It is impossible to dissociate the castle of Vaux-le-Vicomte (Seine-et-Marne) from its vast 33-hectare garden, a masterpiece and cornerstone of French gardens. Restored at the end of the 19th century, the estate's green spaces today allow visitors to discover this founding work.
The symbol of French gardens
The Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte was commissioned by Nicolas Fouquet, the Superintendent of Finance of Louis XIV. To carry out the construction of the exterior spaces, the man commissioned
the famous landscaper André Le Nôtre,
who, from 1641, was able to showcase all his know-how. The garden, in perfect harmony with the architectural work of Louis Le Vau, "is arranged around a brilliantly controlled perspective, more than three kilometers long", we can read on the estate's website.
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Around the castle, the terraces decorated with flowers and boxwood embroidery are a wonderful example of the classical garden, estimates the “Most Beautiful Gardens of France” website. The visitor is surprised by optical illusions and impressed by the work around water with today 24 pools. A “theatrical majesty” which also constitutes “an invitation to knowledge, imagination and pleasure”.
Open every day
Abandoned shortly after the French Revolution, the gardens of Vaux-le-Vicomte were purchased and restored in 1875 by Alfred Sommier. His descendants continue to maintain the place and enhance it.
A permanent exhibition
and a large audiovisual model have been set up in the basement of the castle. It allows us to understand all the ingenuity of André Le Nôtre and the stages of the construction of the gardens.
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Three routes, including one designed for children, are offered to explore its sublime gardens, before entering the park and
its 500 enclosed hectares.
Visitors are welcomed every day from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Candlelight evenings are planned every Saturday from June 1 to September 28. The full price ticket to access the gardens is 12.50 euros.