Parks and gardens to visit around Rouen

OPEN: The Sculpture Garden – Château de Bois-Guilbert.

2026 Season Programming

MODELING WORKSHOPS WITH LIVE MODEL
First weekend of each month (with some exceptions), from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Supervised by professional sculptors.

3 EVENTS LABELLED “NORMANDY IMPRESSIONISM”:

Creation of an “Impressionist Painters’ Garden” by sculptor Jean-Marc de Pas, from April 1st to November 1st
– 20 busts of major painters from the Impressionist period.

Exhibition “Impressionist Gardens” by painters of the Rouen School, from April 18th to June 28th
Curated by Antoine Bertran and the Friends of the Rouen School.
Around thirty paintings displayed in the castle salons.

Exhibition “The Uniqueness of Color” by visual artist Caroline Coppey, from July 4th to November 1st
Contemporary art exhibition in the salons, the chapel and the garden. Pastels, oils, and acrylics on canvas and fabric.

SPRING FESTIVAL, during the World Topiary Days, May 9 & 10, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Organized by Rotary Rouen Collines in support of young people with multiple disabilities from EEAP Tony Larue.
Exhibitors and activities centered around gardening and nature. Food and refreshment stand.

ART AND GASTRONOMY EVENING, 2nd edition.

Saturday, May 23, from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Guided garden tour with Jean-Marc de Pas, followed by a candlelit dinner with Chef Johann (reservation required).

BOIS-GUILBERT ELEGANCE, by Art Automobile
Sunday, July 5, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Classic car elegance competition accredited by the FFVE.
Vintage cars, exceptional bodywork, innovative engineering, and craftsmanship showcased.
Bistronomic menu by Chef Johann (reservation required). Food stand available.

MUSICAL SUMMER IN THE GARDEN, 7th edition
From July 12 to August 16, every Sunday at 6 p.m.:

July 12: Luosha Fang (violin & viola), Kit Armstrong (piano)
July 19: Madeleine Bazola-Minori (mezzo-soprano), Allyn Wu (baritone), “New Voices in Normandy” tour by Le Poème Harmonique
July 26: Julian Trevelyan (piano), Juliette Sieffert (cello)
August 2: Fériel Kaddour (piano)
August 9: Claire Fraysse (soprano), Malo Courbaron (piano)
August 16: Citadelle Quartet – Raphaël Garac (violin), Meiko Nakahira (violin), Paolo Schena (viola), Pauline Boudon (cello)

Concert & cocktail with Chef Johann (reservation required)

SOLAR ECLIPSE – LECTURE – PICNIC
Wednesday, August 12, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Lecture at 6 p.m. by Didier Blavette on “Our solar system and the universe.”
Garden visit and picnic.

BOIS-GUILBERT RETRO, 17th edition
Sunday, August 23, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Gathering of vintage and prestige cars.
Vehicle registration required.
Bistronomic menu by Chef Johann (reservation required). Food stand available.

OPEN: The Rediscovered Garden – Martainville Castle

Cultural program:

EXHIBITION – “I Will Go See My Normandy Again”
From April 11 to September 27
Guest artist: Photographer Charles Fréger

The concept of folk arts and traditions in France emerged in the 19th century through the work of folklorists and ethnographers. It continued into the 20th century with the regionalist movement, aiming to preserve and promote local cultures and traditions, leading to the creation of museums of folk arts and traditions and folkloric groups.

The exhibition presents, from the 19th to the 21st century, the collection, interpretation, and promotion of customs, costumes, songs, dances, and language in Normandy.

Guest artist, photographer Charles Fréger, presents his photographic work titled ATP / Les Normandes. For several years, Charles Fréger has explored regional identities across France, in Brittany, Alsace, Provence, and the Basque Country. For this new chapter dedicated to Normandy, he focuses on traditional headdresses as well as distinctive objects from folk arts and traditions, captured through silhouette-style photography.

