Château de la Napoule

The Chateau de la Napoule is more than just a beautiful gem along the Côte d'Azur with its wonderland-like gardens and quirky sculptures and carvings throughout. It is a standing love story between Henry and Marie Clews evident from the "Once Upon A Time" etched over an arched doorway to the on-site crypt tower that holds both husband and wife. It is also a fascinating story of Marie's grit when she decided to return alone after Henry's passing to save the Chateau from ruin as she sat though not one, but two world wars here. Knowing the rich history of the Chateau, it is truly like living in a storybook tale and in some ways feels wrong to stay as a guest here. 6 years after our first time falling in love with this place, returning brought back all the feels. Breakfast on the terrace each morning looking out at the calm sea. Walking the 2 minutes down to the tiny beach, Plage de la Raguette, where this time our kids paddle boarded and snorkeled most mornings. The cafe here serves pretty hearty fare for dine-in (table seating) or takeaway (to your beach spot). My husband had steak and frites, our kids had cheeseburgers, and I had the chicken Caesar salad and all were decent for the convenient location. Walking across the street to our favorite gelato stand and rotisserie chicken store. The local market Spar, Cecilia (fresh produce market), and pharmacy are all a few minutes walk and have all come in handy for last minute needs. Cannes is a 10-15 minute drive and was a fun spot for a date night wandering the streets with all the various shopping and bistros one can desire. July is inevitably a popular wedding month and we saw two weddings during our stay and even were treated to a fireworks show one night because of it. Even if you don't get to stay at the Chateau, it is well worth a visit for the garden lover, history lover, art lover, or castle enthusiast. There's something magical about this place and it's definitely a must-see if you're in the French Riviera!

Beautiful place and a must visit if you are in the area. Loved my visit here. The beach to the left of the palace is lovely.

Overall a great experience! The stunning setting and architecture of this renovated castle is worth the visit. Interpretive signage is in both French and English. The house tour (French) was interesting and gives you the chance to learn more about the history of the property and see more of Henry Clew's bizarre artwork, if you're into that sort of thing. The only downside was the garden. While the garden is "pretty", I find it rather horticulturally lacking. It's a shame considering it would be a stunning example of an Arts and Crafts style garden given the proper oversight of a garden curator with trained staff. Hedges and trees have not been properly trimmed in a while, weeds are rampant, the pool is in disrepair and full of algae, the lawns look raggedy, the footpaths need to be weeded, the pergola lacks any sort of interesting climbing flowering interest such as wisteria or laburnum, many borders are left unplanted and are rather filled with weeds, and the few containers that are planted are rather uninspired, featuring just white petunias. I did notice that there is one area of the garden undergoing renovation (which is accessible only during the house tour), however the garden staff does not seem to be trained in caring for a historic property. They had a pile of dirt directly on one of the historic Arts and Crafts style stone patios, from which they were shoveling directly, no protection covering the patio. Hiring a head gardener with experience in preserving gardens on historic properties would take this castle to a 5 star visit.

A well-preserved Chateau with beautifully manicured gardens, situated beside a lovely little beach with lovely views.

A must visit! Pleasant tour of this beautifully maintained chateau of an American couple. Guided tours at 2:30pm in French so you can enter inside. The tour guide was very helpful and friendly. Unfortunately the second floor is not to be visited since there are artists living there.

Very nice lady at the entrance. The season of the Castle hasn't begun so the site is only open on Fridays ( so we were really lucky) Nice view on the sea. We came too late to have a guided excursion inside the castle, but the garden was nice too. The price of the tickets is affordable.

Chateau was a lovely place to spend a few hours. Just check their web site before you go as some days the chateau is closed for weddings and events.

I visited here last September. Was not busy perhaps it was out of the usual tourist seasons. This is a place of complete romance and art. It tells a love story of an American couple who settled in France and fell in love with the people and the town. Highly recommend a walk around the outside of the chateau, the beach nearby, I even enjoyed a lunch at the nearest restaurant facing the ocean. Recommend to pre-book a guided tour (although only offered in French, you can only go into the chateau with a guided tour). Enjoy and have fun people! 🥰