Gardens
How a 19th-century landscape designer transformed this Breton estate
In Finistère, the park of the Trohanet estate, redesigned in 1872 by landscape architect Denis Bühler, has transformed the perception of a 15th-century château. The estate will exceptionally open to the public from 18 to 20 September 2026.
Editorial journal · Carte des Châteaux ·
A château is never viewed in isolation: it is the surrounding landscape that often shapes the first impression one retains. In the 19th century, a generation of landscape designers set about rethinking this staging entirely, replacing the geometric gardens inherited from classicism with parks conceived as living paintings. The Trohanet estate, in Finistère, offers a particularly accomplished example of this transformation: in 1872, landscape architect Denis Bühler redesigned an old terraced park into a vast English garden, still largely discernible today. The estate will exceptionally open its doors from 18 to 20 September 2026, on the occasion of the European Heritage Days.
A château is never viewed in isolation
What one remembers of a château often owes as much to the landscape surrounding it as to its stones. In the 19th century, professional landscape designers turned this staging into an art form in its own right—and the Trohanet estate, in Finistère, offers a particularly clear demonstration.
From a terraced park to an English garden
Before 1872, Trohanet had a terraced park, in the tradition of regular gardens. That year, landscape architect Denis Bühler transformed it into an English-style landscape park: undulating terrain, multiple perspectives on the château, and a vast four-hectare body of water. The works were not completed until the early 20th century.
A chronology of the estate
Three days to discover Trohanet
The Trohanet estate will exceptionally open to the public from Friday 18 to Sunday 20 September 2026, on the occasion of the European Heritage Days, with an exhibition dedicated to its architectural and landscape history. On Sunday 20 September, a book signing by journalist Jean Bothorel and a piano recital by Shiho Narushima will complete the programme, at 3pm and 4.30pm.
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