Gardens of Marqueyssac

The stunning gardens of Marqueyssac, are green gems of the local heritage and are listed as a National Historic Monument and also one of France’s ‘Jardins Remarquable’. It lie on cliffs above the Dordogne Valley and are the most visited gardens in the Périgord in France.

The manicured gardens was laid out on the grounds of The Château de Marqueyssac, a 17th century château on a 54 acres historic park overlooking the Dordogne Valley. It offers more than six kilometers of shaded paths meander through surreal topiary designs, adorned with belvederes, rockeries, waterways, in a maze of 150,000 hand-pruned box trees. From the belvedere, at 130 meters above the Dordogne river, is the most spectacular panorama views.

Designed by a student of André Le Notre – famous designer of the gardens of the Chateau de Versailles, the garden featured terraces, alleys, and a kitchen garden surrounding the chateau. In the 1860’s, Julien de Cervel, the new owner, planted thousands of boxwood trees carved in fantastic shapes. He also added linden trees, cypress trees, and stone pine from Italy, and introduced the cyclamen from Naples.

The combination of green swirling box shapes, crisscrossed by a network of shaded walking paths and the backdrop of the Dordogne Valley is quite exceptional. For a truly magical experience, visit on a summer Thursday evening, when the gardens are lit by thousands of candles, creating a romantic, almost surreal atmosphere.