Château Guillaume-le-Conquérant
Château Guillaume-le-Conquérant, Falaise: Hours, Address, Château Guillaume-le-Conquérant Reviews: 4.5/5
Château Guillaume-le-Conquérant
Château Guillaume-le-Conquérant
4.5
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
The birthplace of William the Conqueror. Its restoration campaign now complete, this exceptional castle with its three keeps, walls and towers overlooks the city of Falaise. Discover this amazing fortification built by the first dukes of Normandy, later expanded by William's descendants and completed by King Philip-Augustus of France. Meet the great characters who shaped the Anglo-Norman territories and follow the epic stories that feature this mighty fortress. You will discover all the aspects of this ducal and royal castle through screenings of videos, recreated furniture, augmented reality and 3D objects on digital tablets. This is altogether a more complete, a more immersive and a more intense experience at the heart of the castle when dukes of Normandy and kings of England were rulers of the land. Prices: ADULTS: 8,50€ ADULT CONCESSIONS - STUDENTS: 6€ CHILDREN (6 to 16): 4€ (free under 6) FAMILY PASS: 21€ (2 adults and 1 child, all other children are free, 6 children max.)
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
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Top ways to experience Château Guillaume-le-Conquérant and nearby attractions
The area
Address
Best nearby
Restaurants
23 within 3 miles
Restaurant Le Vauquelin
412
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • French • European • Vegetarian Friendly
La Renaissance
171
0.3 mi$ • French • Bar • European
Le Jardin
189
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • French • European • Vegetarian Friendly
Au Cochon De Lait
113
0.1 mi$ • French • Bar • Pub
Restaurant ÔSaveurs
129
0.3 mi$$$$ • French • European
La Licorne
134
0.2 mi$ • French
Bar Les Remparts
23
403 ft$ • French
Restaurant La Citadelle
43
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Italian
Le Gars de Falaise
193
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • French • Bar • European
La Fine fourchette
369
0.4 mi$$$$ • French • European
Attractions
11 within 6 miles
Statue Équestre de Guillaume-le-Conquérant
4
105 ftMonuments & Statues
Falaise Memorial
155
124 ftSpeciality Museums • History Museums
Eglise De La Trinité De Falaise
2
309 ftReligious Sites
Office de Tourisme du Pays de Falaise
2
220 ftVisitor Centers
Automates Avenue
134
0.2 miSpeciality Museums
Musée André-lemaître
1
0.2 miArt Museums
Église Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais
20
0.4 miPoints of Interest & Landmarks • Churches & Cathedrals
Eglise Saint-Laurent de Falaise
2
0.7 miReligious Sites
La Brèche Au Diable
1
Hiking Trails
Eglise De Carel
1.1 miChurches & Cathedrals
Contribute
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
865 reviews
Excellent
487
Very good
282
Average
62
Poor
19
Terrible
15
Jonathan M
3 contributions
Couples
An ancient building that was badly abused and damaged in WWII has now been uniquely repaired and presented utilising modern technology enabling visitors to once again discover a lot about William the Conqueror and his descendants and how they lived.
Staff were all very pleasant and helpful with most been bi lingual, signage all provided with English translations, and audio visual presentations all had sub titles.
Climbing to the top of the main tower affords panoramic views of Falaise and surrounding countryside.
Being a genuine castle with steep narrow stairs access will unfortunately be beyond some less able bodied individuals.
Staff were all very pleasant and helpful with most been bi lingual, signage all provided with English translations, and audio visual presentations all had sub titles.
Climbing to the top of the main tower affords panoramic views of Falaise and surrounding countryside.
Being a genuine castle with steep narrow stairs access will unfortunately be beyond some less able bodied individuals.
Written July 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
CoupeColonel
Wareham, UK382 contributions
Family
Having come here over 30 years ago it has changed a bit although the central feature of the ruined chateau with modern replacements for the missing bits remains as fascinating as ever. Enhanced with virtual reality views of the interiors and some very good short explanations of the characters and history involved I thought it was great. So did my 7 year old who rushed ahead to look at each room. Even my wife liked it!
Written October 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
John B
Brussels, Belgium298 contributions
Couples
I know not everyone appreciates the modern materials used in refurbishing this castle but I found it very well done. You get a real idea of how the castle must have been when it was lived in. The refurbishment of the tower in particular is extremely well done. The tablets, although fiddly, give an impression of the decoration as it would have been. I found the audio/visual presentations and information panels very good, particularly the speaking characters. The view from the top of the tower is breathtaking. You can visit the grounds of the castle and see a film without paying anything (i.e. without entering the keep/tower). Lots of stairs in the castle itself, so a difficult visit if you have mobility issues.
Written July 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Kentravellers
Kent95 contributions
We really enjoyed our visit, especially with the handheld tablet which was excellent as it showed you what the Castle would have originally looked. The history of William the Conqueror was very interesting and explained the French/English relationship over the centuries. We visited during Covid and felt very safe as all the usual safety steps are in place like the UK, plus you have to show your Covid vaccination certificates to be able to enter. We would recommend a visit if you are interested in history.
