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| Château
de l'Isle-Marie
Languages: English, German, Dutch, Italian Credit cards not accepted. Eurochecks or cash, please. Département:
Manche (50)
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| In a fairy tale setting on over a hundred acres of Normandy woodlands, rivers and meadows and at the end of a majestic tree-lined avenue, one will find Château de l'Isle-Marie, the ancestral home of the noble d'Aigneaux family, where guests are always warmly welcomed. Château de l'Isle-Marie is within easy driving distance of the D-Day invasion beaches, the Bayeux Tapestry and Le Mont Saint-Michel. The estate forms part of the Cotentin & Bessin Marshland Nature Park in Normandy, a protected 145,000 acre reserve, most of which is open to visitors who may take advantage of nature trails and signed walkways. For over a thousand years the D'Aigneaux family has lived on this estate, once the elevated site of an ancient Viking fortress. Today, in the winter months, the flooding of the marais truly places the château on an island, thus its appropriate name. The estate is comprised of three primary residences: the Chateau de l'Isle-Marie, the Manoir de Bellefonds and the original Château aux Epaules. At one time or another each has been featured in prestigious periodicals. Château aux Epaules, also known as La Ferme, was built by Bernardin Aux Epaules in the late 1500s next to the Viking fortress. Later, that fortress was transformed into Château de l'Isle-Marie. Guests will experience La Ferme today as it the location of the dramatic, candlelit dining room where suppers are served several times a week in the summer months. For family vacations or longer stays, your hosts invite you to experience Manoir de Bellefonds, built for Maréchal de Bellefonds, a close companion of the Sun King, Louis XIV, and recently renovated to accommodate guests. The distinguished building is flanked by a stable block on one side and an exquisite Italian style chapel on the other, the latter designed by Mansart, architect to the court of Versailles. Three beautifully appointed apartments await you, complete with the most modern conveniences, private outdoor areas with garden furniture, and a vast lawn ideal for picnics or a game of croquet. Manor house guests are welcome to take breakfast in the Château and drinks in the drawing room. The Château itself offers six luxurious rooms for bed and breakfast guests, whose very special first meal of the day is served in the family dining room. All the delicious croissants, yogurt, honey, homemade preserves, and milk come from areas that are within walking distance of the breakfast table. The château also offers guests several places to relax, from the terrace overlooking the gardens to the elegant drawing room where those so inclined are welcomed to play the piano. A large collection of art books and music CDs are available as well. The spacious and elegant tower guest rooms have en suite bathrooms featuring massive, claw-foot bathtubs and walk-in showers. Each bedroom offers either four-poster or baldaquin (canopy) beds, and each is appointed with fine antique furnishings and rich fabrics in most appealing colors. It is no surprise that the thoughtful décor and sophisticated good taste that has become the signature of Château de l'Isle-Marie and its hostess, Countess Dorothea de La Houssaye, won it accolades including the recent designation by Travel & Leisure magazine as one of the 50 Most Romantic Hideaways Worldwide! Guests of Château de l'Isle-Marie or Manoir de Bellefonds may find romance rekindled in an atmosphere of blissful peace and tranquility. |
| Rooms:
3 doubles, with en suite bathrooms with bathtubs and/or showers; hair dryers.
Price: Prestige rooms from € 149 to € 169 per night; Tower Deluxe rooms are € 159 to € 179 per night. Breakfast included. Two-Bedroom Suites: 2 from € 249 to € 279 per night. Breakfast included. Extra bed in room: € 35. Apartments in Manoir de Bellefonds: La Marquise € 130 per night; Le Chevalier € 145 for 2 persons, € 10 extra per person per night; Le Marechal € 230 for 4 persons per night and €15 for each extra person - maximum 8 people. End of stay cleaning is € 30 for Marquise and Chevalier and € 45 for Marechal. 10% discount on apartments for one week except July 15 to August 15. Minimum Stay: 2 nights in château, 3 nights in Manoir de Bellefonds. Dinner: € 38 per person. Dietary restrictions are accommodated and reservations must be made in advance. A wide choice of fine restaurants from ten to thirty minutes driving distance is also available. Non- smoking rooms available. Open
April
1 through October 30 and at Christmas. Other dates upon request.
Check in time 5 PM.
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Directions:
From Paris: Take the A13 to Caen. At Caen follow the péripherique south (left before entering the city) and at Exit 8 take the N13 direction Bayeux / Carentan and after small tunnel look for sign for Picauville/Pont l'Abbé and at Chef-du-Pont cross railroad tracks. At T-junction go left to Picauville. The château entrance is 2.5 kilometers (one mile) outside Chef-du-Pont on the left. From St-Lô: Take the N174 direction Carentan where it joins the N13 and proceed as above. From Cherbourg: follow signs for Caen until you arrive on the N13. After 25-30 minutes you'll see a sign for Ste-Mère Église. Exit, cross the N13 and turn right. In Ste-Mère Église follow the sign to Picauville. (If you see the famous paratrooper hanging from the belltower, you've gone too far. Cross under the N13 outside of town and at the T-junction take direct Chef-du-Pont. One mile outside of town the château is on the left. Airport:
Caen (one hour drive to château)
Car Rental Caen (click here) |
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Manoir de Bellefonds |
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La Marquise Apartment |
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Drawing Room |
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La Duchesse |
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Chambre Le Duc |
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- 2008 au Château - Cold Spring Press. All Rights Reserved.
