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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!…
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Date of experience: October 2020
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Falaise castle is erected from the tenth century onward on a rocky outcrop dominating the river Ante. The defining edifices of the present stronghold are dated twelfth (great and little keep) and early thirteenth century (Talbot tower). Throughout the ages the fortress is besieged seven times until being taken and decommissioned by king Henry IV in 1590. Afterwards it slowly decays until being listed a historic monument in 1840. Visitors are handed a lot of keys to interpret the fortress : An outstanding film portrays the various stages of construction. A tablet with 3D reconstructions of rooms is complemented by a guidebook, information panels and fantastic view master boxes in the courtyard. Topics covered are not only the history and layout of Falaise castle but also the dukes of Normandy, life in a medieval fortress and medieval firearms. Prior to our visit I was concerned about the use of modern materials and technology in a medieval castle but I am happy to say both worked out really well at Falaise. I wouldn’t want heritage architects standardising this method but here it made a refreshing change. Honour and praise to the city, the management and the staff for their exemplary upkeep of this formidable stronghold !…
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Date of experience: December 2019
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Recommended by our hosts nearby. Impressive medieval fortress, brought to life by the self-guided visit with audioguide. We "met" the Conqueror, the Plantagenets, Philippe Auguste in this beautiful setting. Fascinating.
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Date of experience: May 2019
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A great place to visit, around the grounds they have places which you can look through and it shows what the modern day view would look like over 900 years ago. When you are inside the main part of the castle you can get a tablet (free) that shows you what the actual rooms woild look like back in time (certainly worth getting one). There are a lot of steps so could be difficult for people with walking problems.…
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Date of experience: September 2019
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William the conqueror was born in the castle As you approach the keep there are posts that allow you to visualise different aspects of the castle The visitors centre is modern with excellent toilets The price of admission includes an iPad that allows you to see rooms as they likely existed in Williams time An additional feature allows you to view certain highlighted objects and explains their purpose The friezes have another layer of information In some rooms projected images come to life as you enter and you are thus guided through family history history This immersion really brings the castle to life I particularly enjoyed the models of the various seige engines where the iPad allowed you to manipulate them through different planes and then to see them in action The last room through a video gave the story of the lead up to the battle of Hastings I read some criticism of the overall design but think the architect did an excellent job in creating an accessible monument Note that there are many stairs, and spiral stairs so those with mobility issues would have great difficulty …
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Date of experience: October 2019
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