There are many day trips you can take from Paris, but one of the best for any fan of literature or architecture is to visit the Castle of Monte Cristo just outside of Paris. It’s a charming castle that author Alexander Dumas (1802-1870) had built for him in 1844 after his two novels, The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers , put it at the top of the 19th century bestseller lists.
To escape the pressure of his fame, Dumas moved from Paris to Saint Germain-en-Laye and later found land on a hill next to Le Port-Marly for his new project, which would be his’ miniature paradise on earth. ».
His rather romantic vision was of a Renaissance castle with the smaller red brick Le Château d’If as his workspace, an English-style park, and many grottoes, rockies, and small waterfalls. Money was no problem and he hired the fashionable architect Hippolyte Durand, who designed the Basilica of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Lourdes in 1872.
Surrounded by a rolling park, the Renaissance-style castle is quite small. Its honey-colored facade, only three stories high and topped with round domes, is covered with stone carvings of floral motifs, angels, musical instruments, and great writers and philosophers such as Dante, Homer and Shakespeare. Dumas himself is center stage above the main entrance.
How to get around
The castle is charming, quite a cozy castle that you can imagine living in. It takes you through the story of this extraordinary writer.
Wander through a small set of rooms decorated with furniture, art, sculptures, and artifacts. The Moorish room on the first floor is a surprise among the European-style decor, but is as authentic as you could wish for. The intimate room, perfect for seduction, was decorated by a Tunisian craftsman whom he met during his extensive travels and brought back to work in the building.
The history
A generous host and bon viveur , he lived surrounded by his lovers and friends, perches and his dogs, cats, parrots and monkeys. Despite the large amount of money he made, he was forced to sell the castle, although it remained there until 1851. After that, Dumas lived a peripatetic existence in Belgium, Russia, and Italy.
Dumas died in 1870 at Puys, near Dieppe, in the home of his son Alexandre Dumas the Younger, better known as The Lady of the Camellias . The castle passed from hand to hand, suffered neglect and was left in ruins. It was rescued from destruction in 1969 by local authorities and the Friends of Monte-Cristo.
Dumas’s reputation as a literary giant suffered a rollercoaster as fashions changed and it was not until the end of the 20th century, his reputation was restored. Today, movies and TV series claim that his classics, including The Man in the Iron Mask and The Count of Monte Cristo (set on the Isle of If, near Marseille) are familiar to a whole new generation.
Practical information to get there
- Address: Monte-Cristo Castle, 78560 Le Port-Marly.
- Open: from April 1 to November 1, Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 12:30 pm and from
2 to 6 pm from November 2 to March 31, Sundays from 2 pm to 5 pm
Transport
- By train and bus: From Paris, take the train from Gare Saint Lazare to Marley-le-Roi SNCF station or the RER A line to Saint Germain-en-Laye. Take bus 10 from the station, signed with Saint Nom la Bretèche. Get out at Les Lampes. Walk down Kennedy Avenue and then turn right onto Chemin des Montferrand.
- By car: take the A13 motorway. Exit at Saint-Germain-en-Laye towards N186. Follow the signs for Saint-Germain-en-Laye. At 6 th traffic lights, take the road to the left Marly le Roi. Take the Chemin du Haut des Ormes to the Clinique de l’Europe. There is an automatic gate that gives access to the castle car park. Ring the doorbell to access.
