in Meung-sur-Loire to range over Chaumont, Chambord, Cheverny and the Loire.