au Château - Château de Talhouët


	Château de Talhouët 56220 Rochefort-en-Terre M. Jean-Pol SOULAINE Phone: 33.2.97.43.34.72 Fax: 33.2.97.43.35.04 Email: chateaudetalhouet@libertysurf.fr Internet: http://www.chateaudetalhouet.com Languages: English Credit cards: VISA and American Express Département: Morbihan (56) Read a Review of this Château More Info & Photos in *au Château News* *A Château of the Month*


	Not far from the Golfe du Morbihan in the département of the same name is the authentic sixteenth and seventeenth century listed manor house (ISMH - Supplementary Record of Historic Monuments) Château de Talhouët. The imposing granite structure dominates the petite Vallée de l'Arz near the medieval village of Rochefort-en-Terre -- not just another charming French town along a highway but designated one of the Petits Villages de Caractère de Bretagne. Once you visit there you will know why. It is truly a perfect Breton village. The château was the property of the powerful Talhouët family since the 16th century, although this did not discourage a Rochefort boy who, from the age of eight, would regularly pass by the château and dream of one day living there. Then in 1989 the child's dream became the man's reality -- Jean-Pol Soulaine bought Talhouët. M. Soulaine, a connoisseur of opera, antiques and precious objects of art, dove into his new existence with a passion, facing the challenges and the unknown. He spent six months making renovations, personally taking charge of the interior design, selecting fabrics and furniture, and choosing the subtle lighting which underscores the beauty of the décor. The visitor first arrives by way of a serpentine drive through oak and beech trees, a verdant space separating the outside world from Château de Talhouët. Guests enjoy carefully chosen period furnishings -- Louis XIII, Louis XV and Louis XVI -- comfortable, spacious guest rooms, the warmth of the Grand Salon and the Louis XVI library. Your host will offer you a welcoming apéritif in front of a blazing fire in this library, or on beautiful days on the south facing terrace shared with two lemon trees that are more than a hundred years old. Talhouët's location in southern Brittany on a vast estate of 20 hectares is an ideal base for a wide variety of regional activities. Ferry trips to islands in the Baie de Quiberon such as Brittany's largest, Belle -Île, or day trips to the region's numerous beaches and picturesque fishing ports are only some of the things to do and see in the area. The Morbihan is peppered with megalithic sites, the most famous of which is Carnac within an easy drive of the château, considered one of the world's most important prehistoric sites with over 3,000 menhirs and an excellent museum, Musée de Préhistoire. Nearby is the medieval town of Josselin and its Château de Josselin dating from 1407, as well as Vannes, a city steeped in history as far back as 56 BC when Caesar's troops defeated its Armorican tribe and where you can visit the medieval streets around rue de la Monnaie, the 13th century Cathédrale St-Pierre, or the 15th century Château Gaillard housing the Musée d'Archéologie du Morbihan. However you choose to spend your days -- enjoying the peace and splendor of the château or venturing out to see all that the Morbihan has to offer -- you will long remember Brittany's south with great fondness. Your host, Jean-Pol Soulaine, is waiting to share his dream with you.


	Rooms: 8 doubles, each with private bath, telephone and television Price: € 135, Chambre de la Jardinière (garden views); € 145 Chambre Jaune; € 175, Pomone (park view), Pastorale (countryside view), Aux Oiseaux (views of park and countryside) and Aux Montgolfieres; and € 220 for Louis XIII (countryside and park view) and Chambre d'Honneur (countryside view). Prices are per room per night and breakfast is included. Dinner: Extraordinary Gastronomique Menu offered at € 46 per person Open All Year. On the grounds: 20 hectares of lawns, woods and gardens, 17th c. chapel. Discover megalithic rocks as you stroll the grounds. Vicinity: The charming village of Rochefort-en-Terre and its granite cottages and castle, Le Parc de la Préhistoire near Rochefort, the rich medieval architecture of Josselin, the city of Vannes, Redon and the church of St Saveur once part of a 9th century abbey, Parc Regional de Brière, the beaches and resorts at La Baule, medieval walled city of Guérande, the Canal de Nantes and the River Vilaine, the islands of Belle Île, Île d'Houat, the peninsula of Presqu'ile de Quiberon and the islands in the Golfe du Morbihan such as Île d'Arz and Île aux Moines. The dolmens and menhirs at Carnac and its Prehistory Museum are well worth a visit, and you may very well see some of the hundreds upon hundreds of other megaliths on your drive through the Morbihan countryside.		Directions: From Paris: Highway A11 Paris/Rennes, then A81 at Le Mans direction Laval. Follow the same route (becomes the N157) direction Rennes. From Rennes: Take the N24 until Ploërmel. From Ploërmel take the N166 direction Vannes, exit Pleucadeuc. Follow the direction of Rochefort-en-Terre. At Rochefort-en-Terre look for the signs in the village (burgundy in color) to Talhouët. You will take the D774 direction Malestroit for 4 kilometers, then direction Molac. Signs are all along the way. Airport: Nantes 100 kilometers. Railway Station: Rennes, 80 kms or Redon 33 kms Car Rental Redon (click here) Michelin Map to Château

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