Formal garden at Château de Villandry, Loire Valley, France Apr 29, 2025

Formal 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, 2018National Park Week: Olympic National Park, Washington
Apr 29, 2019New beginnings
Apr 29, 2020Spring comes to the Palouse
Apr 29, 2022Arbor Day
Apr 29, 2023Astronomy Day
Apr 29, 2024Fujian Tulou, China

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Oct 11, 2024Celtic Colours International Festival, Canada
Feb 24, 2024Almond trees in full bloom, California
Aug 8, 2018In celebration of cats
Oct 9, 2025Space Week isnt over yet!
Mar 16, 2023Panda Day
Nov 29, 2025Red deer stag in De Hoge Veluwe National Park, Netherlands
Feb 25, 2025Anniversary of Bryce Canyon National Park
Jan 9, 2022Rice processing in Bangladesh
Nov 17, 2023National Take a Hike Day
Apr 18, 2020National Park Week begins
Mar 4, 2025Happy Fat Tuesday!
Jul 31, 2019Go climb a tree
Feb 15, 2021Presidents hear the echo of history
May 8, 2020Victory in Europe, 75 years ago
Sep 24, 2025Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming
Jan 18, 2020Sands of time
Dec 18, 2018A hit ballet, long after its debut
Oct 19, 2020A cliff-hanging complex of temples
Oct 20, 2025International Sloth Day
Sep 22, 2023World Rhinoceros Day
Oct 18, 2020Sitka shines on Alaska Day
Jul 25, 2021Illuminated Uluru
Jan 15, 2019A personal collection becomes an institution
Mar 7, 2021Finding a balance between wetlands and water treatment
Apr 30, 2019It s International Jazz Day
Sep 27, 2022Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park
Feb 28, 2019Over and under the delta
Oct 2, 2024Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
Apr 12, 2018Sydney Harbour Bridge in Sydney, Australia
Nov 7, 2019Paris is photo-ready this week