Château de Coppet
Castle of the Necker and Germaine de Staël family on Lake Geneva, with furniture, paintings and memorabilia; visits by guided tour only.
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About the museum
Coppet was founded around 1280 by Humbert IV of Thoire and Villars; only the south wing of the medieval fortress survives in today's classical building. In 1536, when Bern conquered the Vaud, the castle was stormed and burned by the Bernese. In the 17th century the Counts of Dohna gave it its U-shape; later the Geneva banker Jean-Jacques Hogguer gave it its present appearance.
In 1784 Jacques Necker, banker and former finance minister of Louis XVI, bought the house as a summer residence and had it completely restored. He spent his last years here; the mausoleum for him and his wife was built in 1793/94. His daughter Germaine de Staël inherited Coppet in 1804 and, after her banishment by Napoleon, turned it into the "Salon of Europe": around her gathered the Coppet Group, a center of liberal, intellectual opposition to the Empire.
Auguste de Staël transformed the French garden into an English landscape park and created the "Retour d'Égypte" library in 1819; Mathilde d'Haussonville set up a troubadour chapel in 1880. Since Necker's time the castle has stayed in the family, which still lives there and has opened it to visitors for almost a century. In 2008 Count d'Haussonville transferred the use and operation of the castle, along with its collections and park, to the nonprofit Fondation Othenin d'Haussonville.
Highlights
- Summer residence of Jacques Necker and home of Germaine de Staël
- Setting of the Coppet Group and the "Salon of Europe"
- Furniture, paintings and art objects from the family history
- English landscape park and the Neckers' mausoleum
- Visits by guided tour only
Permanent exhibition
- Besichtigung des Schlosses mit Führung – The tour shows the living and salon rooms of the Necker and de Staël family, with signed furniture, paintings and art objects.
- Founded
- 1924
- Operated by
- Fondation Othenin d'Haussonville pour le rayonnement de l'esprit de Coppet
Admission & discounts
| Adults | CHF 12 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | CHF 8Students, AVS (Swiss old-age pension) pensioners, unemployed people |
| Children & teens | CHF 6Rate for children aged 7 to 16. |
| Seniors | CHF 8AVS pensioners |
| Students & apprentices | CHF 8 |
| Groups (10+ people) | CHF 10 per personFrom 10 people, per person; for smaller groups a flat fee of CHF 100. Booking ideally one month in advance. |
| Residents of Coppet | CHF 6 |
| Carte des hôtes de Divonne | CHF 8 |
Free admission with the Swiss Museum Pass (association of Swiss museums), Raiffeisen membership and Pass Musées – Nyon Région. Payment in cash or by card, in CHF or EUR.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Coppet (Bahnhof) · 5-min walk
Coppet train station (Geneva Cornavin in 10 minutes, Nyon in 5, Lausanne in 40); bus lines 811 (Coppet–Nyon–Gland) and 814 (Coppet–Divonne); CGN boats stop at Coppet, with the pier a 5-minute walk away.
By car
Paid parking
Paid parking next to the castle.
By car, take the Coppet-Divonne motorway exit, then about 10 minutes to Coppet.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café: not available
- Museum shop
Reception and shop in the former kitchens (postcards, souvenirs, books on Necker and de Staël). No café in the castle; the historic village center has restaurants and cafés.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
- Private parties
- Corporate events
- Weddings / ceremonies
Up to 280 guests.
Six spaces: Pressoir (up to 200 people), Salle des vignerons, Écuries, Salle des barons, cellar (up to 280 people) and the park. Salle des barons and Salle des vignerons are approved for civil weddings. Inquiries to receptions@chateaudecoppet.ch.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | The castle can only be visited with a guided tour. Group tours are also possible with a thematic focus and should preferably be booked one month ahead; outside opening hours, book 7 days ahead. |
