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

An ocean of stars above the desert
The sprout with amazing potential
29 Apr 2024Fujian Tulou, China

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Blood moon
10 Oct 2023Mount Sopris, Colorado, USA
7 Feb 2024St James Tidal Pool, Cape Town, South Africa
11 Jan 2024Eurasian lynx
29 Oct 2023Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah, Georgia, USA
10 Dec 2024Lands End, Cornwall, England
1 Dec 2025Antarctica Day
12 Feb 2026Darwin Day
Look up, incoming…
Passing with flying colours
Rising with the sun
Lighting up the Badlands
13 Sep 2024Point Reyes National Seashore, California, USA
1 May 2025Lei Day
America’s backyard
15 Sep 2023Glenariff Forest Park, County Antrim, Ireland
7 Oct 2024World Architecture Day
14 Jul 2025Shark Awareness Day
22 Oct 2024Palazzo Zuccari, Rome
Beauty comes in trees
1 Sep 2025Rock layers in Zumaia, Basque Country, Spain
Celebrating our looming lunar neighbour
9 Feb 2024Pegadung Rock, Lampung, Sumatra, Indonesia
29 Nov 2025Red deer stag in De Hoge Veluwe National Park, Netherlands
14 Mar 2025Celebrating Pi Day
23 Dec 2025Reindeer, Lapland, Finland
Dream world
28 Apr 2024El Capitan, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas, USA
18 Mar 2024Elephant Rock, Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia
11 Sep 2024Rapa Nui National Park, Easter Island, Chile