Special Discounts at Select Châteaux

Each holiday season some of our members send us photos of their châteaux in the snow.  We received lovely pictures this year from châteaux in the Loire, Normandy and Lorraine, and we would like to share them with you.

This tranquil scene is the elegant Château de la Barre in the Sarthe département of France's Pays de la Loire region.  Offering guests luxurious bed and breakfast accommodations in the château or the opportunity to stay longer in one of their self-catering apartment suites in Le Cottage.

The historic Château de Canisy in Normandy is a fine bed and breakfast near St-Lô, and it is offered for rental for large group events such as birthday celebrations, anniversaries, and gatherings of friends and families.  It's lovely all year 'round, not just in the winter!
 
 

Also in Normandy is the warm and welcoming Château de la Roque, where B&B accommodations in the château or in La Ferme (the farmhouse).  Convenient to the D-Day landing beaches and other historic sites, you will find this château an excellent base for days trips throughout the region.
 

And here we have a collage of photos from Château des Monthairons in the lovely Lorraine region of eastern France.  This magnificent château offers spacious en suite guest rooms, a superb restaurant and a park that leads down to the River Meuse.  You will love staying here!
 

Our newest member sent us this photo of the beautiful Château des Condé in Burgundy, offered for the perfect wedding venue.  Luxurious rooms, exquisite meals, music, dancing and even fireworks will make the event spectacular.
 
 
 
 

[Photos are property of the respective owners. 
Château de Canisy photo credit Pierre Yves Lemeur, St-Lô, France.]

• Château de Détilly in the Loire Valley has but a few weeks open for 2011, so they are offering deep discounts to travelers who can take advantage of these dates:

• June 25 to July 2  or September 3  to 9 - regular rate is €9000, now offered for € 6,250.
• November 19 to 26 or November 26 to December 3 - regular rate is €7,100, but is now offered at €5680
This is a reduction of 25%.  Don't miss this great opportunity!
 
• Château de la Charmeraie  in the Rhône valley is a charming and welcoming Italianate château dedicated to authentic detail in its design and to the comfort and relaxation of its guests.  For all of 2011, the proprietors are offering 20% off all room rates.  Don't miss an opportunity to stay at this magnificent château!  We speak from personal experience ~ it is delightful! 

• Château de Villette in Burgundy is having a Spring Special.  They are offering a four-night stay for the price of three!  This offer is valid until May 31, 2011, so contact us today for your reservation! 

• Château de Challain is a fairytale castle in the heart of the Pays de la Loire of northwestern France.  Imagine yourself at this incredible château this April for a Murder Mystery Dinner.  Five couples enjoy one night plus dinner at the château for € 200 per person.  There is also a four night offer for the price of three which might be what you are looking for.  Book today! 




To learn more or reserve for any of the above, please contact
info@au-chateau.com and mention the château & its offer.

Located in Anjou between Angers and Saumur, this 15th century château is convenient to all the attractions of the Loire Valley.  It is surrounded by seventeen hectares of vineyards, with an additional four hectares on the slopes of the Aubance.  Guests of this historic château are warmly welcomed to enjoy comfortable and stylish guest rooms by owners who are eager to share their passion for wine. 

Especially appealing is the owners' desire to produce wines that are manually harvested, processed and bottled at the château.  Limited output and respect for nature has produced high quality wines that are candidates for AOC designation.  Guests will be able to visit the vineyards and sample the wines while enjoying the other pleasures of château life.

Chambre Vanille is a beautifully appointed, peaceful guest room in soothing colors overlooking the vineyards of Château de Cheman.  Fine beds, a convenient desk, high ceilings and a modern en suite bathroom complete the picture.
 
 
 
 
 

Along with the vineyards, the estate offers quiet gardens for strolls and this sparkling swimming pool for guests' enjoyment in the warmer weather. Activities near the château also include hot air ballooning, visiting the grand châteaux of the Loire, the Abbey de Fontevraud, or borrowing bicycles for exploring the area.

Magnificent is the best word to describe the Château des Condé, the perfect venue for a superb French château wedding. The marriage ceremony can take place in the church, in the conservatory or in the rose garden.  The entire château belongs to the bride and groom and their guests who can dance until dawn, swim at midnight or stay up until brunch the next day!  Everything will be done to create the perfect beginning to married life.  Simply contact the owners and tell them your dreams!

