2008-06-30
By Catherine Delvaux et Emmanuelle SaportaWinding paths, waterfalls, ponds, fountains, scent trail, DIY workshops... The gardens of the southwest will delight both young and old.
Les Jardins de Marqueyssac (24)© All rights reserved Marqueyssac has an incredible story – that of a man, Julien de Cerval, who planted tens of thousands of box trees in his bastion during the second half of the XIXth century. Marqueyssac is a gamble that paid off; Kléber Rossillon, who purchased the 22 ha estate in the mid 1990s, restored it and opened it to the public in 1997, has made it the most visited garden in Périgord today. Marqueyssac is a garden with a thousand facets. The 150,000 century-old hand-trimmed box trees are amazing with their fleecy, graceful shapes. The tour continues along nearly 4 miles of paths that are sometimes winding, sometimes straight. You can take the south-facing cliff walk (laburnum, cypresses and umbrella pines evoke the South of France). This leads to the Belvedere, perched 130m above the river, where you can enjoy a panoramic view over the valley of the Dordogne. You can also take the hilltop walk to explore the dry stone huts, the water rushing down the slopes, a waterfall and holm oaks, symbols of the Périgord Noir, omnipresent in this part of the garden. Adults thoroughly enjoy it and children love it. Play areas are reserved for them and DIY workshops are available for them all year round. And, for everyone, the candlelight evening every Thursday in summer is unforgettable! Practical informationJardin de Marqueyssac 24220 Veyzac Tel: + 33 (0)5 53 31 36 36 Opening times Open every day of the year. In July and August: from 9am to 8pm. Candlelight evening every Thursday, from 7pm to midnight (walk in the light of 2,000 candles, musical activities). Prices Adults: €7. Children (aged 10 to 17): €3.50. Under-10s: free. Candlelight evening: Adults: €10. Children (aged 10 to 17): €5. Free for under-10s. Boutique-bookshop, with over 300 titles, objects made of boxwood, games for children, decorative accessories. Workshop of the woodturner who works the boxwood cut on the spot. Restaurant and tearoom, open from Easter to the beginning of November. Le Jardin des Paradis (81)© All rights reserved Just 10 years ago, landscape gardeners Arnaud Maurières and Éric Ossart created this garden of oriental and mediaeval inspiration. In reference to "Paradise" (which means "enclosure" in Persian) they laid out the place in a series of enclosures with varied calming atmospheres. The reference to the Middle Ages is in the kitchen garden plot in squares. But Le Jardin des Paradis also awakens the five senses! The sense of hearing is constantly appealed to by water: fountains, bucket waterfall (entertaining and relaxing), ponds, with this summer the addition of a water mirror and mini paddy field... The senses of sight, smell and touch take pride of place on the scent trail among the flowerbeds composed by palettes of colour, the aromatic plants and aquatic plants, not forgetting the spices.
To finish off, treat yourself to a delicious fruit cocktail at the refreshment area. A big hand for the Cordes Développement association, which cultivates this garden “naturally” using straw covering, compost and mulch, and auxiliary insects. Practical informationJardin des Paradis Place du Théron 81170 Cordes-sur-Ciel Tel: + 33 (0)5 63 56 29 77 Opening times Open from 1st May to 5th October. • 1st May to 15th June, and in September and October: Tuesday to Saturday from 2pm to 6pm, Sundays and public holidays from 11am to 6pm. Closed on Mondays. • 16th June to 31st August: every day from 10.30am to 7pm. Guided tours available. Groups by appointment. Prices Adults: €5. Children (aged 8 to 17): €2.50. Free up to age 7 (inclusive). Family price: €15. Summer events 29th July: Histoires d’Eau (Water Stories), by the Conteurs de la Bluette storytellers, from 4pm to 7pm. 31st August: Sampling fruit from here and elsewhere, 4pm to 7pm. 13th September: exchanges and encounters on the theme of “Natural Gardening”. Shop (plants, books, fair-trade products). Refreshment area. Free access to rest and reading area. |
