Gueures Castle
The castle of Gueures in Upper Normandy lies in a quiet and peaceful village close to the sea. It’s in private hands, but also is a gite.
° Castles
A look at some of the many castles that can be seen in France. Many are in private hands though some may be open to public occasionally. Others are museums. Where possible, we’ll show you a link to the castle’s website for further information.
Note: These are mostly the articles dedicated to castles showing, many of the general city posts will also contain castle information, so at times expect more information than just castle info.
Sainte-Adresse Castle – Villa La Roseraie
Built: end 19th centuryStatus: PublicVisitable?: Yes the grounds only for freeNotable: Was the official residence of the King of Belgium during WWIWeb: – Deep in the rich and wealthy city of Sainte-Adresse, next to the city of Le Havre, there are a few luxurious “villas” from yesteryear. Many of these mansions date back to the …
Saint-Germain-de-Livet Castle
Built: 15th centuryStatus: Public/MuseumVisitable?: Yes (1st Sunday of the month is free)Notable: xxxxWeb: Chateau de Saint-Germain-de-Livet In a small 800 person village close to Lisieux is a castle that looks like a fairytale castle, the kind kids would draw. The village is called Saint-Germain-de -Livet, and the castle dates back to the 15th century. The castle was donated …
Montbard Castle
Built: 10th centuryStatus: PublicVisitable?: Yes (grounds for free, the castle including a tour guide for a fee)Notable: –Web: – Montbard is a small city of some 5500 inhabitants, a river and a big canal flowing through it and an incredible abbey close-by. It also has a castle perched high on the hill overlooking the city. The small …
Le Breuil-en-Auge – Chateau du Breuil and Calvados Distillery
Built: 16th centuryStatus: PrivateVisitable?: Yes, for a fee, gardens and distilleryNotable: Calvados distilleryWeb: Chateau du Breuil Located in the midst of the Calvados region (Normandy) you will find a pretty castle, the Chateau du Breuil, that has been since 1954 a distillery that transforms apples into Calvados (an apple brandy). Located in a 1000 people village, Le …
Le Breuil-en-Auge – Chateau du Breuil and Calvados Distillery Read More »
Courcelles-sous-Moyencourt Castle – The Lama Castle
Built: 18th centuryStatus: Private/Visitable?: Yes, gardens and farmNotable: The castle is surrounded by lamasWeb: Chateau de Courcelles sous Moyencourt In a small village of some 150 inhabitants close to the city of Amiens you will find an amazingly beautiful castle, the Chateau de Courcelles sous Moyencourt. But what’s more, you will find the castle surrounded by …
Courcelles-sous-Moyencourt Castle – The Lama Castle Read More »
Pleumeur-Bodou Castle – Chateau de Kerduel
Built: 12th centuryStatus: PrivateVisitable?: Sometimes, usually only the gardensNotable: –Web: – The castle located close to the city of Lannion in Brittany, the Chateau de Kerduel, is in the Pleumeur-Bodou area. The oldest part of the castle was built in the 12th century. Legend has it that King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table …
Ploubezre Castle – Chateau Kergrist
Built: 1400Status: PrivateVisitable?: Yes, castle and gardensNotable: –Web: Chateau Kergrist Sometimes taking a wrong turn on the country roads brings you deep inland, and to some very surprising scenery. One of them, after having taken a wrong turn in Brittany was this amazing castle; the Chateau Kergrist. Hidden away from big roads, this is a …
Butot-Venesville Castle – Chateau du Profil
The Chateau (castle) du Profil at Butot-Venesville is hidden very deep inside the Upper Normandy countryside. The castle is a gite (in other words you can rent it).
