Labarde – Chateau Dauzac
Chateau Dauzac in Labarde (Margaux area) is known by specialities as an excellent wine producer. You can visit the castle, cellars and enjoy some of their educational programs (like pairing cheese with wines).
Chateau Dauzac in Labarde (Margaux area) is known by specialities as an excellent wine producer. You can visit the castle, cellars and enjoy some of their educational programs (like pairing cheese with wines).
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 »
Le Havre is a city that has been rebuilt completely after WWII with a particular and special style. It’s so unique that it was put on the United Nation UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Built: 1886Status: PrivateVisitable?: NoNotable: The castle is modelled on the Arco de Santa Maria castle in Spain, it survived WWII bombingsWeb: – Despite the heavy bombings during WWII, Le Havre still has one of its beautiful castles mostly intact; the Gadelles castle. The “Chateau des Gadelles” is also known as “Porte de Burgos” after the 14th …
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 …
Chateau de Frefosse in Tilleul, Normandy (right next to Etretat) is one of my favourite castles. It’s almost a palace.
Les-Sables-d’Olonne is a nice coastal town in the Atlantic, but it’s mostly known as departure and arrival point of the grueling single handed round-the-world sail race without any stops, the Vendee Globe.
The Saint-Clair Castle at Les Sables-d’Olonne is small but does its job; protecting the harbour entrance. Now it’s a museum.
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 …
Chateau Cantenac Brown at Margaux-Cantenac is not only a beautiful castle, but also a top class wine producer.
Chateau Desmirail in Margaux-Cantenac is one of those important and recognised wines from the Bordeaux area. The castle and winery can be visited when you reserve well in advance.
The Chateau Durfort-Vivens is not much as a castle, but as wines go, it’s top class. It’s part of the margaux area of topclass wines.
Chateau Margaux is not only a beautiful castle that can be visited, it is also one of the most famous and prestigious wines in the world. You can visit it, and even taste their wines.
Chateau-Marojallia at the Margaux-Cantenac commune in the Bordeaux region is considered a “garage wine” producer. The castle and its cellars can be visited if you book in advance.
Chateau Palmer, named after a British owner, is another one of the famous Margaux wines. The castle can be visited.
The Chateau d’If, a French equivalent of Alcatraz, is a prison island close to Marseilles and the setting of the famous book The Count of Monte Cristo. A visit to marseilles is never complete without a visit to this island.
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 …
Montlucon is located almost at the exact centre of France. It has traditionally been associated to the royal Bourbon family. The city itself, dominated by the Bourbon family castle is very medieval looking & feeling with many narrow streets and old buildings. The core part of the city, the centre, is for pedestrians only; no …
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 …
The Chateau de Noirmoutier-en-l’Ile, on the Noirmoutier island, is quite amazing for such a small village. Today, it’s a museum
Noirmoutier-en-l’Ile is a small village on the island of Noirmoutier in the region of “Pays de la Loire”. Located below Brittany the island is a popular summer holiday destination for the French. The village, with its 4800 inhabitants, lies on the Northern part of the Noirmoutier island. The island itself is located in the Atlantic …
Noirmoutier-en-l’Ile is a popular summer holiday destination for the French. The island is littered with salt marshes and bird sanctuaries. A massive castle can be found in the village centre. Here’s how to get there, what to see and where to sleep/eat.
Built: 15th centuryStatus: PrivateVisitable?: SometimesNotable: At times, in the attic, there’s a children theatreWeb: – The Renaissance-style Manor of Auffay is located in the small village of Oherville (Upper Normandy), on top of the Durdent valley. Built in the 15th century and updated regularly with new additions, the Manor is currently in private hands. There is …
The beautiful Janville castle in Paluel, Normandy is located right next to a WWII R&R camp and airport (and a kilometer away from a nuclear reactor).