Chateau de Miserey – A Heavenly Day Trip from Paris

July 21, 2010  by Sharon - My French Country Home

Sharon, HiP Paris friend and the author behind “My French Country Home”, has a lovely blog about the delights of living in the French countryside with her husband, children and… horses?? Yes, it’s true. She seems to live the dream! Here she writes about a gorgeous château not far from her home in Normandy where you are far from crowds and in the middle of nature and calm. As it is only a short train or car ride from Paris, this is the perfect summer city escape. Sharon also does private tours of her beautiful region (you can contact her through her blog) and rents  a country cottage on her charming property for short stays.

You know how sometimes you come across a place or a person that is so totally delicious you’re torn between telling everyone about it or keeping it greedily just for yourself?  Well, that’s how I feel about Monsieur and Madame de Roumilly and their beautiful château and rose garden.

If it wasn’t all uphill, I would cycle to their home, they live in a village just above our valley.  They bought this sweet doll’s house of a château many years ago and have single-handedly restored it and created gardens that people come from afar to visit.

I adore their old greenhouse with it’s unusual rounded roof and generous roses climbing all over.

When Madame was creating the gardens, she wanted an idea for planting up a field; she thought of the very catholic theme of heaven, purgatory and hell!

Not one to be easily scared, she researched plants worldwide to fit into her theme.  The result?  A fascinating walk between rose bushes displaying  fiery reds and oranges, huge thorns and fierce prickles, a walk through hell.  Cross the path of purgatory, lined with 12 yews representing the 12 apostles, and you enter Eden, pastel colored roses, mostly thorn-less and smooth stemmed.

It takes almost 2 hours to walk around the park and gardens.  I have done this walk many times  in the company of Madame de Roumilly who never seems to tire of telling people about her rose collection, or the origins of the more unusual plants.

These pictures were taken just as their fantastic rose border was coming  into flower.  Many of the unusual roses are from America, others from Italy.

Back at the château I love to chat to the charming owners.  Monsieur de Roumilly has always supported his wife’s plans for the château and gardens, and through the years has turned his hand to many a project.  From rebuilding stone walls to hand painting door panels.  The restoration of this lovely family-sized château has been a real labor of love.

There is so much more to say, but in the end I have to let the pictures talk for me.  Maybe one day you’ll come this way and we’ll be able to wander around the park together.  We’ll ask permission to let ourselves in  early in the morning – it might mean getting our feet wet in the grass, but it will  be worthwhile simply for the joy of seeing colors at their very best.

Related Links:

• Chateau de Miserey website & information
• Monet’s Giverny Gardens, just 1/2 hr from the Chateau de Miserey
• Top 5 Day trips from Paris

Written by Sharon from My French Country Home. Photos courtesy of My French Country Home and the Chateau de Miserey website. For our amazing rentals in Paris, Provence & Tuscany check out our website Haven in Paris.

Tags: Country Home, Day Trip from Paris, Garden, Giverny, Monet, My French Country Home, Normany, rose garden, Roses
Posted in Tours and Classes, Travel | 2 Comments »