History
From seaside residence to marine aerium: the remarkable lives of the Château Hébert in Dinard
In Dinard, the Château Hébert evolved from an elegant holiday residence built in the 1870s to a marine aerium for children in 1947, before becoming today the headquarters of a foundation recognised as being of public utility, which will open its doors on 19 and 20 September 2026.
Editorial journal · Carte des Châteaux ·
A château does not always retain the same function over time. Holiday residence, holiday camp, convalescence centre, association headquarters: the uses of a single building can change, driven by the evolution of the society that surrounds it. The Château Hébert, on the Côte d'Émeraude in Dinard, perfectly illustrates this trajectory. Built between 1876 and 1879 as a seaside residence facing the sea, it became in 1947 a marine aerium for children, before becoming today the headquarters of a foundation recognised as being of public utility. On 19 and 20 September 2026, as part of European Heritage Days, the site will exceptionally open its doors to the public.
A château, multiple lives
A château does not always retain the same function. Holiday residence, care facility, association headquarters: on the Côte d'Émeraude, the Château Hébert has, over a century and a half, taken on several distinct roles — each a reflection of a different chapter in Dinard’s social history.
A seaside holiday residence inspired by the malouinières
Built between 1876 and 1879 for Philippe Hébert, a Parisian stockbroker, the building combines the steep roofs and dressed granite of the malouinières of Saint-Malo from the 18th century with more contemporary touches inherited from the Second Empire. Inside, an English-style hall and a grand double-flight staircase bear witness to the opulence of this seaside residence.
1947: the birth of the Notre-Dame-du-Roc aerium
In 1947, Marie-Thérèse Solacroup, the founder’s niece, transformed the property into a marine aerium under the name Notre-Dame-du-Roc. An aerium was an establishment designed to provide children with a fresh-air cure, by the sea or in the mountains — a type of facility once common in France. Upon her death, Marie-Thérèse Solacroup bequeathed the estate to a foundation tasked with continuing this social mission.
A timeline of the Château Hébert
What the 2026 opening will reveal
On 19 and 20 September 2026, visitors will be able to explore the château, park, and conservatory freely with the help of a visitor guidebook, also available in audio format. A participatory space ‘Memories and Transmission’, co-hosted with the Histoire et Patrimoine association, and a workshop on recognising old photographs will allow visitors to help reconstruct part of the site’s memory.
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