Benoit
18/06/2025
The estate
The Château des Zoaques, located between Rouen and Honfleur, just 1 hour and 30 minutes from Paris, was Sacha Guitry’s summer residence. This unique Anglo-Norman-style manor house, with its refined interior, is surrounded by a landscaped garden designed by Claude Monet, adding to its charm and unique character.
Nestled in a lush bend of the Seine, this 20-hectare property offers an idyllic setting for a stay in Normandy. Here, you’ll enjoy a wide range of high-end amenities—including a swimming pool, tennis court, sauna, and fitness center—for a stay that combines relaxation and recreation.
The Manoir des Zoaques is the ideal place to gather with family or friends, whether for a weekend or a week-long vacation. Renting this exceptional estate offers a one-of-a-kind experience, immersed in French history and culture, in a setting of rare elegance.
The Estate in Pictures
Explore the estate
On the outskirts of the small village of Yainville, at the end of a long driveway lined with majestic cedars, stands the Manoir des Zoaques, a 19th-century Anglo-Norman-style castle. Its unique silhouette captivates with its colorful glazed tiles, traditional half-timbering, and ceramic finials featuring refined designs.
The estate stretches through the heart of a forest of oak, beech, and maple trees, offering refreshing walks. A lookout point overlooks the Seine, offering a spectacular view of the river and its peaceful meanders. The garden, designed by Claude Monet, is filled with rhododendrons and roses, a testament to the painter’s visit here to see his friend Sacha Guitry.
For your relaxation, the estate offers a swimming pool with blue mosaic tiles, a tennis court, and a summer lounge under a thatched canopy—perfect for enjoying sunny days. Three llamas, living down below in an old farmhouse, add a unique and charming touch to this place.
Reception
Lounges and Reception Rooms
Even today, just like Sacha Guitry, you welcome your loved ones and friends into the magnificent series of living rooms and reception halls, each with its own unique atmosphere.
Ground floor of the castle
- Large library lounge
This theatrical space features a cathedral ceiling and an imposing Nordic fireplace . It is ideal for sharing convivial moments by the fireside. - A small bar in the tower
Accessible directly from the grand lounge, this cozy bar is located in one of the towers and extends into a turret dedicated to chess.
Billiards RoomLocated next to the lounge, it invites you to continue your conversations over a game in an elegant, cozy setting.- Claude Monet Dining Room
This bright and warm dining room welcomes your family meals or gatherings with friends, decorated in homage to the painter who likes to stay here. - Fully equipped kitchen
Functional and spacious, it allows you to prepare meals on your own or host a private chef. - Small dining room with a TV
Adjacent to the kitchen, it’s perfect for family breakfasts or more casual meals.
First floor:
- Wellness Room:
This area, located above the kitchen, is dedicated to your physical well-being and features a sauna, massage chairs, exercise equipment, and a shower.
Second floor:
- Winter lounge
Large, bright living room arranged opposite a monumental fireplace.
Outdoor Living Room
- Pagoda Lounge: Accessible from the bar, this covered outdoor area features an outdoor fireplace and a barbecue, creating the perfect setting for your summer evenings in the garden.
Just like Sacha Guitry, you’ll fall under the spell of Les Zoaques. It was in this peaceful setting that he wrote his first films and hosted glamorous parties attended by the cream of Parisian society, since Les Zoaques is just 1 hour and 30 minutes from Paris. Among his regular guests were Claude Monet, Marguerite Moreno, Jules Renard, and Octave Mirbeau. A few years later, King Olav V of Norway also stayed at the château.
Large living room with a library
Cathedral ceiling and a stately Scandinavian fireplace.
Small bar in the tower
An intimate bar extended by a turret dedicated to chess.
Billiards Room
Next to the living room, an elegant and cozy setting.
Claude Monet Dining Room
Bright and warm, in tribute to the painter.
Fully equipped kitchen
Functional and spacious, or perfect for hosting a private chef.
Small dining room with a TV
Adjacent to the kitchen, for casual meals.
Wellness Room
Sauna, massage chairs, exercise equipment, and a shower.
Winter Fair
A large, bright living room facing a monumental fireplace.
Living Room Under a Pagoda
Covered outdoor area with a fireplace and barbecue.
Housing
The Rooms
The eight rooms at the Château des Zoaques can accommodate about twenty people in two separate wings. They are all lit by large windows with small panes, offer a beautiful view of the park or the Seine, and retain the timeless charm of the Roaring Twenties style.