Tregastel Castle – Chateau de Costaeres
Built: 1896Status: PrivateVisitable?: YesNotable: Made out of pink granite, located a few meters of the coastline on an islandWeb: – The Cotes-d’Armor coastline around Perros-Guirec is rugged and made out of solid pink granite. This rocky surface made for great building materials for the construction of castles and fortresses. One of these castles can be …
Hautot-L’Auvray Castle
Built: unknownStatus: PrivateVisitable?: NoNotable: –Web: – This little gem is located alongside a long and straight country road. After hours of research, I could not find any information about it. So I do not know when it was built and if it’s private (which I’m sure it is). It’s not even in the National Monuments …
Varengeville-sur-Mer Castle
Built: 1883Status: Special Events HotelVisitable?: Yes, as a guestNotable: Close to the beachWeb: Chateau de Varengeville The castle located at Varengeville-sur-Mer, close to the Normandy coast, was built in 1883. The castle itself, though in private hands, can be rented for special occasions, like marriages or seminars. But please note, it’s not a hotel, so …
Thiergeville Castle – Chateau de Fiquainville
Built: 17th centuryStatus: PrivateVisitable?: NoNotable: –Web: – The beautiful and impressive chateau de Fiquainville is nicely hidden from onlookers, high up the hills of the Valmont valley and river. The castle was built on top of ruins of an older castle, but not much more information could be found. It was built during the 17th …
Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer Castle
Built: 17th centuryStatus: PrivateVisitable?: NoNotable: –Web: – Located in a small beach town resort between Veules-les-Roses and Dieppe, slightly away from the coast, you will see this beautiful castle alongside the winding road. You can’t miss it if ever you are driving along that part of the Normandy coast. The castle is totally private and can …
Montlucon Castle – Dukes of Bourbon Castle
Built: 1070Status: MuseumVisitable?: YesNotable: Unrestricted view over the city of MontluconWeb: – In the city of Montlucon in Auvergne lies an imposing fortress with a beautiful chateau on top. The fortress and chateau belonged to the Dukes of Bourbon, a noble family that would later become King of France (and later on Spain). Perched high on …
Malleville les Gres Castle
Built: 17th centuryStatus: PrivateVisitable?: NoNotable: Built in the 17th century, buy extensively modified in the 19th centuryWeb: – The castle in the very small village of Malleville-les-Gres in Upper Normandy is in private hands and can not be visited. The castle itself was built in the 17th century, though most of the updates and modifications were …
Veigne Castle – Domaine de la Tortiniere
Built: 19th centuryStatus: Hotel/RestaurantVisitable?: Yes, as a customerNotable: Unrestricted and impressive view over the Indre river and valley and great restaurantWeb: Tortiniere RestaurantFood: FrenchPrice: ExpensiveRating: Excellent In the small village of Veigne, close to the city of Tours, you will find a magnificent estate that towards the middle of last century was turned into a luxury hotel …
Saint-Martin-Aux-Buneaux Castle
Built: 17th centuryStatus: PrivateVisitable?: NoNotable: –Web: – This castle, located in the small village of Saint Martin-Aux-Buneaux, Normandy, is in dire need for some TLC (Tender Loving Care). Built in the 17th century, with the gate built the century before and with several extensions made in the 19th century, this private residence has for the …
Plevenon Castle – Fort-La-Latte Fortress
Built: 1340Status: MuseumVisitable?: YesNotable: Used in many moviesWeb: Fort La Latte If the Fort-La-Latte castle looks familiar, it is. This fortress has been used in many historical movies (like The Vikings with Kirk Douglas). The Fort was built to protect the Brittany (Bretagne) coastline, including St. Malo and Dinard. The fortress is located on a …
Le Havre Castle – Villa Maritime
Built: 1890Status: PrivateVisitable?: NoNotable: Visible from the beachWeb: – The Le Havre Villa Maritime has a colourful past. Built in 1890 for a wealthy woman, the Villa was sold and taken over several times. The Villa is located alongside the Le Havre Beach, accessible by the beach road and above. During World War II, the …
Auberville-la-Manuel Castle
Built: 15th centuryStatus: PrivateVisitable?: NoNotable: Part of a farmWeb: – The Auberville castle, located in the small town of Auberville-la-Manuel, is in private hands and forms part of a large farm. The main gate is impressive with its gatehouse and two towers. The castle itself was built in the 15th century. Outside the castle there …
Vallon-en-Sully Castle – Chateau de Peufeilhoux
Built: 15th centuryStatus: HotelVisitable?: Yes, as customer or fee payingNotable: –Web: Chateau de Peufeilhoux Hidden away from most big roads in a little village in the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region, perched high up on a rock is the Chateau de Peufeilhoux. The construction of the Chateau de Peufeilhoux started towards the end of the 15th century with …
Villequier Castle – Chateau de Villequier
Built: 1784Status: Private (rentable)Visitable?: Yes as customerNotable: unrestricted and impressive view over the Seine river and valleyWeb: – In the village of Villequier, up on the hills overlooking the Seine river valley in Normandy are several castles and manors. One of them, the biggest, is the Chateau de Villequier. The Chateau de Villequier was built …
Fecamp Castle Ruins
The castle ruins in Fecamp show that once upon a time, the castle was very impressive.