The 10 most beautiful castles in Normandy
10 châteaux
Chosen among 1,006 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 attendance, from the number of Google reviews. “Beautiful” is your word; what we measure is what visitors choose.
No. 1
Château de Clères (Clères Castle)
Clères
In Clères, in the Seine-Maritime department, stands a residence whose origins date back to the 11th century, reworked several times over the following centuries. Building campaigns carried out in the 13th, then the 16th and 19th centuries shaped the structure as it appears today.
No. 2
Château de Dieppe (Dieppe Castle)
Dieppe
Standing above the town and the sea on its cliff, Dieppe Castle is a former fortified castle dating back to the 14th century. Its walls have housed the municipal museum of Dieppe since 1923. The building is a listed historic monument.
No. 3
Château de Fourges (Fourges Castle)
Vexin-sur-Epte
The château de Fourges stands in the commune of Vexin-sur-Epte, in the Eure department, on the former territory of Fourges. Available sources give little detail about the building itself, focusing instead on the surrounding village and its heritage, such as the listed mill and the Saint-Pierre church.
No. 4
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
No. 5
Domaine de Beaumesnil (également sur commune de Gouttières)
Beaumesnil
Built between 1633 and 1640 for the Marquis de Nonant, Beaumesnil castle stands in the Eure department amid a large moated park. The fully furnished interior can be explored from cellar to attic, and the estate also houses a museum of antique bookbinding.
Adult €12.50Hours, prices and access
No. 6
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. 7
Château des Ravalet (Ravalet Castle)
Tourlaville
At Tourlaville, on the edge of Cherbourg, the château des Ravalet stands in blue schist along the Trottebec river, a Renaissance building raised in the 1560s over the remains of a medieval manor.
No. 8
Château de Vauville (Vauville Castle)
Vauville
In the Hague peninsula, at the north-western tip of the Cotentin, the Château de Vauville combines a 12th-century keep with two Renaissance wings added later.
Adult €9.50Hours, prices and access
.jpg/960px-Ch%C3%A2teau_d'Harcourt_(France).jpg)
No. 9
Château d'Harcourt (Harcourt Castle)
Harcourt
Set on its feudal mound above the Neubourg countryside, Harcourt castle preserves a remarkably intact medieval structure, from the twelfth-century square keep to the thirteenth-century wall with its twelve towers.
No. 10
Château de Domfront (Domfront Castle)
Domfront en Poiraie
In Domfront en Poiraie, the castle ruins still stand on the rocky spur that made the site strategically valuable from the 11th century onward.
Every castle in Normandy (1,006)
Frequently asked questions
- What is the most beautiful castle in Normandy?
- The most visited in Normandy is Château de Clères, 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 1,006 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.