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The 10 most beautiful castles in Normandy
10 châteaux
Chosen among 1,000 recorded castles
What to see in Normandy 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
Château Gaillard
Les Andelys
Perched on a limestone cliff above a bend in the Seine and the town of Les Andelys, the remains of Château-Gaillard recall the rivalry between Richard the Lionheart and Philip Augustus at the close of the twelfth century.
No. 2
Palais Bénédictine
Fécamp
In Fécamp, the Bénédictine palace is a building erected at the end of the 19th century to house the production of a plant-based liqueur, made from a monastic recipe rediscovered in the previous century.
No. 3
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. 4
Château de Beaumesnil (Beaumesnil Castle)
Mesnil-en-Ouche
Château de Beaumesnil stands in Mesnil-en-Ouche, in the Eure department, set within a 70-hectare park with French formal gardens.
Adult €12.50Hours, prices and access
No. 5
Château de Pirou (Pirou Castle)
Pirou
On the western coast of the Cotentin peninsula, the château de Pirou displays fortified remains dating back to the late 12th century.
No. 6
Château du Champ de Bataille
Sainte-Opportune-du-Bosc
Built between 1653 and 1665 for Count Alexandre de Créquy, exiled after the Fronde uprising, this château in the Eure combines brick and stone around a main courtyard closed off by stables.
No. 7
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
No. 8
Château de Miromesnil (Miromesnil Castle)
Saint-Aubin-sur-Scie
Built between 1590 and 1600 at the crossing point of the Henri IV and Louis XIII styles, the château de Miromesnil stands in Tourville-sur-Arques, in the commune where Guy de Maupassant was born in 1850. The house, surrounded by dry moats crossed by a stone bridge, is visited together with its noted gardens,…
Adult €17Hours, prices and access
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No. 9
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. 10
Château de Gisors (Gisors Castle)
Gisors
In Gisors, in the Eure department, a castle mound holds the remains of a stronghold raised between the late 11th and 12th centuries. The site once stood on the border of the Norman Vexin, contested between the Dukes of Normandy and the King of France.
Adult €9Hours, prices and access
Every castle in Normandy (1,000)
Frequently asked questions
- What is the most beautiful castle in Normandy?
- The most visited in Normandy is Château Gaillard, 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; 0 of these castles are free.
- How is this selection made?
- Among the 1,000 castles recorded in Normandy, we keep those open to the public with a photo, then rank by number of Google reviews. No castle pays to appear.