Two-day weekend among the châteaux of the Pays de la Bretagne romantique

Châteaux of Romantic Brittany: our two-day weekend itinerary

A two-day weekend exploring five châteaux in the Pays de la Bretagne romantique, between Antrain, Bazouges-la-Pérouse, Pleugueneuc, Les Iffs and Bécherel: Bonnefontaine, la Ballue, la Bourbansais, Montmuran and Caradeuc.

Editorial journal · Carte des Châteaux · 12 September 2026

Rather than chasing the most famous châteaux across the four corners of Brittany, this two-day itinerary stays within a single area: northern Ille-et-Vilaine, between the Pays de la Bretagne romantique and the surroundings of Bécherel, a small book town. Five châteaux follow one another over barely fifty kilometres, without major detours: Bonnefontaine and la Ballue to the north, la Bourbansais in the centre, then Montmuran and Caradeuc further south. There is time to enjoy each stop fully, without spending the weekend in the car. The first day focuses on the area around Antrain and Pleugueneuc, while the second gently heads south, towards Les Iffs and Bécherel.

Day 1: in the heart of the Pays de la Bretagne romantique

For this weekend, we deliberately narrowed the focus rather than criss-crossing Brittany from one end to the other. The chosen area, around Antrain, Bazouges-la-Pérouse and Pleugueneuc, lies within the Pays de la Bretagne romantique. The first three stops follow one another without major detours, making it possible to spend the morning at two châteaux close to each other, then the afternoon at a larger site, well suited to a longer visit.

Château de Bonnefontaine, in Antrain

In Antrain, the château de Bonnefontaine combines an elegant main building, pierced with tall windows and carved dormers, with sturdier towers topped with pepperpot roofs. Its façades, roofs and well have been protected as historic monuments since 1943. A first stop that sets the tone for the weekend: fine residences still rich in history, far from the crowds of the major sites.

ILLE-ET-VILAINE · Antrain

Château de Bonnefontaine

Le château de Bonnefontaine, à Antrain, à la frontière normano-bretonne, fut édifié à la fin du XVe siècle ; son histoire documentaire remonte au XIe siècle avec une donation à l'abbaye de Saint-Florent. En 1547, Pierre de La Marzelière reçut du roi Henri II l'autorisation de transformer Bonnefontaine en place forte, dotant la tour sud de mâchicoulis et de canonnières. Au XIXe siècle, le vicomte de Guiton mena d'importants travaux recréant l'aspect médiéval actuel. L'élégance des tourelles du grand corps de logis, des hautes fenêtres et des lucarnes sculptées corrige la sévérité des tours trapues à mâchicoulis coiffées de toits en poivrière. Les familles Porcon, La Marzelière puis Coëtquen (seigneurs de Combourg) s'y sont succédé, avant que la famille de Guiton n'acquiert le domaine en 1858, transmis ensuite par mariage à la famille de Rohan Chabot. Façades, toitures et puits sont inscrits au titre des monuments historiques depuis le 16 septembre 1943.

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Château de la Ballue, in Bazouges-la-Pérouse

Just a few kilometres from Bonnefontaine, the château de la Ballue stands in the commune of Bazouges-la-Pérouse, in the heart of the Pays de la Bretagne romantique. Its proximity to the first stop makes it a natural addition for extending the morning without a long drive.

ILLE-ET-VILAINE · Bazouges-la-Pérouse

Château de la Ballue

Le château de la Ballue, à Bazouges-la-Pérouse (Ille-et-Vilaine), fut bâti par Gilles de Ruellan après l'acquisition du terrain en 1620, puis reconstruit en 1705. Édifié sur une butte marquant autrefois la limite entre les pays de Combourg et de Fougères, il abrita une verrerie au XIXe siècle et inspira l'écrivain François-René de Chateaubriand. Ses jardins en terrasses, recomposés par François Hébert-Stevens à partir de 1973 puis par Paul Maymont (jardin en diagonale, 1975), comprennent un labyrinthe de 1 500 ifs, des topiaires et des bosquets. Classés « Jardin remarquable » en 2005 et lauréats du 2e prix européen du jardin, château et jardins sont protégés au titre des monuments historiques depuis 1977. Le site accueille aujourd'hui des chambres d'hôtes et des expositions.

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Château de la Bourbansais, in Pleugueneuc

The château de la Bourbansais, in Pleugueneuc, closes the first day on a more imposing note. Built at the end of the 16th century and enlarged in the 18th, it was embellished over three generations by the Huart family, councillors to the Parlement of Brittany, who laid out a grand French formal garden there. The site is now home to a zoo set within the estate, enough to fill an entire late afternoon with family or as a couple. The château has been listed as a historic monument since 1959.

ILLE-ET-VILAINE · Pleugueneuc

Château de la Bourbansais

Le château de la Bourbansais, à Pleugueneuc, dont la façade sud remonte à 1583, fut fondé par Jean du Breil sur un site d'occupation romaine. Une aile baroque fut ajoutée à l'ouest au XVIIe siècle, inspirée de l'hôtel de Sully à Paris ; en 1745, le menuisier Mancel réalisa les boiseries intérieures dans le goût Louis XIV et Louis XV. Le domaine a la particularité de n'avoir jamais été vendu : passé par la famille Huart puis les comtes de la Forest d'Armaillé, il échoit par mariage à la famille de Lorgeril en 1806, dont le propriétaire actuel est le vingtième descendant du bâtisseur d'origine. Classé au titre des monuments historiques, le château se visite en partie meublée ; le domaine abrite également le zoo de la Bourbansais, engagé dans des programmes européens de reproduction d'espèces menacées, et un potager du XVIIe siècle recréé, plusieurs fois primé.