This château is the newest member of our web site, and it is dedicated to providing each wedding couple with a fairytale marriage ceremony and celebration.  Every detail is coordinated to fit the wishes and desires of the bride and groom.  As you can see, nothing is spared to achieve perfection! 

The Dovecote guest room, Chambre Petit Condé, and breakfast in the Roseraie

Please visit Château des Condé on our site today, and see many more photos and a detailed description of what you can experience at this special château. 

How lovely this château is!  It was only recently completed refurbished to a very high standard and in keeping with its period design and authenticity.  Now it is for sale, the price drastically reduced. 

Located in the Creuse département of France's Limousin region, travelers and residents alike visit the factories and shops seeking fine porcelain in Limoges and exquisite tapestries in Aubusson.  The area offers outdoor activities including many gardens open to the public, as well as being perfect for walkers, horse riders, and cyclists. Set in the scenic foothills of the Massif Central,  the Creuse is hilly and wooded with lakes and rivers in abundance ~ and, it is an angler's paradise.  Lac de Vassivière is one of Europe's largest man-made water sports complexes offering 1100 hectares for swimming, snorkeling, wind-surfing, sailing, speed boating, water skiing and fishing. 

This château until recently was an elegant boutique hôtel, restored over a period of three years. It bears the name of the local family who kept the tapestry manufacture alive in Aubusson during the trying times of the Empire and Restoration periods. [Furnishings are not available.]

There is a fine kitchen, banquet hall and wine cellars in the basement, and the ground floor features the Grand Salon with a stunning period fireplace and high ceilings, the Conservatory for breakfast, the Petit Salon for quiet times and reading, a billiards room, and a restaurant for the enjoyment of gourmet cuisine in a classical setting. 
 
 

Ten large suites, all with en suite bathrooms, make this the perfect bed and breakfast with room for the owners' quarters, or it can be rented to groups on a weekly basis.  It has amazing potential in an area offering people the opportunity to experience authentic France.  There is also a private 12th century chapel, which is the setting of weddings held at the château, terraced gardens and the Château hall that comfortably seats forty.

For complete information on the very competitive price and further details, please contact us at info@au-chateau.com and mention that you are interested in the Creuse Château.  Additional photos and information can be found on our Châteaux For Sale page.

Many times, as we drive through the French countryside, we stop to take a photo because the scene is too lovely to pass up.  This was the case in 2009 when we came upon the red-roofed village of Percey-le-Grand located in the Haute-Saône of Franche-Comté at the confluence of two other départements, the Haute-Marne in Champagne-Ardenne and Burgundy's Côte d'Or.  The scene is so typical of agricultural France: immaculately plowed fields, perfect rows of crops, and a village with its church steeple reaching toward the sky.  And, of course, trees everywhere!

There isn't much we can tell you about the commune of Percey-le-Grand.  It is quiet and pretty, and we are sure that its residents are quite pleased to live there surrounded by farmland and rolling hills.  It definitely enjoys an off-the-beaten path existence, and we are happy that we stumbled upon it.

If you are ever in this region, consider staying a few miles to the northwest at Château de Prauthoy.  The rooms are lovely and the cuisine exceptional.

We love Danyel Couet's The Paris Neighborhood Cookbook, and discovered this delicious recipe in the section entitled Au Marché: Markets and Street Food.

You will need 1 ripe, chilled Camembert that is as soft at the edges as it is inside, 1 dried fig coarsely chopped, 2 dried apricots coarsely chopped, 1 tablespoon of raisins, 1 teaspoon of currants, and 1 teaspoon of chopped celery leaf.

Separate the Camembert in the middle like a hamburger bun.  Mix the rest of the ingredients together and place on the bottom half of the cheese.  Put the other half of the cheese on top and press together well.  Slice it down the middle and see how pretty it is!

You can wrap it in waxed paper or plastic wrap, pack it in a picnic basket and enjoy it with a dark country bread.  Or, serve it to guests in the cheese course with dinner.  It's delicious! Bon appétit!

The answer to last issue's quiz is the River Yonne in Villeneuve sur Yonne,
but was apparently too difficult as we did not receive one response!
This month's should be easier. 

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