Fees and Opening days :
From April 1 to April 15 : from 10 to 12:30 and from 2pm to 6pm. From April 16 to October 15 : from 10 to 7pm. From October 16 to November 13 : from 10 to 12:30 and from 2pm to 6pm.
Last admission : 45mn before.
Prebooked groups are welcome all year round.
Individual : Adults 10 Euros. Children (from 5 to 18 years old) : 7 Euros. Students : 8 Euros. Family pass (2 adults and 2 children) : 30 Euros.
Groups : 6,50 Euros (20 people min.). School parties : 5 Euros.
Pick Nick with regional specialties : 16 Euros.
Boutique, Regional products and drinks. In July and August regional food is available in the Gardens

Description :

The 12 gardens of Le Rivau recreated by Patricia Laigneau from the chateau's archives conjure up medieval engravings and fairy tales. The French Ministry of Culture classes Le Rivau as a "Jardin Remarquable" and 400 species of scented roses have made Le Rivau "the French conservatory of fragrant roses". In the gargantuan potager in the basse-cour, huge pumpkins, courgettes and cabbages are colorfully interspersed with red and white dahlias, as towering artichokes serve as "candelabra" for this feast laid out for the giants. A collection of ancient vines from the Loire region are trained around the potager and climbing roses cover the ancient walls of the compound.
This introduction whets the appetite to continue on the shady and thickly-planted paths through the garden of Tom Thumb, the Enchanted Wood, the Maze, and the Running Forest. Throughout these gardens you will discover topiary creatures, elves and imps, some made out of terracotta pots and old garden implements, some carved from oaks felled by a storm. Woven chestnut fences, trellises and benches, all made by the craftsmen at Le Rivau adorn the gardens and provide places to sit and enjoy the inventiveness of this magical place.
Following a path guided by panels in English and French, the discovery of the gardens is delightful. The addition of contemporary artworks in this setting adds a reflection on the environment, as each year the owners invite an artist to interpret an aspect of man's effect on nature.In the sunny sections of the gardens, hundreds of varieties of scented roses take pride of place. The Cassimina border, the Perfumed Path, the Flowery Meadow, the Orchard of Paradise, the Love Potion Garden and the Secret Garden are resplendent with roses on castle and moat walls, arbors, and trees and intermingled with thousands of perennials, bulbs and ornamental grasses. Not to be missed !