Exhibition organized in partnership with La Fabrique de Patrimoines en Normandie and La Loure, Musiques et Traditions Orales de Normandie.

Numerous workshops for children and guided tours are also available.

Clères Park

Cultural program:

EXHIBITION “From Dinosaurs to Birds – Discover, Understand and Protect Living Things”
From March 21 to November 1, 2026

Discover the world of birds, key players in our biodiversity. Immerse yourself in an exhibition inspired by the expeditions of Jean Delacour, founder of Clères Park. Through an evocative scenography—lush jungle and a ruined temple—explore the remarkable adaptations of birds, the threats they face, and the actions taken to protect them.

Around thirty naturalized specimens and educational materials reveal their essential role in ecosystems. A tribute to naturalists, past and present, to better understand and protect these fragile species.

For over 5,000 years, humans have maintained a special relationship with animals, from royal menageries to modern zoos. A visionary, Jean Delacour redefined the role of the zoo as a place of knowledge, conservation, and research, as exemplified by Clères Park. This exhibition traces that evolution and highlights current challenges: animal welfare, biodiversity preservation, and scientific advances. It also opens a reflection on the future, where the zoo becomes a key player in conservation and dialogue between humans and animals.

Free admission. Located on the mezzanine of the reception area.

OPEN: The Matmut Contemporary Art Center – Daniel Havis for the Arts

Permanent exhibition of artists’ gardens in the park.

Bina Baitel Exhibition until June 7

This exhibition highlights the unique world of the designer and architect, where design, art, and architecture come together through innovative objects and furniture that invite interaction and a rediscovery of everyday life.

This first major monographic exhibition in France presents a selection of emblematic and recent works, showing how Baitel transforms familiar objects into surprising, poetic, and sensory pieces.

OPEN: Mortemer Abbey

The abbatial palace, the Museum of Legends and Ghosts, the romantic ruins of the church, the Dukes of Normandy Path, the dovecote, the cloister, the 12-hectare park with its three ponds, and the small animal park are open every day from 1:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Medieval festival on the weekend of August 15.

