An Excursion to the Forbes Château -- Built by François Mansart between 1626 and 1636, the Château de Balleroy, between Bayeux and Caen, has been owned by the Forbes family for more than 3 decades. The late Malcolm Forbes was an internationally known balloonist, and his dream of opening the world's first balloon museum has been fulfilled at the château. Today the château is the venue for the biannual international ballooning festival.
The museum, in a converted stable, is filled with artifacts related to the history of ballooning. The château also contains many period rooms that abound with elegant art and antiques. Admission to the museum and castle is 7€ ($10) for adults or 5.35€ ($7.80) for students and children 7 to 18, and free for those 6 and under; entrance to just the grounds costs 3€ ($4.40) for everyone. The museum and park are open mid-March to mid-October daily 10am to 6pm, and in the off season hours are Monday through Friday 10am to noon and 2 to 5pm. The castle is open only from mid-March to mid-October daily 10am to 6pm.
The museum (tel. 02-31-21-60-61; www.chateau-balleroy.com) lies at F-14490 Balleroy outside the village of Balleroy. To reach it from Caen (40km/25 miles), head west along N13, cutting south at the junction with D572, and follow the road to Balleroy, where the château is signposted.
