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:

Jul 3, 2021Diving into the underwater nirvana
Nov 23, 2025Fibonacci Day
Aug 20, 2019Lakeside serenity in Finland
Nov 5, 2022Tigh Mor Trossachs on Loch Achray, Scotland
Aug 6, 2025Kalalau Beach on the Nā Pali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii
Nov 8, 2024Glacial rivers in Iceland
Jul 20, 2025Moon Day
Aug 19, 2025Solar Impulse 2 in Honolulu
Feb 25, 2026Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska
Oct 9, 2021Birds of a feather
Mar 31, 2026Paradise Cave, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Vietnam
Feb 8, 2026Corfu at night, Greece
Sep 22, 2019Barcelona bids farewell to summer
Feb 9, 2023Lower Antelope Canyon, Arizona
Dec 9, 2020It s Computer Science Education Week
Apr 6, 2019Make way for robots
Sep 16, 2018Mexico celebrates its Independence Day
Feb 14, 2023Valentines Day
Oct 2, 2024Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
Aug 25, 2025Yellowstone for the National Park Services birthday
May 4, 2021Happy Star Wars Day!
Apr 29, 2024Fujian Tulou, China
Oct 29, 2018In search of a ‘great’ pumpkin
Feb 21, 2023New Orleans for Mardi Gras
Jan 5, 2020Digging the birds
Aug 19, 2020Freeze frame
Jan 10, 2023Lake Peipus, Estonia
May 19, 2025Mount Hamilton, near San Jose, California
Feb 20, 2026Horsetail Fall in Yosemite National Park, California
Jul 7, 2018The Grand Départ: Tour de France begins