Situated on the hillside of Port-Marly, the Château de Monte-Cristo, a listed Historic Monument, was built in 1846 by the architect Hippolyte Durand for the writer Alexandre Dumas, following the success of The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte-Cristo.
This charming 19th-century Renaissance residence boasts sumptuous façades adorned with carvings of bouquets of flowers, angels, musical instruments, weapons, portraits of writers and strange animals. Inside, you can discover the artist's world through documents, paintings and period furniture. The highlight is undoubtedly the Moorish Salon, an architectural marvel adorned with mosaics, stained glass windows and sculpted motifs!
Opposite the château stands a neo-Gothic pavilion, nicknamed the "Château d'If" by the writer, which housed his study. Stones in the walls of this miniature château bear the titles of his works. In the pretty English-style park, the finest species of trees stand alongside pools, waterfalls, grottoes and rockeries, giving the place a romantic atmosphere in keeping with the writer's world.
On the last Sunday of every month from February to November, fun dramatised tours led by costumed actors depict life at the château in the writer's day. Creative activities such as treasure hunts, scavenger hunts and workshops are organised for children in the château grounds.
