Château d'Asnières-sur-Seine, an exceptional, little-known heritage site on the outskirts of Paris

Rue du château, in Asnières, is impossible to miss. With its wrought-iron gates and cream-colored facade, the Château d'Asnières is one of those little-known monuments, yet it's steeped in centuries of history. Listed as a historic monument since 1996, its history is far from a smooth ride.

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It was the Marquis de Voyer d'Argenson, in 1752, who commissioned the creation of the château, located not far from the banks of the Seine, with its beautiful French gardens (no longer in existence). At that time, he brought in the best architects of the day to build a château from which he could see the Château de Clichy (now gone). The Château d'Asnières then passed from hand to hand, becoming a party venue under the Second Empire and then a school. Finally, in 1992, the town of Asnières-sur-Seine bought the building, even though it was in a pitiful state. Since then, numerous renovation campaigns have restored the Château d'Asnières to its former glory.

You can now visit what was once the home of the Marquis de Voyer d'Argenson, with the antechamber or the magnificent dining room with its gilded moldings on the first floor. There's also the marquis's bedroom, his valet's bedroom and, upstairs, the luminous rooms dedicated to the gentleman's guests of honor. From the soberly decorated servants' rooms, with their relatively low ceilings, we move on to rooms richly decorated with woodwork, marblework and painted shutters. If you come to visit the château on a self-guided tour, an audioguide is provided free of charge: thanks to this device, you'll discover the history of each of the château's rooms. Alternatively, you can opt for a guided tour (also free of charge)!

If you're looking for a historical tour of a little-known site just outside Paris, the Château d'Asnières-sur-Seine is well worth a visit!

Les Dimanches du Marquis: free tours of Château d'Asnières, every 1st Sunday of the month
Perhaps you didn't know it, but the town of Asnières-sur-Seine, in the Hauts-de-Seine department, has a castle: the Château d'Asnières. So, on the first Sunday of every month, the town council makes it a point of honor to invite visitors to discover its heritage through guided tours or free admission. [Read more]