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Day 2: from Montmuran to Caradeuc

The second day gently heads to the south of the area, towards Les Iffs and then Bécherel, a small book town well known to lovers of second-hand books. The two stops of the day are close to each other, leaving time for a proper lunch on site before returning to the road at the end of the weekend.

Château de Montmuran, at Les Iffs

The château de Montmuran, in the commune of Les Iffs, is a monument of great historical importance for the region, located halfway between Rennes and Saint-Malo. It has been listed as a historic monument since 2003. Its medieval silhouette makes it a striking stop to begin the second day.

ILLE-ET-VILAINE · Les Iffs

Château de Montmuran

Château de Montmuran lies in a rural hamlet of Les Iffs, north of Rennes, near Tinténiac. A former seigneurial stronghold, it retains two towers dating from the late twelfth century, later remodelled, one of which contains fourteenth-century bathhouses. Access is through a gatehouse rebuilt in the fifteenth century, flanked by these towers and preceded by a drawbridge, to which a chapel, also rebuilt at that time, is attached. The defensive layout having been abandoned in the seventeenth century, a residential building was erected in the eighteenth century, complemented by a pavilion, outbuildings, a kitchen garden wall, an avenue, a green court and a mall of lime trees; part of the buildings was rebuilt in the nineteenth century after a fire. The site is best known for its links with Bertrand du Guesclin, whom local tradition says was dubbed a knight in the chapel in 1354 and who is said to have married Jeanne de Laval-Châtillon there in 1373 or 1374. In 1547, Charlotte de Laval married Gaspard II de Coligny there. Listed as a monument historique in 2003, the château, which is privately owned, offers guided tours and hosts weddings and seminars.

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Château de Caradeuc, in Bécherel

The final stop of the weekend, the château de Caradeuc overlooks a 37-hectare landscaped park, considered the largest in Brittany. Built from 1722 for the de Caradeuc de La Chalotais family, Breton parliamentarians, it later passed into the hands of the comte de Falloux, then the Kernier family, who entrusted Édouard André with creating the park as it is today. French formal parterres near the château, shaded avenues and statues inspired by mythology make up a listed site, labelled Jardin remarquable: a restful conclusion to the weekend.

ILLE-ET-VILAINE · Bécherel

Château de Caradeuc

Le château de Caradeuc, dont la première pierre fut bénie en 1722 et la construction achevée vers 1723, fut édifié en style classique sur un terrain vierge pour Anne-Nicolas de Caradeuc. Son fils Louis-René de Caradeuc de La Chalotais, parlementaire breton, y poursuivit le domaine et y mena des expériences agronomiques. Vendu comme bien national et endommagé à la Révolution, le château fut restauré au XIXe siècle par son petit-fils Raoul, avec rehaussement des toitures par l'architecte Mellet. En 1881, Alfred de Falloux hérita du domaine, qu'il transmit à Paul de Kernier ; le fils de ce dernier, René, confia en 1898 la création d'un nouveau parc au paysagiste Édouard André. Les façades, toitures et communs du château sont inscrits au titre des monuments historiques ; le parc, classé site naturel après la Seconde Guerre mondiale, a reçu le label « Jardin remarquable » et constitue le plus vaste parc de Bretagne (37 hectares).

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Practical tips for organising the weekend

The distances between the five stops remain modest: just a few kilometres between Bonnefontaine and la Ballue on the first morning, and again between Montmuran and Caradeuc on the second day, with some thirty kilometres to cover between the two days to reach the Bécherel area. These distances are estimated as the crow flies from the position of the châteaux, not calculated as a precise driving route, so it is wise to allow a margin, especially on small country roads. Admission prices and opening times are not yet listed in our database for these five châteaux: please consult each site's entry on this page for up-to-date access conditions before setting off. Bécherel, the final stop of the route, is ideal for a break among the second-hand book dealers before getting back on the road.

Conclusion

By narrowing the itinerary to a single area of northern Ille-et-Vilaine rather than multiplying long journeys, this weekend allows you to truly take your time at each stop: the turrets of Bonnefontaine, the discretion of la Ballue, the zoo park of la Bourbansais, the medieval silhouette of Montmuran and the gardens of Caradeuc. A short but dense format, easy to reproduce on a Saturday and a Sunday, between the Pays de la Bretagne romantique and Bécherel.

The route on the map

Our itinerary of the châteaux of Brittany

The five stages of the weekend, numbered in the suggested order of visit, from the château de Bonnefontaine to the château de Caradeuc.

Markers follow the suggested visiting order. Select a castle to open its page.

Day by day

The itinerary

Day 1 — Bonnefontaine, la Ballue and la Bourbansais

The day begins in Antrain at the château de Bonnefontaine, then continues just a few kilometres away to the château de la Ballue, in Bazouges-la-Pérouse. The two sites are very close to each other, ideal for an unhurried morning. In the afternoon, head to the château de la Bourbansais in Pleugueneuc, a little further west, for a longer visit thanks to its park and the adjoining zoo.

Château de Bonnefontaine Château de la Ballue Château de la Bourbansais

Day 2 — Montmuran and Caradeuc

The second day heads south within the area, towards Les Iffs, with the château de Montmuran, then ends nearby, in Bécherel, at the château de Caradeuc and its vast landscaped park. The two stops are close to each other, which leaves time to stroll through the gardens before taking the road home.

Château de Montmuran Château de Caradeuc