A mailman found a particularly beautiful rock, which inspired him to build a temple to life, an ideal palace. Over 33 years, he collected more rocks and other objects along his postal route, made drawings from his dreams and created a beautiful place.

Brian found out about this palace from a book, Atlas Obscura. Marc and Joelle heard of it but had never gone. But before we went to the palace, on Simon’s recommendation, we found Cheval’s tomb (which he created in a similar style about 10 years before his death).

The palace itself is large, ornate, and asymmetrical. Each side presents a different theme. Some of the original art is no longer visible, but the palace is still worth a visit.

It was fun discovering the details of the palace, though we had to watch our heads going up or down stairs.

Often, a different artist is invited to show their work for a month or so, as long as they preserve the dignity of the palace itself. When we were there, the artist specialized in glass. They put pieces into the pots where the original artist showed plants.

• Europe 2022