“A Castle life” day!

Discover the Norman nobility by going to the Domaine du Château de Pontécoulant and take a break in the château’s tea room. Extend your day with a stroll through the town of Condé-sur-Noireau with its excellent Espace-Musée Charles Léandre presenting the works of the eponymous caricaturist painter as well as the collections related to Norman artists and the history of Condé. Also discover the printing trades with early 19th century materials at the Typographical Printing Museum. Passionated about history, welcome!

Pontécoulant Castle

Located in the heart of the Norman Bocage, on the edges of the Druance, the Pontécoulant estate brings together the distinctive marks of the nobility: castle, gamekeeper’s and gardener’s pavilions, dovecote, landscaped park, vegetable garden, outbuildings, farm, wood and land.
The Le Doulcet de Pontécoulant family settled there in the 14th century. Rebuilt in the 16th century, their home was extended in the 18th century.
From the second half of the 17th century, the family lived in Caen and especially in Paris: the castle became a summer residence.

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Decorations, furniture and familiar objects reflect the 19th century way of life of this aristocratic family: dining room, large living room, billiard room, bedrooms on the ground floor and on the first floor contain furniture of various origins: French furniture with renowned stamps, exotic furniture, regional furniture, testifying to the taste for travel and the attachment of Le Doulcet de Pontécoulant to this region.

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After your visit, take a break in the chateau’s tea room “Agustine’s boudoir” and taste delicious cakes with a breathtaking view of the gardens.

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Condé-sur-Noireau:

Extend your day with a stroll through the town of Condé-sur-Noireau, a bocage town located in the heart of Suisse Normande, and walk the streets of this town which was, for more than a century, a very prosperous industrial city. Partly destroyed as a result of the bombings of 1944, the marks of the past will punctuate your stroll.

Restaurants

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You want pancakes? Meet at La Licorne, in downtown Condé-sur-Noireau. Do you prefer a brasserie? L’Astrolabe and Café des Quais will welcome you!

Charles Léandre Museum

Charles Léandre Museum, is located at 9/11 rue Saint Martin, in a place called « L’Atelier », grouped with the media library, on the site of a former clothing workshop.
This completely free, 3 floors museum is definitely worth a visit.

On the ground floor, you enter the space dedicated to Charles Léandre (1862-1934), a famous caricaturist painter. You will discover more than 80 works (paintings, pastels, drawings, lithographs, posters, sculptures, etc.) which illustrate the talent of this artist from Orne who became one of the figures of Montmartre at the start of the 20th century, speaking with accuracy , tenderness and humor of their time.

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On the 1st floor is the temporary exhibition space as well as the collections related to Norman artists: Eduardo Leon Garrido (1856-1949), Edmond Debon (1846-1922) and Jack Mutel (1935-2016). The rooms dedicated to the painter Eduardo Leon Garrido, which represent a set of 74 works containing landscapes, portraits, gallant scenes and still lifes, provide a good overview of the talent of this renowned Spanish painter, originally from Madrid, who arrived in France in 1875. To continue his studies, and who spent the last ten years of his life in Caen.

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The top floor highlights the local memory of Condé-sur-Noireau’s rich industrial past as well as the characters who marked its history such as the explorer Jules Dumont d’Urville. The highlight of the visit is a 40m² model that will transport you to the Condé before the bombings of June 6, 1944.

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Accomodation

The Tourist Office offers a wide choice of lodges and guest rooms, in Condé-sur-Noireau or in the surrounding countryside, click here.

A little further :

Discover the printing professions at the Typographical Printing Museum with machines dating from the 19th century. Passionate about industrial history, welcome!

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Museum of typographic printing: Corlet numérique, Rue des Léopards, ZA Charles Tellier, CONDE-SUR-NOIREAU 14 110/02 31 59 20 67
Open Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Enjoy your stay in the Pays de Vire 🌿

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