article_snippet: What started as a small hobby, soon became a life project in 1879, resulting in one of the most magnificent amateur architectural structures to date; Le Palais idéal.
article_snippet: Le Palais idéal features mythical creatures, inspired from the postcards and magazines he had to deliver on he postal route in France .
article_snippet: From a glance you would be mistaken for thinking this was an Angkor palace, as a lavish grotto has  influences from Hinduism .
article_snippet: In a dream I had built a palace, a castle or caves.
article_snippet: I said to Ferdinand Cheval: since Nature is willing to do the sculpture, I will do the masonry and the architecture.'
article_snippet: The website for the palace states a cultural landmark was built with no architectural rules and is regarded as a great example of outsider artwork .
article_snippet: Le Palais idéal is as intricate as Le Palais idéal is vast, and includes sculptures of exotic animals and mythical creatures, which were inspired by the postcards his son delivered, and with influences from Christianity and Hinduism.
article_snippet: Perhaps most poignant explanation for the architectural wonder is the inscription carved into the palace by Ferdinand Cheval: 'The dream of one man.'
highlights_snippet: The whimsical 24 metre palace is adorned in fanciful statues resembling ostriches, elephants and bears .