DORDOGNE - Jardins de Marqueyssac

When I first noticed the photo of the Jardins Suspendus de Marqueyssac in my guide to Perigord Noir, I was immediately intrigued and just knew I had to visit. The most visited gardens in Perigord, it is easy to see why as it really does offer something different.



Made up of tens of thousands of sculpted boxwoods, from a distance, the gardens look like a blanket over something lumpy – not a very enticing description, but impossible to accurately explain! What I hadn’t appreciated is that the gardens surround a beautiful château with pale lavender coloured shutters and some rooms which are also open to the public.

When I first saw the bedroom, I was so pleased that Florence wasn’t with me as I knew she’d want to move straight in! The décor actually struck me as very English in style, also the dining room which had a very formal feel to it

The park is designed for walking and offers 8km of paths so I was glad I’d brought my walking shoes as I was in hogs heaven! I first took the Promenade des Falaise (cliff walk) but it wasn’t as energetic as it sounded. The walk was mostly flat along gravel but was hugging the cliff face on one side. This brought me to the Esplanade where there was a little folly and beautifully laid out grass gardens

A little further on was the Belvédère which was a sort of tree house vantage point with views across the valley, but I was too much of a cowardy custard to go up! Shortly after the Belvédère was a small children’s play area where there was a drinks machine and toilets. However, I was more interested in the Cascade nearby.

The waterfall was only a small one, but it was fascinating as the basin was full of steam as though the water was boiling hot. It clearly wasn’t as I don’t think the goldfish would have been too happy, so I suspect it is to do with the humidity. I didn’t fancy returning by the same route, but luckily there was lots of choice so I choose the main boulevard and headed back to the aviary where I came across a beautiful peacock.

Amazingly, he let me get so close that I didn’t need to use the zoom at all! After the aviary, I visited the nature pavilion, but it was all a bit macabre with stuffed badgers, ferrets, weasels, foxes and other small predators preying on seagulls and other birds. Yuk!

After a last trip round the château and a visit to the formal gardens at the front and the tea room at the back, it was time to visit the gift shop for a couple of ‘mange chagrin’ – beetles and ladybirds in a small wooden box that you tell your troubles to when you’re sad, close the box and in the morning your sadness has been eaten by the beetle/ladybird. I also managed to get a magnetic dragonfly to replace the crocodile I decapitated in Domme!