The People's Gardens - P2

Château des Milandes

Besides a rich tradition of beautiful grounds and parks, one of the reasons France has so many stunning places to visit is that the French government takes historic preservation very seriously.  There are all sort of incentives for public and private spaces to be maintained and offered for people to enjoy and appreciate.

For example, especially lovely villages are awarded the Plus Beaux Village designation and there are fewer than 160 of them in the whole country.  To keep that lofty label, they must maintain a standard of beauty, upkeep, and overall presentation.  Here in our village that means flowers in boxes and planters three seasons a year, litter pick up, and of course obtaining permission from the mayor should you ponder changing the color of your shutters.

This gentle nudging to preserve history extends to grand estates.  Grants and tax breaks are on offer if the owners of châteaux, manors, and other historically significant properties meet certain requirements of opening up their spaces to the public.  Some of these estates are still, or once again, lived in.  Some have been completely turned into public venues.

Château des Milandes falls into the latter category.  Most famous as the French home of Josephine Baker, the interior of this grand building is dedicated to evoking her life and accomplishments - truly amazing, and, ultimately, tragic.  But outside is an excellent example of the formal French garden.

There's a raptor show twice a day, which I missed, and of course a café where you can tuck into lunch after a morning of exploring.  Milandes is also off the beaten track a bit so the drive there is lovely and the surrounding scenery a nice backdrop.

But for a truly spectacular and stunningly diverse formal French garden, with everything from fountains and reflecting ponds to topiary farm animals, the must-see is Les Jardins du Manoir d'Eyrignac, just northeast of the perennially-touristy Sarlat-la-Canéda.

D'Eyrignac is a bit of a hike no matter where you start from - for me, it was about 90 minutes - but once there you are truly transported to another world.  You drive in through a thick grove of scrub oak high on a hilltop.  The entrance is of course, a gift shop and a café, and then it's hard to know which way to turn.

Looks just like my veggie garden!

These posts have just scratched the surface - photos!  I could show you photos!  But, hopefully they offer a taste of the seemingly endless places to stroll, picnic, and marvel at what nature and humans can do together.