Discover the ideal palace of the facteur Cheval during your camping holiday
The postman Ferdinand Cheval imagined the construction of a palace during his rounds (thirty kilometres on foot each day). In 1879, using stones collected (always during his tours), Ferdinand Cheval began to build a very heterogeneous architectural ensemble. All styles are mixed: Egyptian, Hindu, French-style fortress, Roman temple... All of this is embellished with colossal statues and two waterfalls, the Source of Life and the Source of Wisdom. During the visit, we pass from the time of the pharaohs to the Middle Ages, from the architecture of Angkor to that of a mosque. The people of the time only remembered the eccentricity of this "palace". But later, Picasso, André Breton and the Surrealists recognised it as a brilliant work of naive architecture. Since 1969 it has been classified as a historical monument thanks to André Malraux, who supported the classification procedure against the opinion of the officials of the Ministry of Culture at the time, who stated in a report that "the whole thing is absolutely hideous".
It took Ferdinand Cheval 40 years to build this unique palace.
Where to stay?
To help you organise your camping holiday in the Drôme and your visit to the Palais Idéal, we have selected a number of campsites in Hauterives.
Practical information:
Opening hours: December and January: 9.30 am to 4.30 pm; February to March and October to November: 9.30 am to 5.30 pm; April to June and September: 9.30 am to 6.30 pm; July and August: 9.30 am to 7 pm.
Open every day all year round except on 25/12, 01/01 and from 15 to 31/01.
Prices 2022: Adult: €9.50, Reduced: €6.5 (people with disabilities, jobseekers and students), Children: €5.5, free for children under 6.
Contact details:
8, rue du palais
26390 Hauterives
Tel: +33 (0)4 75 68 81 19
Website: facteurcheval.com