Château de la Bussiere

La Bussière, Loiret, France, France

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The Château de La Bussière is a historic French castle located in La Bussière, Loiret, in the Centre-Val de Loire region, that tells eight centuries of history from its origins as a 12th-century fortress to its current status as a family home and museum.

The castle's distinctive 17th-century brick architecture was created when Jean II du Tillet transformed the original fortress with ramparts, moats, and drawbridge into a pleasure residence after the Wars of Religion, and it sits surrounded by water with only a narrow stone bridge providing access. The castle is home to France's only museum of freshwater fishing, featuring a remarkable collection of fishing objects and artworks that showcase fishing techniques from centuries ago in ponds and rivers, including the striking preserved "coelacanth" - a prehistoric bottom-dwelling fish.

Since 1962, when Henri de Chasseval opened the building to visitors, the castle has remained owned by the same noble Chasseval family (Bertrand and Laure Bommelaer are the current owners) and offers tours of approximately 15 furnished rooms including the kitchen, linen room, sitting room, office, and impressive vaulted library with authentic furnishings from daily life.