Coppet Castle

Jacques Necker, the Genevan banker who served as Louis XVI's finance minister, bought Coppet in 1784, and it passed to his daughter Germaine de Stael. Exiled from Paris by Napoleon, she made the house the centre of what became known as the Coppet group - Benjamin Constant, Sismondi, Schlegel and others - and the conversation there, liberal, anti-Napoleonic and European in outlook, was taken seriously enough by the Emperor that he had the household watched and eventually pushed her further from France. The rooms are shown much as the family left them, with furniture, books and portraits still in place, which is unusual: this is a private house preserved rather than a museum assembled.

The main sights

• Madame de Stael's house - the centre of the Coppet group in exile.
• Rooms left as the family had them - furniture, library and portraits in place.
• Necker's purchase of 1784 - the banker-minister who bought the estate.
• A garden to the lake - the grounds running toward Lake Geneva.

When to go

April to October. Two hours.

Things to know

Closed through winter and open on limited days even in season. Interiors are shown by guided visit, mostly in French. It remains privately owned, so photography is restricted. The village is small.

Nearby

Nyon and its Roman museum are north; Geneva is south along the lake.

Key facts