Vittel, Lorraine 88800

A 19th-century wine merchant's grand house with a riverside garden, just south of the town of Vittel in France's Vosges department. The edifice stands in the heart of the village, at the foot of the old feudal castle's remains. It faces traces of excavated cave spaces. Its remarkable, authentic facade with two flights of sandstone front steps edged with a wrought-iron balustrade looks down at the road. On the south side, its rear elevation is lined with a raised terrace that looks down at a garden with walls along its sides. The River Saône edges the garden lengthways. The house is extended with outbuildings crowned with tiled roofing. These include a workshop, a garage, a former secondary dwelling, a woodstore, a stable and a former bakehouse.