OPEN: The Sculpture Garden – Château de Bois-Guilbert. 2026 Season Programming MODELING WORKSHOPS WITH LIVE MODEL First weekend of each month (with some exceptions), from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Supervised by professional sculptors. 3 EVENTS LABELLED “NORMANDY IMPRESSIONISM”: Creation of an “Impressionist Painters’ Garden” by sculptor Jean-Marc de Pas, from April 1st to November 1st – 20 busts of major painters from the Impressionist period. Exhibition “Impressionist Gardens” by painters of the Rouen School, from April 18th to June 28th Curated by Antoine Bertran and the Friends of the Rouen School. Around thirty paintings displayed in the castle salons. Exhibition “The Uniqueness of Color” by visual artist Caroline Coppey, from July 4th to November 1st Contemporary art exhibition in the salons, the chapel and the garden. Pastels, oils, and acrylics on canvas and fabric. SPRING FESTIVAL, during the World Topiary Days, May 9 & 10, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Organized by Rotary Rouen Collines in support of young people with multiple disabilities from EEAP Tony Larue. Exhibitors and activities centered around gardening and nature. Food and refreshment stand. ART AND GASTRONOMY EVENING, 2nd edition. Saturday, May 23, from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Guided garden tour with Jean-Marc de Pas, followed by a candlelit dinner with Chef Johann (reservation required). BOIS-GUILBERT ELEGANCE, by Art Automobile Sunday, July 5, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Classic car elegance competition accredited by the FFVE. Vintage cars, exceptional bodywork, innovative engineering, and craftsmanship showcased. Bistronomic menu by Chef Johann (reservation required). Food stand available. MUSICAL SUMMER IN THE GARDEN, 7th edition From July 12 to August 16, every Sunday at 6 p.m.: July 12: Luosha Fang (violin & viola), Kit Armstrong (piano) July 19: Madeleine Bazola-Minori (mezzo-soprano), Allyn Wu (baritone), “New Voices in Normandy” tour by Le Poème Harmonique July 26: Julian Trevelyan (piano), Juliette Sieffert (cello) August 2: Fériel Kaddour (piano) August 9: Claire Fraysse (soprano), Malo Courbaron (piano) August 16: Citadelle Quartet – Raphaël Garac (violin), Meiko Nakahira (violin), Paolo Schena (viola), Pauline Boudon (cello) Concert & cocktail with Chef Johann (reservation required) SOLAR ECLIPSE – LECTURE – PICNIC Wednesday, August 12, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Lecture at 6 p.m. by Didier Blavette on “Our solar system and the universe.” Garden visit and picnic. BOIS-GUILBERT RETRO, 17th edition Sunday, August 23, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Gathering of vintage and prestige cars. Vehicle registration required. Bistronomic menu by Chef Johann (reservation required). Food stand available.
OPEN: The Rediscovered Garden – Martainville Castle Cultural program: EXHIBITION – “I Will Go See My Normandy Again” From April 11 to September 27 Guest artist: Photographer Charles Fréger The concept of folk arts and traditions in France emerged in the 19th century through the work of folklorists and ethnographers. It continued into the 20th century with the regionalist movement, aiming to preserve and promote local cultures and traditions, leading to the creation of museums of folk arts and traditions and folkloric groups. The exhibition presents, from the 19th to the 21st century, the collection, interpretation, and promotion of customs, costumes, songs, dances, and language in Normandy. Guest artist, photographer Charles Fréger, presents his photographic work titled ATP / Les Normandes. For several years, Charles Fréger has explored regional identities across France, in Brittany, Alsace, Provence, and the Basque Country. For this new chapter dedicated to Normandy, he focuses on traditional headdresses as well as distinctive objects from folk arts and traditions, captured through silhouette-style photography. Exhibition organized in partnership with La Fabrique de Patrimoines en Normandie and La Loure, Musiques et Traditions Orales de Normandie. Numerous workshops for children and guided tours are also available.
Clères Park Cultural program: EXHIBITION “From Dinosaurs to Birds – Discover, Understand and Protect Living Things” From March 21 to November 1, 2026 Discover the world of birds, key players in our biodiversity. Immerse yourself in an exhibition inspired by the expeditions of Jean Delacour, founder of Clères Park. Through an evocative scenography—lush jungle and a ruined temple—explore the remarkable adaptations of birds, the threats they face, and the actions taken to protect them. Around thirty naturalized specimens and educational materials reveal their essential role in ecosystems. A tribute to naturalists, past and present, to better understand and protect these fragile species. For over 5,000 years, humans have maintained a special relationship with animals, from royal menageries to modern zoos. A visionary, Jean Delacour redefined the role of the zoo as a place of knowledge, conservation, and research, as exemplified by Clères Park. This exhibition traces that evolution and highlights current challenges: animal welfare, biodiversity preservation, and scientific advances. It also opens a reflection on the future, where the zoo becomes a key player in conservation and dialogue between humans and animals. Free admission. Located on the mezzanine of the reception area.
OPEN: The Matmut Contemporary Art Center – Daniel Havis for the Arts Permanent exhibition of artists’ gardens in the park. Bina Baitel Exhibition until June 7 This exhibition highlights the unique world of the designer and architect, where design, art, and architecture come together through innovative objects and furniture that invite interaction and a rediscovery of everyday life. This first major monographic exhibition in France presents a selection of emblematic and recent works, showing how Baitel transforms familiar objects into surprising, poetic, and sensory pieces.


OPEN: Mortemer Abbey The abbatial palace, the Museum of Legends and Ghosts, the romantic ruins of the church, the Dukes of Normandy Path, the dovecote, the cloister, the 12-hectare park with its three ponds, and the small animal park are open every day from 1:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Medieval festival on the weekend of August 15.

Gardens in Normandy - Opening calendar