LES SUSPENDUS JARDINS DE MARQUEYSSAC / The Overhanging Gardens of Marqueyssac are one of the most beautiful and romantic gardens in France. Located in Vezac, France, the 54 acres of Marqueyssac are listed as a national historical monument and consist 0f 6 kilometres of shaded paths in an astounding maze of 150,000 hand-pruned boxwoods. Overlooking the Dordogne valley, visitors can catch a glimpse of the villages below, Domme, Castelnaud, Beynac, Fayrac, La Roque-Gageac and its five castles.
After extensive restoration work, Marqueyssac, opened in March 1997. Built atop a rocky outcrop, the gardens consist of high limestone cliffs and are the work of several generations of the same family, owners of the estate since 1692. At the end of the nineteenth century, Julien Cerval, dedicated to beautifying Marqueyssac, planted the tens of thousands of boxwood, creating nature and guided walks complete with winding paths, gazebos, rock gardens, dry stone huts and waterfalls. The gardens are now the most visited in Perigord.
{p.s.} rose gardens & winter gardens
“Le tracé du jardin aux allées sinueuses, les rondeurs et la taille moutonnante des buis confèrent à Marqueyssac douceur et romantisme et contribuent à la concordance des jardins avec les collines de la vallée de la Dordogne.” The layout with its winding alleys, the roundness and rolling of the boxwood give Marqueyssac softness and romanticism and contribute to the consistency of the gardens with the hills of the Dordogne valley.
