Friday 18 January 2013

The Beauty of The Gardens of Marqueyssac


For this weekend, I wanted to share one of the world’s most magnificent landscapes, the Gardens of Marqueyssac in Vézac in the Dordogne region (France).

The lush and beautifully designed gardens wrap around a 17th century chateau that sits perched above the picturesque Dordogne valley. 




The bubbly, rounded forms of the gardens are carefully manicured by active attendants, maintaining a design that was first developed over 300 years ago. Indeed the gardens were planted in 1861 by Julien De Cerval, an intense gardener who gave the last thirty years of his life to build Marqueyssac.



The Gardens of Marqueyssac are now available for public strolls, having been restored to their original glory for a public opening in 1996. 

The Château de Marqueyssac stretches across a large plot that includes 5 km of walking trails, a Belvedere pavilion high above the river below, a chapel and these famed overhanging gardens. 

During the summer each Thursday evening the gardens are lit by candlelight and various musicians play in different parts of the garden. A magical experience not to be missed!




Images from here.

While Vézac may be out-of-the-way for most travelers, the gargdens are roughly half-way between the Bourdeaux and Rhone wine regions, placing it directly in the path of French wine travelers. 

These Gardens are one of the few Dordogne attractions to remain open all year round. They are certainly worth a stop for a weekend, don't you think? Breathtaking... 

Have a breezy weekend,


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Thank you so much for dropping by and sharing your thoughts. Have a breezy day!