The 10 most beautiful castles in Calvados
10 châteaux
Chosen among 296 recorded castles
What to see in Calvados when you only have a weekend: the 10 most visited castles according to their visitors’ reviews, among those open to the public whose visiting conditions we checked on the official website. For each: what you see, the entry price, the link to the full entry.
Ranked by renown: how often their name is searched on Google each month, and how many reviews visitors have left. “Beautiful” is your word; what we measure is what visitors choose.
No. 1
Castle of Caen
Caen
Founded around 1060 by William the Conqueror, Caen Castle overlooks the city from a fortified enclosure that ranks among the largest in medieval Europe.
No. 2
Château de Falaise (Falaise Castle)
Falaise
Standing on a rocky spur above Falaise, this 10th century fortress is the birthplace of William the Conqueror. Visitors can see three stacked keeps, built over several centuries by the dukes of Normandy and later by Philip Augustus, reflecting the development of medieval military architecture.
Adult €9.50Hours, prices and access
.jpg/960px-Portail_du_ch%C3%A2teau_de_Boutemont_(Ouilly-le-Vicomte%2C_Calvados%2C_France).jpg)
No. 3
Château de Boutemont (Boutemont Castle)
Ouilly-le-Vicomte
In Ouilly-le-Vicomte, in the heart of the Pays d'Auge, Boutemont castle stands on a platform surrounded by dry moats, with its gatehouse tower and twin drawbridges and its 16th-century main building bearing the family motto over the honour pavilion.
Adult €12Hours, prices and access
No. 4
Château de Vendeuvre (Vendeuvre Castle)
Vendeuvre
Built in the early 1750s between Saint-Pierre-sur-Dives and Falaise, the château de Vendeuvre embodies the ideal of a Norman country house under Louis XV. The Le Forestier d'Osseville family kept its original interior decoration, woodwork and furniture included, spared by the Revolution.
Adult €16Hours, prices and access
No. 5
Domaine de Beauregard
Hérouville-Saint-Clair
The Beauregard estate covers 23 hectares along the Caen to the sea canal, in Hérouville-Saint-Clair. It features a troubadour-style château completed in 1864, set within a park of meadows and woodland dotted with animal sculptures.
No. 6
Château de Canon (Canon Castle)
Mézidon Vallée d'Auge
The château de Canon stands in Mézidon Vallée d'Auge, in the Calvados department, its buildings dating from the second half of the 18th century. A visit takes in both the furnished family residence and the surrounding park with its follies: the Pleureuse temple, the Chinese kiosk, the dovecote and the Target fountain.
No. 7
Château de Fontaine-Henry (Fontaine-Henry Castle)
Fontaine-Henry
Set in the Calvados countryside, the château de Fontaine-Henry still bears traces of a fortress raised around 1200, later turned into a residence by the Harcourt family between the late 15th and mid 16th century.
Adult €9Hours, prices and access
No. 8
Château du Breuil-en-Auge
Le Breuil-en-Auge
In Le Breuil-en-Auge, this Norman manor house from the 16th century stands out for its half-timbering and pink tiles, set on land encircled by two branches of the Touques river. Two square timber-framed pavilions flank the main building, the last visible trace of a once larger residence.
No. 9
Castle of Saint-Germain-de-Livet
Saint-Germain-de-Livet
In the Pays d'Auge, this château combines a half-timbered fifteenth-century dwelling with a gatehouse checkered in white stone and glazed brick, added in the late sixteenth century.
Free entryHours, prices and access
No. 10
Château de Balleroy (Balleroy Castle)
Balleroy-sur-Drôme
Built between 1626 and 1636 by architect François Mansart for the nobleman Monsieur de Choisy, Balleroy Castle reflects early 17th-century French classicism. Its three-storey central pavilion, topped by a small bell tower, rises above the moat, flanked by two symmetrical wings.
Every castle in Calvados (296)Which ones open this weekend?
Frequently asked questions
- What is the most beautiful castle in Calvados?
- The most visited in Calvados is Castle of Caen, first in this selection according to its visitors’ reviews. All 10 castles listed are open to visitors with checked hours.
- How much does a visit cost?
- The adult entry price is shown under each castle when the official website publishes it; 1 of these castles are free.
- How is this selection made?
- Among the 296 castles recorded in Calvados, we keep those open to the public with a photo, then rank by number of Google reviews. No castle pays to appear.