Ground floor of the addition designed by Sacha Guitry
- Yellow Room
, for 2 people – 1 double bed (160 cm) - Red Room
, 3 people — 1 double bed (140 cm) and 1 single bed (90 cm) - Bathroom with toilet and separate toilet
1st floor of the addition
- “Fleurs” Room
, 2 people – 1 double bed (140 cm) - Blue Room
, sleeps 3—1 double bed (140 cm) and 1 single bed (90 cm) - Blue bathroom with a toilet
2nd floor of the addition
- Mauve Room
2 people – 1 double bed (140 cm), washbasin in the room - Mosaic-tiled shower room with separate toilet
- Chambre Blanche
, sleeps 3—1 single bed (90 cm) and 1 double sofa bed (140 cm), sink in the room
2nd floor of the original part of the castle
- Family Room
Sleeps 6 – 1 double bed (140 cm) and 2 double sofa beds (140 cm)
Each room offers a peaceful retreat: you can go there to read, write, or simply relax, away from the hustle and bustle of the group.
Ground Floor
Yellow Room
1 double bed (160 cm)
Bathroom: Bathroom with toilet (shared) and separate toilet
First floor
Red Room
1 double bed (140 cm)
Bathroom: Blue bathroom with toilet (shared)
Ground Floor
Flowers Room
1 double bed (140 cm) and 1 single bed (90 cm)
Bathroom: Bathroom with toilet and separate toilet
First floor
Blue Room
1 double bed (140 cm) and 1 single bed (90 cm)
Bathroom: Blue bathroom with a toilet
Second floor
Purple Room
1 double bed (140 cm), sink in the bedroom
Bathroom: Mosaic-tiled shower room with separate toilet
Second floor
White Room
1 single bed (90 cm) and 1 double sofa bed (140 cm), sink in the bedroom
Bathroom: Mosaic-tiled shower room with separate toilet
Second floor (original section)
Family Room
1 double bed (140 cm) and 2 double sofa beds (140 cm)
Outbuildings
Guest houses and outbuildings
Located in the grounds of the Château des Zoaques, Le Cottage was also commissioned by Sacha Guitry
Since it’s all on one level, it’s ideal for a family.
It consists of a living room, a dining room, and a fully equipped kitchen, as well as:
- Master bedroom: features 1 160-cm bed (Queen Size)
- Children’s room: 1 90-cm bed + 1 extra bed if needed
- In the living room, there is a 140-cm sofa bed
- Shower and Toilet Room
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Availability
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Our Rates
The property is always rented out in its entirety to a single family. You’ll have the entire castle—which sleeps 21 people—at your disposal, along with its grounds, including a pool and tennis court.
The rental price includes heating, water, electricity, yard maintenance, and cleaning at the end of your stay. Bed linens and towels are provided. The beds will be made upon your arrival.
Security deposit required: 3,000 euros.
Prices available upon request, starting at 3,800€.
| Season | Stay | With reception | Without reception |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low seasonFrom November through March, except for Christmas and New Year's Day | |||
| 3-day, 2-night weekend | — | — | |
| 7-day week | — | — | |
| Mid seasonFrom April through June 30, September, and October | |||
| 3-day, 2-night weekend | — | — | |
| 7-day week | — | — | |
| High seasonJuly, August, Christmas and New Year | |||
| 7-day week | — | — | |
Heritage
The History of the Castle
19th centuryLes Zoaques is an unusual castle that takes its name from one of Sacha Guitry’s plays. It was Guitry himself who gave it its current appearance. In 1913, a Parisian newspaper wrote: “Guitry has purchased a magnificent property near Rouen, offering a splendid view of the Seine. And there, the playwright plans to build a princely summer residence.”
Throughout its 150-year history, the estate has welcomed distinguished guests, including King Olav V of Norway, but its heyday was in the 1910s, when Sacha Guitry made it his summer residence. Later, Marthe Hanau, the scandalous banker of the Roaring Twenties—portrayed by Romy Schneider in Francis Girod’s *La Banquière* —became the estate’s owner.
