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On the trail of a lost castle in Marly-le-Roi

A walk in the park of a former chateau of Louis XIV in Marly-le-Roi not far from Versailles.

In the 1670's Louis XIV had a chateau built not far from Versailles at Marly-le-Roi. His intention was to have a home where he could relax surrounded only by a few courtiers away from the glitz of Versailles. Of course, like Versailles, the castle was surrounded by pools, statues and majestic fountains. Today, only the park and a few statues remain, the castle and the annex buildings have been completely destroyed. A small museum museum near the reception desk allows you to have a vision of the site as it was at the time of Louis XIV.

The walk in the park is very pleasant, the entrance is free, the park is not very big and remains on a human scale. You can also admire the famous horses of Marly. If you are passing near Marly-le-Roi or Louveciennes or if you don't have the courage to face the crowd of the Versailles castle, don't hesitate to visit this park. Access is not easy by public transportation. There is a small parking lot right next to the park but it is quickly full.

Interest: good (1 user)
Difficulty:
Duration: 2 h.
Practical information

Le parking

The parking lot doesn't have much space but if you come a little early you will easily find a place to park. It is located right at the traffic circle.

The watering hole

The watering hole is a piece of water at the end of the park of the castle of Marly.
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The horses of Marly

The original statues of the horses of Marly are in the Louvre. The horses that are next to the watering hole at Marly le Roi are only very nice copies.
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Perspective

Like all the parks of the time we find these immense perspectives.
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Original of the horses of Marly

Here are the horses of Marly as they are exhibited in the Louvre Museum.
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Along the basin

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Under the trees

The grounds of Château de Marly still retain much of their charm of yesteryear. The shady paths, manicured lawns and flowering copses provide the ideal setting for a stroll or simply to relax in the heart of nature.
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View of the pond

The basin is one of the rare remains of the original park. A program of restoration of the various statues of the park is underway.
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The basin

In the summer, when the weather is nice, many people lie down and rest along the pool.
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The traces of the castle

Nothing remains of the castle built under Louis XIV. In the 20th century, stones were placed on the ground to symbolize the location of the castle.
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Another perspective on the park

After a slightly steep ascent we can have a magnificent view on the whole park.
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The old waterfall

Under Louis XIV a large waterfall descended from the park. Due to the astronomical cost of maintenance, at the death of the king the marble waterfall was replaced by a lawn.
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Other walks

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Visit to the Castle of Monte Cristo

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Gally's farm

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Walk in the arboretum of Chèvreloup

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A walk in the footsteps of the Impressionists. Bougival - Rueil-Malmaison
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