In the footsteps of Cardinal Richelieu

The walk starts at Place du Cardinal, situated between the town’s South Gate and Richelieu Park. Parking spaces are available all around the statue of Cardinal de Richelieu.

(S/E) Facing the statue, turn left, cross the old moat (map) and enter the town by passing under the South Gate (known as the Châtellerault Gate). Cross a narrow street and emerge onto Place du Marché (central fountain, church on the left which we will visit later). Walk round the square to the right (or cross it diagonally to the right). Pass Rue des Halles and, after a bar, turn right into the market halls. Walk through the market halls and, at the far end, cross Place Louis XIII (fountain).

(1) At the far end of the square (slightly to the right is the Porte Est, which in fact leads nowhere), turn left into Rue des Gauthiers. At the Stop sign, turn left into Rue Traversière. Cross Rue de la Galère and note the rear of a townhouse on the right.

(2) At the next junction, turn right onto Grande Rue and note the mansions on either side. At each entrance, a small plaque indicates the date and construction details of the building. Inside No. 21 is the Chapel of the Most Holy Trinity. You’ll come out onto Place des Religieuses; note the North Gate, known as the Chinon Gate, opposite. At the traffic lights, carry straight on and pass under the North Gate.

(3) Turn left immediately and walk alongside the old moat on your left. At the corner of the moat, turn left onto Avenue du Québec and continue walking alongside the moat. At the junction (at the end of the street on the right is the old railway station), carry on straight ahead along the moat, which is now lined with private gardens.

(4) When you reach a junction on the right-hand side, take the footbridge on the left to cross the moat and pass under a small porch. At the other end, turn left and then immediately right onto Rue Traversière. At the junction (with a statuette on the corner opposite on the right-hand side), turn right onto Rue Henri Proust. Further on, turn left onto this street and you’ll come out onto Place du Marché.

(5) Then turn right and walk past the church. At the corner by the church, turn right onto Rue de Loudun. At the end, at the foot of the West Gate (known as the Loudun Gate), turn left onto Rue du Chantier. The alley turns left and then veers left again. At the junction, turn right to leave the town via the South Gate, which you entered at the start, and head for Place du Cardinal.

(S/E) Cross the square and enter Richelieu Park. After passing a few buildings, at a junction, continue straight on along a tree-lined avenue, with a canal on your left.

(6) At the next junction, turn left onto the bridge over the canal and step onto the island where the Château de Richelieu once stood – of which nothing remains. Walk around the island in either direction (there arebeautiful trees around the perimeter and a rose garden in the centre). Cross the bridge again and return to the junction.

(6) Continue straight ahead along a small path lined with yews (not shown on the map). Go round a pond on the right or left, continue straight ahead and arrive at the main gate (the former main entrance). Turn left and ignore the path running perpendicular immediately to the left. At the next junction, turn left into the avenue lined with plane trees, with a large lawn (off-limits) on your right. Walk past the foot of the pavilion known as ‘Le Dôme’.

(7) At the next junction, near the castle island, veer to the right and pass by an artesian column (spring) on your right-hand side. The shaded path winds alongside the large lawn on the right. Ignore a private path coming from the right and you’ll reach a junction just after a forest gate.

(8) Then turn left (do not cross the canal), pass another forest gate and follow a shaded path which soon reaches the edge of the canal (on your right). At the next junction, turn right, cross the canal and arrive at Les Caves (pavilion).

(9) Take the path on the left and pass, on your right, a tree-lined roundabout and then the Orangerie. Continue along the path, now lined with poplars. At the next junction, turn left. Cross three canals in succession and note, on the right, a system of locks and a small building (no entry for safety reasons). After the third canal, turn right, leave the park and head for the Place du Cardinal (S/E).

Trainers are sufficient for this urban route and the well-maintained paths in the park.
Bars, restaurants and all shops in the town of Richelieu. Toilets in the park.
Market or fair on Monday and Friday mornings, on the Place du Marché and under the Halles.

A detailed map is useful (at the very least, the one accompanying this description). The time given is walking time, which does not take into account the many potential stops and other visits.

Park opening hours:
- 1 October to 31 March: 09:00–18:00.
- From 1 April to 30 September: 09:00–20:00.
Closed on 25 December and 1 January, as well as in the event of bad weather.

The walk consists of two circular loops, one in the town and one in the park, both starting from the Place du Cardinal (S/E). We suggest starting with the town loop and finishing with the park loop, but the reverse order is of course possible, as is doing just one of the two loops.

The author has completed this walk around fifteen times, with various variations, most recently on 1 January 2025.

Historical background:
The town and castle of Richelieu were built between 1632 and 1642, according to the plans of the architect Jacques Lemercier (1585–1654), on the estate where the Cardinal (1585–1642) had spent part of his childhood. Abandoned during the Revolution and sold off stone by stone in 1805, the château has completely disappeared: all that remains in the grounds are a few pavilions that were spared. Built on a grid plan, surrounded by moats and flanked by monumental gates, the town boasts a rich heritage from the first half of the 17th century: mansions, a church, market halls, and more.
For further details, see the official website of the commune of Richelieu.

In town:
- Monumental gates (the route passes through the four gates situated at the four cardinal points).
- The old market halls (1).
- Mansions on Place du Marché, Grande Rue and Place des Religieuses.
- Espace Richelieu, 28 Grande Rue, dedicated to the history of the Cardinal and the town. Check opening times and admission prices.
- Notre-Dame Church (5), built in the Baroque style.
- The Richelieu Museum, in the Town Hall on Place du Marché, displaying works of art that once belonged to the Cardinal. Check opening times and admission prices.
- Former moats, now converted into gardens.

In the park:
- Off the main route, on the right after the first junction, there is a playground and a few animals in enclosures.
- The island where the castle once stood, near (6).
- A carp pond and the ‘grille d’honneur’, after (6).
- The Dome (7), a pavilion that was once part of the stables. Open to the public, it houses a scale model and two old engravings of the château (note that the engravers showed some imagination by drawing hills in the background). There is also a cast of Michelangelo’s statue ‘The Reclining Slave’, the original of which was in the château and is now in the Louvre Museum.
- The Cellars (9). A pavilion open to the public, with two old wine presses upstairs and tunnel-like cellars containing an old wine barrel (a torch is useful).
- The Orangery, further on (9), which is not open to visitors.
- Canals, numerous majestic trees, rose gardens.