Marqueyssac Gardens, France

The Marqueyssac Gardens are historic ornamental gardens on a rocky spur above the Dordogne River in south-western France. They are best known for their 150,000 century-old boxwood bushes, all trimmed by hand, more than 6 km of winding paths and a clifftop belvedere with one of the finest views in the Périgord. The gardens surround an early-19th-century château with a traditional stone-slab roof and combine formal landscaping with natural scenery. Today, Marqueyssac is one of the most visited gardens in France and is especially popular with visitors exploring the castles and villages of the Dordogne valley.

Location

The gardens are located in the commune of Vézac, in the Dordogne department, within the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. They lie close to famous sites such as Beynac-et-Cazenac and Castelnaud-la-Chapelle, overlooking a wide bend of the Dordogne River.

Entrance tickets.
From 7 February to 11 November 2026, adult tickets cost €12.90 and children aged 10 to 17 pay €6.50; children under 10 enter free. In winter (1 January to 6 February and from 12 November) prices drop to €10.90 and €5.50. A combined ticket with the nearby Château de Castelnaud costs €24.50 for adults. The gardens are open every day of the year, from 9:00 to 20:00 in July and August and with shorter hours the rest of the year, and no booking is needed for a daytime visit. On Thursday evenings in July and August, the paths are lit by thousands of candles (€24, online booking required).

How to get there by public transport.
The nearest train station is Sarlat-la-Canéda, served by regional TER trains from Bordeaux via Bergerac. The gardens lie about 10 km south-west of Sarlat, near the village of Vézac, and there is no convenient regular bus, so the last stretch is easiest by taxi, rental bike or car.

What to do in the area

• Visit nearby castles such as Beynac and Castelnaud
• Explore villages along the Dordogne River
• Combine the visit with canoeing or walking in the valley
• Enjoy local food and markets in surrounding towns