Written September 22, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
IrishRover
Pittsburgh, PA2,705 contributions
Couples
We spent about an hour and half in the castle and grounds. The tablet they offer really gave a great perspective on the furnishing of the times. The views from the top are amazing and the history over the years was really great. Overall we are glad we came and enjoyed our time
Written June 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
John W
De Panne, Belgium6 contributions
Couples
Modern materials used on an old great fortress. Steel and concrete was udes instead of stone and woord. Real schame. Nothing is done to create an authentic feeling. Not outside and not inside.
Written May 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
JeanneAlbi
Wallasey230 contributions
Couples
This is a fantastic castle ! Go visit it! It's William the Conqueror's birthplace and his first seat of power. The town itself is fascinating with a terrible past during WWII, in this the 70th anniversary there is a very moving and interesting photographic exhibition across the whole town explaining the tragic build up to D Day and it's aftermath. This led us to the wonderful, powerful statue of William in the square below the castle.
The castle was damaged during the war and has been restored but in a brilliantly clever way. The destroyed parts have been boldly replaced by steel, glass and strange canvassed areas. You really need to see it to appreciate it. It works really well. The entire history is played out so well by short filmed biographies thrown onto the castle walls and William and his contemporaries and heirs bring their story vividly to life, in their own words.If you want there are also iPads with more information available but these are not really necessary. The whole effect is entertaining, fascinating and I learnt so much ! Easily one of the best castles I have ever visited in terms of presenting the past. And the view from the top of the donjon tour is fanatic. The whole of Falaise and surrounding areas spread before you.
The castle was damaged during the war and has been restored but in a brilliantly clever way. The destroyed parts have been boldly replaced by steel, glass and strange canvassed areas. You really need to see it to appreciate it. It works really well. The entire history is played out so well by short filmed biographies thrown onto the castle walls and William and his contemporaries and heirs bring their story vividly to life, in their own words.If you want there are also iPads with more information available but these are not really necessary. The whole effect is entertaining, fascinating and I learnt so much ! Easily one of the best castles I have ever visited in terms of presenting the past. And the view from the top of the donjon tour is fanatic. The whole of Falaise and surrounding areas spread before you.
Written October 21, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Rebecca S
3 contributions
Family
As a rather tech-savy 17 year old English girl on holiday with my parents (aged 63 and 62), I have to say I loved the innovative concept of using tablets to demonstrate what the chateau would have originally been like.
Visiting castles is always a must on family holidays as it is something that is usually safe for both my parents and myself to enjoy, and enjoy this I did! I was surprised at the vivid colours of the original décor and the use of the extra information was great as there was none of this annoying waiting for someone else to move so you could read some information. I had a great time and the views from the higher points of the chateau were simply breathtaking. If I was making this review based on my experience alone it would easily be an "excellent" rating.
However, I have to give it an "average" due to my parents' experience. Neither of my parents are particularly healthy and so the idea of the steps made them very apprehensive. After walking up the first stair case, my parents began using their tablets in the first room at which point they both malfunctioned and switched out of the app that is meant to be used. This was not an unusual problem evidently as a French couple behind us had had the same problem and had already been back to the reception to fix it and quickly fixed the malfunctioning tablets.
So, on my parents continued with no complaints. However, three rooms on my parents began being very confused as to how I knew so much about all of the items they were seeing on their screens. When I explained to them that if you press a few buttons you can get information screens to pop up and give you more information (this was not explained to us when we were given the tablets and obviously was not clear to my parents that this was the idea). When they started trying to use this feature, both of their tablets displayed the information in French! Neither of my parents can speak a word of French so I offered to swap with one of them so they could share the English and I'd use the French, however as they both needed to use the restroom at this point they decided to go back to the reception, get the language changed and then we'd regroup.
This gave me the opportunity to climb up the staircase of many stairs to see the few upper rooms and get onto the roof (I can't remember what the actual names were). These views were absolutely breathtaking and I'm gutted that my parents- who would never have made it up those stairs- missed it.
Walking back down these stairs was an absolutely frightening experience, my size 7 feet being about triple the size of each step swirling down, but I managed to survive the experience and regroup with my parents.
The rest of the chateau was beautiful and the chapel was just incredible.
When we were leaving the chateau my dad expressed how disappointed he was, which was something I didn't understand until he explained further: yes, the tablets are great in terms of finding out information and seeing the difference between then and now, but it's not very visitor friendly. There's nothing in the chateau to actually photograph, there's nothing you can touch, nothing you can stand beside and make stupid faces: it's all digital.
At the time, this digitalisation is great, but how can you explain this to people when you return from your trip when you have no evidence and nothing to remind you of the experience you had?
Visiting castles is always a must on family holidays as it is something that is usually safe for both my parents and myself to enjoy, and enjoy this I did! I was surprised at the vivid colours of the original décor and the use of the extra information was great as there was none of this annoying waiting for someone else to move so you could read some information. I had a great time and the views from the higher points of the chateau were simply breathtaking. If I was making this review based on my experience alone it would easily be an "excellent" rating.
