NOVEMBER 2024
Though I had already visited Etretat in 2018 I never visited the gardens of Etretat that look out over the village and the cliffs. Ever since seeing pictures of this incredibly well designed garden I knew I had to revisit Etretat. In 2024 I finally created the opportunity, as we would be driving through Normandy on our way to Ireland. I forced Hielke to visit the Jardins d’Etretat with me and it blew my expectations out of the water!
Practical information
The gardens are located on a hill and there is no parking on the hill. You have two options to reach the gardens: by foot or with the tourist train that drives through Etretat. I love walking, so of course we went by foot. It was quite steep, but the views over Etretat are amazing, so it is the perfect work out. Definitely take the route with the stairs from the beach, just gorgeous!
There is no need to make reservations, we visited in high season in the middle of the day and there was no queue at the entrance. The garden is quite small and very popular, so you might need some patience while taking pictures, but nothing too crazy. During the high season tickets are slightly more expensive than usual at € 14 per person. Kids are free until they are 8.
Jardins d’Etretat
French actress Madame Thébault is the one who built the villa on the cliffs in 1905, where you can now find the gardens. In 2017 the landscape architect Alexandre Grivko rediscovered the gardens and created a modern garden, which still honors the history. The gardens celebrate art, feature many art objects and often host exhibitions. It also has little “jokes” such as a tree that functions as a music box, a swing and perfume objects, making it a fun discovery for kids as well. I found the gardens absolutely spectactular, especially the area which looks out over the cliffs. We spent about 1,5 hours enjoying and amazing ourselves 🙂 The gardens are open almost year-round, with a short winter closure. They feature a lot of evergreens so I am sure there is a lot to see even in the shoulder season.
Etretat
Don’t forget to take a walk over the beach and the falaises d’Etretat! It is gorgeous in every season, below you can see that we visited on a sunny summer day and years ago on a windy spring day. I personally didn’t love the restaurants in Etretat, some of them are really past glory. The town itself is definitely worthy of a walk around, especially in spring and summer while the blooms are out!
