• Prangins Castle
  • Prangins Castle
  • Prangins Castle
  • Prangins Castle
  • Prangins Castle
  • Prangins Castle
  • Prangins Castle

Prangins Castle


Prangins, VD
  • Prangins Castle
  • Prangins Castle
  • Prangins Castle
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Prangins Castle, linking nature and culture

With its five hectare estate, including a park and gardens, Prangins Castle is a unique location and a popular destination for families. Located on a hill that overlooks Lake Geneva and has been inhabited for thousands of years, this residence was built in the 1730s in a classicistic style with harmonious proportions. The building houses eight permanent exhibitions and presents three special exhibitions every year such as “Swiss Press Photo” and “World Press Photo”. Audio tours and exhibition texts are available in German, French, Italian and English.

The menu of the café in the castle's west wing is inspired by the historical kitchen gardens and is a great place for a snack in between exhibition visits or a small meal on the covered terrace.
Events and festive occasions. The museum with its gardens, rooms and exhibitions is a popular venue which combines nature and culture in a unique way. 

Chintz. How a Fabric Conquered the World

The new permanent exhibition Chintz. How a Fabric Conquered the World, interweaves local and global history and considers Switzerland’s links to the wider world. It sheds light on the involvement of many Swiss people in key chapters of the modern period, including industrialisation, the triangular trade, colonisation and slavery.

Décors. Masterpieces from the Collections

An item of furniture, a decorative object, a wall covering, a lamp: all of them speak volumes about our way of life, our tastes, our values and our occupations. Taking as its starting point some key objects from the Swiss National Museum, the exhibition reveals just how much an interior can tell us about the people who lived in or created it. 

Portrait Gallery

Voltaire, Jacques Necker, Joseph Bonaparte, Katharine McCormick and Bernie Cornfeld are just some of the well-known figures who have lived or stayed at Château de Prangins. In the large hallway on the first floor, these former inhabitants reappear like ghosts to surprise visitors and recount anecdotes.

"Noblesse oblige!"

The permanent collection "Noblesse oblige! Life at a Château in the Eighteenth Century" introduces visitors to the lives and times of the social élites. Baron Louis-François Guiguer and his wife guide their guests through the entry hall across a red marble floor into a decadent salon with silk damask tapestries. Audio tours and games ensure an entertaining visit for visitors of all ages.

Switzerland's largest historical vegetable gardens

Covering an area of 5500 m2 and boasting a unique collection of more than a hundred species of ancient fruits and vegetables, the castle's vegetable gardens are the largest in Switzerland. A separate audio guide and detailed map reveal all of its secrets. Additionally the information centre in the former Dépendance holds answers to many questions on gardening and botany in the 18th century and also to modern problems such as the preservation of biodiversity.

A stroll through the period of Enlightenment

A path decorated with twenty life-sized elegant silhouettes of famous personalities such as Voltaire, Madame de Staël or Joseph Bonaparte ensures that a leisurely stroll through the natural beauty of the gardens is also a cultural experience.

Let the journey begin! A fun exhibition for families

For the first time in Switzerland, a museum is launching a permanent exhibition in the form of a role play specially designed for very young visitors, with two levels to choose from in four languages (French, English, German, Italian): one for children aged 4 to 10 and the other for ages 11 and above. Each visitor can play the parts of nine individuals in total from three eras - the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries - travelling around using means of transport from the time, starting with a stage coach and a boat before moving on to a train and a paddle steamer.

What is Switzerland?

The world’s oldest democracy, a major financial centre and perpetual armed neutrality – is that the reality of Switzerland, or just a series of clichés? This exhibition sets out to explore those myths and measure them against the everyday lives of the Swiss population, from the 18th century to the present day. 

opening hours

Tuesday – Sundays and public holidays: 10 am – 5 pm

Café du Château: 9.30 am - 5.30 pm, nightly check on http://www.cafe-du-chateau.ch.

Mondays, 25 December and 1 January closed 

Prices

Admission to the visitors’ centre, kitchen garden and outdoor walk around the castle is free of charge.

Individual visitors

  • Adults: CHF 13
  • Senior citizens, disabled, unemployed, students, military: CHF 10
  • children until the age of 16: free

 

Free entrance

  • Swiss Museum Pass
  • Raiffeisen-Maestro card, Raiffeisen VISA card, V Pay or Raiffeisen MasterCard (members/young members)
  • ICOM (International Council of Museums), ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites), AMS (Swiss Museums Association)
  • Refugee (persons with permit N, S, B, F) or foreigner (persons with permit F)
  • Association of the Friends of the Château de Prangins
  • Friends of the Landesmuseum Zürich
  • Official press ID
visitor information

The museum and footpath are accessible to individuals with limited mobility. One wheelchair is available at the reception and there is also a suitable lift.

There are picnic areas around the castle.

Dogs are allowed in the castle courtyard and café.

Gastronomy

On site

When visiting the museum, why not drop into Café du Château? Located in a wing of the castle, the café offers indoor seating for fifty people. In fine weather you can also sit on the terrace and enjoy lovely views of the park. The café is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10.30 to 17.00. Self-service, lunch menu and cakes are on offer. 

Nearby

  • Café des Alpes, Prangins
  • Auberge de Prangins, Prangins
  • Auberge de Luins, Luins
Arrival

By public transport

Bus from Nyon railway station (approx. 10 minutes)

  • Bus 805 to «Prangins,Musée natioanl»
  • Bus 811 «Les Abériaux»

By car

A1 motorway: From Geneva, take the Nyon exit, from Lausanne the Gland exit, then follow the signposts.

There are plenty of free parking spaces along Route Suisse. From here, it is a pleasant five-minute walk through the Abériaux meadow to the castle.

Assistance for persons with reduced mobility: +41 (0)22 994 88 90

Google maps directions 

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