However, I have to give it an "average" due to my parents' experience. Neither of my parents are particularly healthy and so the idea of the steps made them very apprehensive. After walking up the first stair case, my parents began using their tablets in the first room at which point they both malfunctioned and switched out of the app that is meant to be used. This was not an unusual problem evidently as a French couple behind us had had the same problem and had already been back to the reception to fix it and quickly fixed the malfunctioning tablets.
So, on my parents continued with no complaints. However, three rooms on my parents began being very confused as to how I knew so much about all of the items they were seeing on their screens. When I explained to them that if you press a few buttons you can get information screens to pop up and give you more information (this was not explained to us when we were given the tablets and obviously was not clear to my parents that this was the idea). When they started trying to use this feature, both of their tablets displayed the information in French! Neither of my parents can speak a word of French so I offered to swap with one of them so they could share the English and I'd use the French, however as they both needed to use the restroom at this point they decided to go back to the reception, get the language changed and then we'd regroup.
This gave me the opportunity to climb up the staircase of many stairs to see the few upper rooms and get onto the roof (I can't remember what the actual names were). These views were absolutely breathtaking and I'm gutted that my parents- who would never have made it up those stairs- missed it.
Walking back down these stairs was an absolutely frightening experience, my size 7 feet being about triple the size of each step swirling down, but I managed to survive the experience and regroup with my parents.
The rest of the chateau was beautiful and the chapel was just incredible.
When we were leaving the chateau my dad expressed how disappointed he was, which was something I didn't understand until he explained further: yes, the tablets are great in terms of finding out information and seeing the difference between then and now, but it's not very visitor friendly. There's nothing in the chateau to actually photograph, there's nothing you can touch, nothing you can stand beside and make stupid faces: it's all digital.
At the time, this digitalisation is great, but how can you explain this to people when you return from your trip when you have no evidence and nothing to remind you of the experience you had?
Written August 6, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Lesleyannbarlow4845
Dorchester, UK1,089 contributions
Couples
We read about is in a leaflet we picked up in Caen and had to go see the Chareau in Falaise. The castle is well signposted as you come to Falise. It does not have on site parking but there are plenty of places to park in the town. The Castle was a really interesting visit and visitors are given Ipads which are a really jnteresting concept in showing you what the rooms would have looked like and in each room the talking images projected onto the wall of the key characters was so vivid.
You can go right to the top of the tower, some of the stairs are very narrow but there are so e great views.
You can go right to the top of the tower, some of the stairs are very narrow but there are so e great views.
Written February 26, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
J S
Germany16 contributions
Solo
Old castle from William the Conquestor in a new style. Walking through the castle with an iPad is a unique experience. The iPad gives you a new impression of the former look and the life of the people. Very interesting!
Written September 7, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Scousegirl46
Vancouver, Canada30 contributions
I will visiting the Castle in June this year, with my husband John. As I do genealogy and recently found one of my relatives was related to William the Conqueror, but not sure how they are related is there anyway I could find out the relationship? Name of the relative Harold de Vaux born around 1010. According the information I've got was related to William and the family name de Baux who claim they are descendants from the Magi King, Blthazar, marvellous if it's true. I'm hoping when I'm visiting I have an opportunity to clarify this information. I know probably I'm grasping at straws that you would know this information, but you might be able to point me in the right direction to further my research. Many thanks, Angela Barnes
Carlos D
20 contributions
I would like to know if the castle is open to tourists during the month of January, because I intend to travel to France this month. I appreciate your answer.
Carlos D
20 contributions
Bonjour
J'aimerais savoir si le château est ouvert aux touristes pendant le mois de janvier, car j'ai l'intention de voyager en France ce mois-ci.
J'apprécie votre réponse.
How long do you need to allow to enjoy a trip to the castle?
Jacqueline L
Barnsley, UK151 contributions
It really depends on your own level of interest. I would say at least an hour, maybe two if you want to read everything and watch all the videos. The best thing is that it's self guided via the iPad so timing is in your hands
Frequently Asked Questions about Château Guillaume-le-Conquérant
- Château Guillaume-le-Conquérant is open:
- Sun - Sat 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
- We recommend booking Château Guillaume-le-Conquérant tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 2 Château Guillaume-le-Conquérant tours on Tripadvisor
- Hotels near Château Guillaume-le-Conquérant:
- (0.15 mi) Camping du Château
- (0.34 mi) Castel Saint-Leonard
- (0.25 mi) Cabane d'Arlette, grande terrasse en centre-ville
- (0.33 mi) Hotel De La Poste
- (0.45 mi) Les Premontres
- Restaurants near Château Guillaume-le-Conquérant:
- (0.08 mi) Bar Les Remparts
- (0.14 mi) Au Cochon De Lait
- (0.25 mi) Restaurant Le Vauquelin
- (0.29 mi) La Renaissance
- (0.23 mi) Le Jardin