3000 steps to the King's Garden
Welcome to the video guide "3000 Steps to the King's Gardens"for a royal walk of about 1 hour and 30 minutes, discovering theRoyal Park of la Garenneand theKing's GardensinNérac.
Beginning your visit on the castle forecourt, you will set out to explore an emblematic heritage and walk in the footsteps of the youngHenry of Navarre, the futureKing Henry IV.
This route along the Baïseconsists of 6 points of interest enhanced by signage, videos, and testimonials from specialists.
- Start: Forecourt of the Henri IV Castle-Museum
- Elevation gain: 45 meters
- Distance: 2.5 km
- Duration: 1:30
- Color/marker for signage: interpretive signage
● Point 1: Henry of Navarre in Nérac
● Point 2: The paths of the three thousand footsteps
● Point 3: Fountains and stories
● Point 4: About the Fountain of The Dauphin during the Belle Epoque
● Point 5: The Baïse along the towpath
● Point 6: The King’s Garden
Point 1: Henry of Navarre in Nérac
Henry made Nérac his favorite place of residence after leaving the French court where he had been held since his marriage in 1572 to Marguerite de Valois, the notorious Queen Margot, King Charles IX's sister. In the 16th century, a lord's mansion could not be imagined without a park and gardens. Go down the steps, cross the bridge, and on the right, enter the Royal Park of the Garenne...
Point 2: The paths of the three thousand footsteps
Here we are in the Park of the Garenne, covering 35 hectares, which in 1909 was the first listed site in Aquitaine. In the 16th century, only the occupants of the castle had access to it via a private bridge...
Point 3: Fountains and stories
We are here at the edge of the first park and the paths of the three thousand footsteps. This Saint Jean fountain dates from the 16th century. At that time, Henry had a chapel built nearby so that his Catholic wife could attend Mass at some distance from the castle and the very Protestant town of Nérac. It was the only place allowed for Catholic worship in Nérac, since after her conversion, Jeanne d'Albret, Henry's mother, had imposed Protestantism on the town and had all the Catholic churches destroyed.
Point 4: About the Fountain of The Dauphin during the Belle Epoque
Point 5: The Baïse along the towpath
This point is essentially audio! Listen as you start your fifteen-minute walk towards the next point. Since 2009, the footbridge has linked the Park of the Garenne to the King's gardens located on this bank. In the 16th century, access to either was only possible through the castle. The Baïse has been a source of wealth since ancient times, as all the land in this area is fertile and arable. But flooding has also caused a lot of damage on several occasions. You may have noticed the marks left by floodwaters in the last century on the walls of the chalet.
Point 6: The King's Garden
At last here is the site of the famous Jardin du Roi, the King's garden created by Henry IV's grandfather and brought up to the style of their time by Henry and Margot. The "Jardin d'évocation Renaissance," the Renaissance-style garden where you are standing, was created in 2008 to recall the garden as it was in Henry's day. The 16th-century pavilion with two rooms, one above the other, and a fine fireplace is situated in the northeast corner of the garden.
©2014 – A production byFragile editionsfor the city ofNérac
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