Château de Flers, Historic castle in Flers, France

Château de Flers is a classified historical monument in the center of Flers, in Normandy, made up of two wings set at right angles to each other. One wing is older and shows bell-shaped roofs topped with small lanterns, while the other presents a classical facade added at a later stage.

A castle stood here from the 12th century, held by the families of Aunou and then Harcourt; the marshy ground between valleys was chosen for defence. The oldest surviving wing, flanked by two round corner turrets with bell-shaped roofs, was built by Nicolas de Grosparmy between 1527 and 1541. The Pellevé and La Motte-Ango families added the north wing at right angles and gave it a classical facade in 1764. Republican troops burned the old part in 1800, and the town bought the estate in 1901.

The castle now functions as a museum where visitors can walk through rooms filled with paintings and decorative objects from several European schools. The collection gives a tangible sense of how art was collected and displayed by wealthy Norman families over the centuries.

The castle is open to individual visitors during Heritage Days, and groups can book guided tours by appointment at other times of the year. It is worth checking in advance, as opening conditions may vary depending on the season.

The grounds of the castle contain a bird sanctuary set within a nature reserve that has existed in the city center since the early 1900s. It is rare to find a protected natural space of this kind so close to the heart of a town, right next to the castle park.