THE GUIDE CHÂTEAUX 2021


the many châteaux across France which welcome paying guests? Some feature adjoining swimming pools, spas and tennis courts, while others even offer golf courses.


Château de Gizeux (Indre-et-Loire)


“At the heart of the castle, our rooms are both authentic, with their antique furniture, and modern in their comfort to welcome you in an environment of serenity and cosiness.” There are five suites and one larger apartment available at this château in the Loire Valley. Once you’ve checked in you can enjoy a guided tour of the building, its parks and its gardens before taking a dip in the heated pool. Be sure to leave time for dinner. www.chambres-chateaudegizeux. com/en


Château de Chambiers (Maine-et-Loire)


Château de Hautefort has attracted many movie directors, keen to film at this impressive neoclassical castle in the Périgord


film scenes at this impressive neoclassical château in the Périgord. While the interior is impressive enough, the exterior will take your breath away. First up is the three-hectare French garden, with its parterres, consisting of geometrical boxwood hedges, bright flowerbeds, and yew topiary, strictly manicured by hand twice a year. Beyond this are the organic vegetable garden and a 30-hectare, English-style park with a network of woodland paths and some remarkable tree species. www.chateau-hautefort.com


Château de Chenonceau (Indre-et-Loire)


Seeming to float above the River Cher, this château, with its stylised moat, turrets, towers and drawbridge, is certainly a beauty. However, it’s the 70 hectares of landscaped gardens and lush forest rather than the tourist-heavy interiors that are


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most interesting. On either side of the river you can visit the gardens of Diane de Poitiers, Catherine de’ Médici, the Jardin Vert, the yew maze, or the vast flower garden. On certain summer nights you can even walk through garden


illuminations, accompanied by classical music. www.chenonceau.com


Château de Versailles (Yvelines)


Undoubtedly the most famous château in France (possibly even on the planet), Versailles served as the political capital and seat of the royal court from 1682 until revolutionaries dragged off Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette to the guillotine. To avoid the thousands of slack- jawed tourists, head for the wonderful 800-hectare Parc de Versailles where you can enjoy vast, manicured, formal gardens populated by endless statues and water features; the


English-style Jardins du Petit Trianon; the Orangery; the Grand Canal where rowing boats are available to hire; and the Lake of the Swiss Guard. Rest assured, you’ll be amazed. www.chateauversailles.fr


CHÂTEAUX TO STAY IN


Fancy playing at being a real aristocrat – for a few days, at least? Why not stay at one of


Whatever the size of your party, there are rooms to accommodate you at this château, not far north-east of Angers: double rooms, triple rooms, family rooms, a “romantic apartment”, an orangery cottage that sleeps ten, a gardener’s cottage that sleeps nine, and L’Orangerie-Le Chêne, a former orangery that houses up to 26. The restaurant is overseen by Elie and Anne Crouan, both self-confessed slow-food enthusiasts. They even offer cooking and wine- tasting courses. The estate


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Château de Gizeux is brimming with antique furniture and cosiness


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