Langeais is a small Loire Valley town dominated by one of the best-preserved medieval castles in France. The Château de Langeais was built between 1465 and 1469 for Louis XI — an unusually rapid construction that gives it a striking architectural unity, neither ruined nor excessively restored. The exterior looks like a fortress; the interior is furnished as a late 15th-century residence, with original tapestries, carved fireplaces, and period furniture largely intact.
The castle is famous as the site of the 1491 marriage between Anne of Brittany and Charles VIII of France, a union that ultimately led to Brittany joining the French crown. A wax tableau in the great hall commemorates the event.
Langeais sits on the south bank of the Loire, smaller and quieter than Chinon or Amboise, and makes for a relaxed half-day stop on a Loire châteaux circuit.