Culan

For the mountain, see Culan (mountain).

Culan (French pronunciation: [kylɑ̃]) is a commune in the Cher département in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France.

Culan
Commune
The Château de Culan
Coat of arms
Location of Culan
Culan Culan
Coordinates: 46°32′54″N 2°21′00″E
Country	France
Region	Centre-Val de Loire
Department	Cher
Arrondissement	Saint-Amand-Montrond
Canton	Châteaumeillant
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Nicolas Nauleau
Area 1	20.23 km2 (7.81 sq mi)
Population  (2023)	779
• Density	38.5/km2 (99.7/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	18083 /18270
Elevation	220–332 m (722–1,089 ft) (avg. 270 m or 890 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

It is best known for its 12th-15th century medieval castle, the Château de Culan, one of the oldest castles still occupied in the world. The castle has beautiful medieval gardens and it is open to visitors every day from Easter until November.

Geography

The commune is a farming area comprising the village and a few hamlets situated by the banks of the river Arnon, in the south of the département some 35 miles (56 km) south of Bourges and at the junction of the D997 with the D943, D4 and D65 roads.

Population

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1962	1,261	—
1968	1,310	+3.9%
1975	1,164	−11.1%
1982	1,055	−9.4%
1990	932	−11.7%
1999	822	−11.8%
2008	796	−3.2%

Sights

• The church of St. Vincent, dating from the seventeenth century
• The castle
• A watermill
• A nineteenth-century viaduct

The village of Culan

See also

• Château de Culan
• Communes of the Cher department

External links

• Website of the Château de Culan Archived 3 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine (in French)