The Château de Monte-Cristo, a discreet castle set in the hills above Port-Marly in the Yvelines region of France, was the residence of the famous author of The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte-Cristo. Take advantage of the Heritage Days on September 20 and 21, 2025 to visit this monument and discover all the writer's secrets.
This neo-Gothic residence, built in 1846 by architect Hippolyte Durand on the heights of Port-Marly, is set in nine hectares of English-style parkland with grottoes and rockeries. This sumptuous property is adorned with a main residence, the Château de Monte-Cristo, which contains salons, a dining room, the library and a Moorish salon decorated with finely chiseled arabesques in stucco, created by Tunisian craftsmen.
The Château de Monte-Cristo, Alexandre Dumas' hidden and unusual home
Discover the Château de Monte-Cristo, the residence imagined by the writer Alexandre Dumas. Set in an English garden on the Saint-Germain-en-Laye side of the Yvelines region, this exuberantly styled 19th-century château and its small Château d'If (Yew Castle) are waiting to be discovered. We take you on a tour of this hidden heritage, listed as a historic monument. [Read more]
Alongside this residence, Alexandre Dumas had a neo-Gothic study built, the Château d'If, so that he could work in complete serenity. The writer had the names of his works carved into the facades, etching his work in marble.
To find out more about Alexandre Dumas's lifestyle at the Château de Monte-Cristo, or to discover some unusual anecdotes, the monument is offering a special tour to coincide with the Journées du Patrimoine (Heritage Days). Over the weekend, a variety of activities will delight the curious young and old alike.
Discover the Monte Cristo estate: its English-style gardens with grottoes, ponds and rockeries, the astonishing facades of Alexandre Dumas' study and the Château de Monte Cristo, the writer's three-storey home.
You can download a guided tour onto your mobile phone (bring your own earphones).
Exhibition
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### works by Lionel le Calvez
* Lionel le Calvez takes us on a journey. On his canvases, a joyful Breton maritime world takes us far away, in a whirlwind of colors.
* His sculptures, little men with bodies made of books, add splashes of color to the Alexandre Dumas park, bringing it to life like a large fishing port.
* Lionel le Calvez, like Alexandre Dumas, invites us to travel and daydream.
Theatrical presentations
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* Meetings with people who knew Alexandre Dumas or with characters from his imagination. Dumas' architect will be on hand to explain his project!
* Throughout the afternoon in the château courtyard, a costumed actor will be on hand to explain life at the château in the writer's day, or to let the public get up close to a character imagined by the author.
Ready for a new adventure? The Yvelines Heritage Days are yours!
Dates and Opening Time
From September 20, 2025 to September 21, 2025
Location
Monte Cristo Castle
78560 Port Marly (Le)
Prices
Enfants de moins de 8 ans: Free
Tarif journées du patrimoine: €5
Official website
www.chateau-monte-cristo.com
The Château de Monte-Cristo, Alexandre Dumas' hidden and unusual home
