Garden at Château de Villandry, Loire Valley, France Apr 29, 2025

Garden at Château de Villandry, Loire Valley, France

The grass truly is greener on the other side—especially when that side is Château de Villandry. While the Loire Valley in France is packed with stunning châteaux (French for castles), Villandry stands apart, not for its towering turrets or medieval might, but for its gardens. Built in the 16th century by Jean le Breton, a minister to King Francis I, Villandry was always meant to impress. Unlike fortified castles built for war, it was designed for comfort, featuring large windows and an open, welcoming layout. Its gardens are arranged across terraces with distinct themes. The ornamental garden showcases geometric patterns like the one pictured here. The water garden offers a serene retreat and the vegetable garden turns everyday crops into artistic displays.

© Mint Images/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Apr 29, 2024Fujian Tulou, China

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Dec 6, 2025Everglades National Park, Florida
Oct 26, 2025Pumpkin farm, North Carolina
Jul 25, 2024Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, USA
May 28, 2024The Monastery of Roussanou
Apr 6, 2024Himeji Castle, Himeji, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan
Mar 3, 2026African elephant calf, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
Feb 25, 2025Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, United States
Jan 22, 2026Karlovy Vary, Bohemia, Czechia
Jul 31, 2025Kalalau Beach on the Nā Pali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii, United States
Jan 7, 2025Moeraki Boulders, South Island, New Zealand
Sep 14, 2024Rapa Nui National Park, Easter Island, Chile
Sep 25, 2024Giant sequoias, Sequoia National Park, California, USA
Jul 17, 2025Lavender fields in Plateau de Valensole, France
Jul 2, 2024Italica, an old Roman city in Santiponce, Andalusia, Spain
Aug 12, 2025African elephants
Oct 11, 2023The Painted Hills, Oregon, USA
Dec 11, 2023Huangshan Mountains, China
Sep 28, 2023Container ship near a commercial port in Thailand
Aug 25, 2023Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA
Oct 29, 2024Great horned owl
Oct 4, 2024World Space Week
Feb 16, 2024Pyrrhuloxia bird
Nov 6, 2024Shi Shi Beach in Olympic National Park, Washington, USA
Oct 23, 2025Snow leopards, India
Jul 11, 2024Gangi, Sicily, Italy
Apr 6, 2025The Shard, London, England
Sep 10, 2023Walruses in Svalbard, Norway
Oct 6, 2025Anshun Bridge, Chengdu, China
Jun 20, 2024Kokino, North Macedonia
Sep 13, 2025Point Reyes National Seashore