Every year in the estate of Chaumont-sur-Loire Castle, thirty or so artists and landscape artists from all over the world create contemporary gardens on a specific theme. All the landscape installations evolve during the 6 months they are on display, as the rules state that the garden must be at its most beautiful in autumn. However, as June is the month of gardening, a visit before summer is an ideal way to enjoy the flowers at their most abundant.
The visitor walks through the paths of the park in a sort of open-air contemporary landscape art museum. Guided tours are available for those who want to learn more about the purpose of the work that is under way. For part of the summer, Chaumont Gardens can be visited in the evening, in the light of LEDs whose colours, lights and reflections reveal new aspects and mysterious, unusual atmospheres. Also worth a look are the 20 contemporary art exhibits and installations, sculptures and photographs in the Castle and the Park, on the theme of nature.