Marqueyssac gardens

a walk through centuries-old box trees

At the Marqueyssac gardens, a 6km walk takes you through 150,000 hundred-year-old hand-trimmed box trees to a superb panorama of the Dordogne valley.

As soon as you enter the garden, you’ll come across the late 18th-century château, which opens onto the park and has an intimate layout reserved for the pleasure of living.

The layout of the garden, with its winding paths, rounded shapes and boxwood bushes, gives the garden a romantic feel that you’ll find all the more so every Thursday evening during the summer months for ‘Marqueyssac by Candlelight’. Numerous candles and light sources adorn the garden with a thousand lights, and there is plenty of musical entertainment on offer to delight and amaze visitors.

We’ve tried it out for you! Distance from La Barde: 15 minutes

The walk is 6km long, so you’ll need to allow 1? hours for the visit, and there’s no shade in some places. What’s more, the gradient is quite steep for people who aren’t used to walking. We recommend that you visit the garden in the late morning, to take advantage of the cooler day and the morning light, and also to enjoy a picnic in the garden (play areas, various workshops and an introduction to climbing are available for your children’s enjoyment at no extra cost!)

The visit is free and can be complemented by a guided tour. Note: you can combine your visit to the Marqueyssac gardens and Château de Castelnaud for a reduction of one euro. The gardens are open every day of the year.