Sacha Guitry then transformed Les Zoaques into a hotspot for “Parisian life in the provinces,” bringing together the worlds of the arts, entertainment, and cinema. At just 30 years old, Guitry was already a playwright, actor, stage director, film director, and screenwriter, embodying the French spirit so beloved by the public. His plays brought him money, honors, and success, but it is less well known that, as early as 1915, he turned his attention to a burgeoning art form— cinema—and became a filmmaker. His first film, *Ceux de chez nous*, shot in the midst of the war, featured Auguste Rodin, Claude Monet, Anatole France, and Auguste Renoir. Monet remembered this and regularly visited Les Zoaques as a neighbor and friend.
Guitry loved wit; he was funny and brilliant. The list of his guests attests to this: Octave Mirbeau, Jules Renard, Jean Cocteau, Sarah Bernhardt, Marguerite Moreno, Rachel Boyer, Colette, among many others. A great seducer, he was passionately in love with women. It was with Charlotte Lysès, his first wife and an actress, that he bought Les Zoaques. After their divorce, he left her the property and married Yvonne Printemps in 1919, at a wedding where Sarah Bernhardt, Georges Feydeau, and Tristan Bernard served as witnesses.
Guitry would never return to Les Zoaques, but he continued to captivate the French imagination for nearly half a century. Among his famous witticisms:
- “When you’ve just listened to Mozart, the silence that follows is still his.”
- “Breaking up isn’t about leaving someone; it’s about both of you parting ways.”
- “What’s the point of learning what’s in books, since it’s already there?”
- “Morphine was invented so that doctors could sleep soundly.”
For his guests at Les Zoaques, Guitry drew up a set of house rules consisting of ten points. The second-to-last point states:
“Guests arriving between Saturday and Monday are asked not to extend their stay beyond Wednesday.”
A sign that life at Les Zoaques is so pleasant that it’s hard to leave…
These rules are still posted at the château, and Guitry’s spirit continues to reign there, ready to welcome those seeking a unique place that is at once elegant, cultural, and full of whimsy.
In the surrounding area
Things to Do in the Area
In France, in Seine-Maritime, in the heart of the Normandy region, in the Boucles de la Seine Regional Park, between Paris, Honfleur, Rouen, and Deauville, the Manoir des Zoaques is an ideal starting point for many cultural visits.
The 7th century Jumièges Abbey, located in the neighbouring village of Zoaques, was described by Victor Hugo as “the most beautiful ruin in France”.
Rouen is classified as a City of Art and History. Its impressive cathedral has been painted several times by Claude Monet.
Deauville is an international reference, a meeting place for film stars and turf players. Its beaches, its casino, its elegant establishments participate in the legend of this city.
Honfleur invites you to discover its picturesque streets and half-timbered houses covered with slate. City of painters and Impressionism, Honfleur has that extra soul that makes it irresistible. On the Seine estuary, the changing lights of the sky inspired Courbet, Monet, Boudin and many others.
Etretat, a romantic open-air theatre on the English Channel, has inspired the most illustrious artists. The singular shapes of its cliffs, the Manneporte, the Courtine or the Aiguille, invite the imagination.
Getting There
Location & Practical Information
From Paris, head toward Rouen.
From Rouen, head toward Le Havre. Take the D43, pass through La Vaupalière, then take the D47, pass through the village of La Fontaine, follow the Seine on the D982—known as the Route du Havre—and pass through Duclair.
After Duclair, turn left toward Jumièges. After passing through the center of Yainville, the entrance to the Manoir des Zoaques will be on your right. A wrought-iron gate opens onto a wide avenue lined with conifers.
Castle area: 800 m², park area: 20 hectares
Total sleeping capacity of the manor: 21 people, 8 bedrooms
Layout of the castle’s rooms:
Ground floor:
- Living room/library with a large Nordic-style fireplace
- Bar in a tower and turret with a chess set
- Billiards Room
- 2 dining rooms
- Fully equipped kitchen
Ground floor of the addition designed by Sacha Guitry:
- 2 bedrooms
- 1 bathroom with a toilet
- 1 separate toilet
First floor of the addition built by Sacha Guitry:
- 2 bedrooms
- 1 bathroom with a toilet
2nd floor of this addition:
- 2 Bedrooms
- 1 shower room
- 1 toilet
- 1 Winter Show
2nd floor of the original part of the castle:
- 1 Family Room:
Above the kitchen:
- Wellness Room on the 1st floor
On the garden level, accessible from outside: game room with ping-pong, foosball, and sports equipment
In the 20-hectare park:
- The Cottage
- Swimming Pool
- Tennis
- Outdoor living area with a barbecue
- Fields and communal lands with three llamas
Swimming PoolTennisWellness AreaService plus
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