Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Order a flight of infused ya dong shots.
Tep Bar
Thai-Chinese makes up Bangkok’s largest diaspora.
Nai Ek Roll Noodle
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
6 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
7 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
8 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
9 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All France Hendaye Château d'Abbadie

Château d'Abbadie

The eclectic observatory castle of a 19th-century astronomer and explorer.

Hendaye, France

Added By
Guillaum sans E
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Château d’Abbadie   JPI
Château d’Abbadie   JPI
Exterior of the castle   Guillaum sans E / Atlas Obscura User
Meridian circle inside the observatory.   Guillaum sans E / Atlas Obscura User
Ethiopia inspired painted decoration.   Guillaum sans E / Atlas Obscura User
The chapel.   Guillaum sans E / Atlas Obscura User
Detail of the main door.   Guillaum sans E / Atlas Obscura User
Side of the castle.   Guillaum sans E / Atlas Obscura User
The castle from the park.   Guillaum sans E / Atlas Obscura User
Exterior detail.   Guillaum sans E / Atlas Obscura User
Domaine de l’Abbadia   philoursmars / Atlas Obscura User
July 2024   DMStephenson / Atlas Obscura User
Domaine de l’Abbadia   philoursmars / Atlas Obscura User
Domaine de l’Abbadia   philoursmars / Atlas Obscura User
Domaine de l’Abbadia   philoursmars / Atlas Obscura User
Domaine de l’Abbadia   philoursmars / Atlas Obscura User
Domaine de l’Abbadia   philoursmars / Atlas Obscura User
July 2024  
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Antoine Thomson d'Abbadie d'Arrast was a 19th-century Renaissance man—an astronomer, linguist, explorer, anthropologist, and politician, among other things. A noble born from an Irish mother and a Basque father, he owned a domain facing the Atlantic Ocean and decided to build a castle there befitting his eclectic interests.

The Neo-Gothic Castle of Abbadia was built from 1864 to 1879 based on the plans of the famous architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, known for restoring medieval monuments such as the Notre-Dame Cathedral. The château consists of three wings dedicated to different activities.

Most notable is the huge scientific library and observatory, equipped with a unique meridian telescope to study the position of the stars. The other wings hold apartments for d'Abbadie and his wife and a chapel for the noble couple and the farmers of the land.

Almost every part of the castle is decorated with gargoyles, animals, symbols, and inscriptions in various languages related to the owner's life and work. The hallway is particularly impressive with its paintings inspired by d'Abbadie's long trips to Ethiopia. Each room has a different multicultural theme and is heavily decorated with mosaics, oriental patterns, or medieval-like furniture according to the culture.

Today, Abbadia is listed as a national heritage site (monument historique) and is owned by the French Academy of Sciences. 

Related Tags

Castles Telescopes Observatories Exploration Astronomy Architecture

Know Before You Go

It is only possible to visit the interior of the castle during guided tours. They are given in French, but written documents can be provided in English and Spanish. The castle is quite fragile, and the number of visitors per day is limited to 500. Plan your visit carefully if you want to go during the summer.

Community Contributors

Added By

Guillaum sans E

Edited By

erjeffery, philoursmars, Meg, DMStephenson

  • erjeffery
  • philoursmars
  • Meg
  • DMStephenson

Published

February 15, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.chateau-abbadia.fr/en/Home
  • https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teau_d%27Abbadia
Château d'Abbadie
9021B Route de la Corniche
Hendaye
France
43.377355, -1.749573
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Pheasant Island

France / Spain

miles away

Albaola Itsas Kultur Faktoria

Pasaia, Spain

miles away

Cave of Zugarramurdi

Zugarramurdi, Spain

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of France

France

Europe

Places 692
Stories 72

Nearby Places

Pheasant Island

France / Spain

miles away

Albaola Itsas Kultur Faktoria

Pasaia, Spain

miles away

Cave of Zugarramurdi

Zugarramurdi, Spain

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of France

France

Europe

Places 692
Stories 72

Related Places

  • Radio telescopes.

    Cawston, British Columbia

    Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory

    One of Canada's premier radio observatories sits in a radio-quiet valley outside Penticton.

  • Telescope domes at Pine Mountain Observatory.

    Millican, Oregon

    Pine Mountain Observatory

    In the high desert east of Bend, the University of Oregon maintains a research observatory on a remote mountain peak.

  • Stavanger, Norway

    Stavanger Astronomical Society Observatory

    Peer into the night sky with one of Norway's oldest associations of land-based space explorers.

  • The Pink Clubhouse and the Porter-Turret Telescope

    Springfield, Vermont

    Stellafane Observatory

    An amateur telescope-making club has been gathering at this Vermont site for more than a century.

  • The 65-cm Telescope within the Observatory History Museum.

    Mitaka, Japan

    National Astronomy Observatory Japan Mitaka Campus

    The headquarters of one of Japan’s leading astronomy research institutions features several historic observatory facilities and a 2,000-year-old burial mound.

  • Ladd Observatory

    Providence, Rhode Island

    Ladd Observatory

    A 132-year-old telescope continues to keep watch over the night skies above Providence.

  • Urania Observatory

    Zurich, Switzerland

    Urania Observatory

    Switzerland's oldest public observatory is an important part of the Zurich cityscape.

  • The East Tower at Royal Observatory Edinburgh

    Edinburgh, Scotland

    Royal Observatory Edinburgh

    Even though some of the buildings date back to the Victorian era, this research institute is still involved in cutting-edge astronomy research.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.