Gardens of Marqueyssac

The town of Vézac in the Dordogne region of France is home to one of the world’s most magnificent landscapes, the famed Gardens of Marqueyssac.  These stunningly sculptured landscapes wrap around a 17th century chateau that sits perched above the picturesque Dordogne valley.  The bubbly, rounded forms of the garden are carefully manicured by active attendants, maintaining a design that was first developed over 300 years ago.

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.  While Vézac may be out-of-the-way for most travelers, it’s roughly half-way between the Bourdeaux and Rhone wine regions, placing it directly in the path of French wine travelers.  The Gardens of Marqueyssac are certainly worth a stop, as the gallery below suggests…