Just 1 hour from Paris, this estate hides two spectacular châteaux and 70 hectares of gardens
Just a few kilometres from Paris, an estate in the Val-d’Oise holds a rare surprise: two spectacular châteaux standing side by side on the same grounds, surrounded by 70 hectares of gardens, ornamental ponds and sweeping green vistas. The Domaine de Villarceaux, located in Chaussy, is one of those places that feels like travelling through several centuries in a single afternoon stroll.
Free and open access to two spectacular châteaux
What strikes you immediately at Villarceaux is how accessible it is. The estate is open to the public free of charge, a genuine rarity for a site of this scale. In 2026, the season runs until 1 November, Tuesday to Sunday, from 2pm to 6pm. Free guided tours are also offered on selected weekends for those who want to go beyond simply wandering the grounds.
This exceptional setting, available at no cost, makes Villarceaux an ideal escape for anyone looking to leave the capital behind without any fuss. Because here, the spectacular châteaux are not locked away behind closed gates, they reveal themselves along the pathways, terraces and gardens.
The Château du Haut and its sweeping views over the Vexin
Built between 1754 and 1759, the Château du Haut embodies the elegance of Louis XV architecture. From its terraces, the eye sweeps across the formal French gardens, the ornamental ponds and the rolling greenery of the park, with the gently undulating Vexin landscape as a backdrop. The panorama forms a picture of rare coherence, where the geometry of the gardens answers the soft curves of the natural countryside.
This château commands the entire estate from its elevated position. It offers a vertical reading of the site that is entirely different from the perspective you get from below. For visitors, climbing up to it means completely changing your point of view on Villarceaux.
The Château du Bas and the story of Ninon de Lenclos
At the lower end of the estate stands the Château du Bas, a former manor house whose history is intimately bound up with Ninon de Lenclos, the celebrated writer and courtesan of the Sun King’s reign. She is said to have lived a love affair here with Louis de Mornay, Marquis de Villarceaux. The place still bears traces of that era, making it one of the most historically charged parts of the estate.
This manor contrasts sharply with the Château du Haut, both in style and in atmosphere. On one side, the understated character of an ancient manor steeped in romantic history; on the other, the refined rigour of an 18th-century residence. These two spectacular buildings, so different from one another, nonetheless form a coherent and complementary whole.
A 70-hectare park dotted with remarkable gardens
Between the two châteaux, the park unfolds across its 70 hectares with rare generosity. The estate’s many natural springs feed the ponds and water features that punctuate the walk. You will find a medieval garden, a water parterre and a vertugadin, a large grass-covered slope shaped like an amphitheatre that connects the different parts of the estate.
- A medieval garden with a singular atmosphere
- A water parterre, a striking landscape feature
- A vertugadin in the shape of a grassed amphitheatre
- Ponds and water features fed by the estate’s natural springs
- Sweeping green vistas stretching between the two châteaux
The park alone is reason enough to visit. Because beyond the two spectacular châteaux that give the estate its structure, it is the walk through this carefully composed setting that stays with you. Every element of the garden, from the vertugadin to the ornamental ponds, contributes to a landscape design of great coherence, with the hills of the Vexin as the horizon.
Villarceaux is located in Chaussy, in the Val-d’Oise (95710). For lovers of heritage, history or simply beautiful walks, this estate brings together in one place everything that Île-de-France has to offer at its most unexpected.
