Brittany · Finistère, France

Château de Keriolet

A flamboyant neo-Gothic fantasy outside Concarneau, rebuilt by the Russian princess Zénaïde Narychkine and Quimper architect Joseph Bigot. Through her line the château passed to Prince Felix Yusupov — famed as an assassin of Rasputin — giving this Breton confection its improbable Russian imperial thread.

At a glance

Built: Rebuilt 1862–1870s on older manor
Style: Neo-Gothic flamboyant
Commissioned by: Princess Zénaïde Narychkine, to designs by Joseph Bigot
Signature feature: Bigot's flamboyant neo-Gothic gables, gargoyles and carved granite
The princess: Zénaïde Narychkine, who married a French count and rebuilt Keriolet
Russian thread: Later held by Prince Felix Yusupov, assassin of Rasputin
Setting: Outside Concarneau, in Cornouaille, southern Brittany
Visiting: Open to visitors (seasonal, guided tours)