The park of the castle of Kintzheim, in the Bas-Rhin, west of Sélestat, was built in 1807.
It is located below the exteriors of an old 12th century castle, destroyed by the bishops of Strasbourg then rebuilt in the 14th and 15th centuries.
The site was acquired in 1802 by the future Baron of the Empire, Mathieu de Faviers, who had a Directoire-style manor built lower down.
As for the old fortress built in sandstone from the Vosges, it is the backdrop of choice for the park, laid out like a romantic route between the medieval ruins and the 19th century residence.
The overall style of the park is inspired by the paintings of the then fashionable masters, the painters Nicolas Poussin, Claude Gelée dit "Le Lorrain" and Hubert Robert.
The perspective of the garden is organized around an axis 600 m long following the valley overlooked by the ruins. Despite this geometric aspect, the variety of species planted in 1807 or replanted since gives movement to the general framework of the garden, and marks out all the vertical points.
Designed in this way, the "English garden" style park is both a painting in itself and lends itself to walking.
Labeled Remarkable Garden and protected as historical monuments, the site is private. Open to free visits all year round but only by appointment (except for events such as Rendezvous in the gardens and Heritage Days). Information on +33 3 88 82 04 45.
