Overview

The enchanting Chateau and Park of Nacqueville are hidden away in a lush coastal valley 20 minutes from the Channel port of Cherbourg, at the tip of the Cotentin peninsula in Normandy, France.

"... one of the prettiest places in the world"
- Alexis de Tocqueville, the famous 19^th century political philosopher.
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The Chateau

Registered as an historical monument, construction of the Chateau of Nacqueville began in 1510 as a fortified manor. The defensive wall was knocked down around 1700, while the main building was partly rebuilt during the 18^th and 19^th centuries. With its granite walls and stone roofs, the Chateau is characteristic of the finest manors on the Cotentin peninsula.

The Park

Created in the 1830s by an English landscape gardener, the garden appears as a delightful romantic park. A stream with a series of waterfalls runs down to the lake in which the Chateau is reflected.

Many varieties of rhododendrons, azaleas and hydrangeas, as well as ornamental trees, clumps of giant gunnera and palm trees are spread over the lawns. A grotto and cascades add further touches of elegance and fantasy in amongst the banks of rhododendrons on the steeply wooded valley sides.

The garden is classified as “Jardin remarquable” (approximately, “Exceptional garden”), a quality label awarded by the Ministère de la Culture (Ministry of Culture).

To find out more:

Read more about the Park's creation, and the Chateau's renovation, on the History page.

Watch a video tour of the gardens in English.

Opening times…

The Park of the Chateau de Nacqueville is open several days a week during the warmer half of the year. Find opening hours, prices and other visit details on the Visits page.

Travelling to Nacqueville

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