Charming
Bed and Breakfasts

Lying to the west of the vineyards of Burgundy and bordered by the Loire, the department of Nièvre is a more rural area. Here, the château of Nyon can be found at the end of a long drive with fields and meadows on either side. This modestly-sized 18th château includes some outbuildings containing two lovely little gîtes and a folly in the garden – an unusual little cottage full of charm and mystery and packed with all kinds of objects. It’s a place to relax, have a glass of wine or curl up by the fire. Catherine Henry is in charge of this fine property, which contains three guest rooms and a family suite. All three of these stylish rooms, with period furnishings and hangings on the walls, look out over the park and the fields to the rear of the château. Breakfast is served in the large dining room decorated in pastel shades of blue and yellow, and next door is the welcoming drawing room which is also for use by guests. Places to visit include Nevers and its Ducal Palace, La Charité-sur-Loire and its medieval quarter, Vézelay Abbey and, further east, the wine-growing areas of Burgundy and Macon. The region of Berry is not far away, where the sites to visit include the gardens of Orsan Priory, Georges Sand’s house and Noirlac abbey.

You arrive at Le Château d’Orion flabbergasted by the meadows and woods and the views of the Pyrenees in the distance. The house was built as a family home in the seventeenth century and has been extended over the years since. It is currently an imposing example of the traditional Béarnais style. Originally owned by the Casamayor family until the French revolution, it has been home to some larger-than-life people since, such as Mr Larrouey, who made his fortune selling Bayonne ham, or the Reclus brothers, one of whom helped to build the Panama Canal. In 2003, Mme Labbé, a descendant of the Reclus family, sold the house to the Bavarian Premauer family, with all its furniture, which enabled them to preserve its soul. Le Château d’Orion became a B&B, but also a venue for concerts and seminars. Elke Premauer, a career journalist, wanted to create a place for refection and meetings to promote Franco-German relations through twinning projects and other means. All the bedrooms are decorated with taste and they have all been renovated to blend modern comfort with respect for the building’s style. The rooms are huge and enjoy superb views of the mountains. The set-menu meals are prepared with fresh local produce whose flavours emerge in local recipes, all washed down with Jurançon, Madiran or Irouléguy wines. Located on the Camino di Santiago di Compostella, Le Château d’Orion is a timeless halt where calm and reflection are key words.

Located at the heart of the Brière Nature Reserve, not far from the Côte d’Amour, La Baule, Guérande and Morbihan, Le Manoir de Bel Ebat will delight lovers of history and nature and is an excellent base for leisure activities and exploring, such as boat trips in the Brière marshes, the beach at La Baule, delightful small fishing ports, the fortified mediaeval town of Guérande, etc. The region is also rich in manor houses, some of which have been converted into small hotels or B&Bs, just like Le Manoir de Bel Ebat. The building has been comprehensively restored and now has a façade covered with beige rendering and a front garden full of box trees and rose bushes. The large lounge, furnished and decorated with antiques, is where tea and apéritifs are served. The copious breakfasts featuring fresh local produce are served on pretty porcelain in one of the manor-house’s dining rooms. The owners are happy to recommend local restaurants, including some with Michelin stars, for evening meals. Upstairs are the huge guest bedroom and suite with particularly attractive bed linen. The “Tilleul” room is decorated in soft hues and has a small lounge area and a beautiful bathroom with blue-and-white ceramic tiles. The “Eglantine” suite has a double bedroom and a lounge with a single sofabed and a more simple shower room. Behind the house is a large garden containing several “garden lounges” and children’s games that will delight guests of all ages.

Half-way between Angoulême and Périgueux, between the River Charente and the Périgord, “Le Château des Pouyades” offers perfect peace and quiet. It is a very beautiful fortified house located on the Romanesque churches circuit, at the heart of countryside liberally sprinkled with castles. You will fall under the spell of the building where generations of the same family have lived, and which has now been modernised to offer every comfort. The guest bedrooms are comfortable and large, each with a modern bathroom. All of them overlook the garden from the first floor. On the ground floor is a series of lounges and a dining room which form an attractive ensemble. At breakfast, you will appreciate the care and attention devoted to the food on offer, which includes home-made jams and brioches. Guests come here to “listen to the silence” and to relax amid the cyclamens in the autumn or to attend the many concerts held locally in July. But it is also an excellent base from which to explore local tourist attractions such as Brantôme, Bourdeilles, Mareuil and Verteillac. You will be welcomed to “Le Château des Pouyades” by Madame Truffaux, who opened her B&B in 1994 and enjoys meeting her guests and is very attentive. The key word here is “welcome” and the visitors’ book is full of praise for the warm welcome here.

The Chateau de la Verrerie’s history goes back to the fifteenth century when it was given by the French king to the Stuarts to thank them for their support during the Hundred Years’ War. Many adventures and generations later, it passed back to the French and was acquired by the Marquis de Vogüé in 1842. He enlarged the chateau by adding many bedrooms, which allowed the following generations to convert the chateau into a small hotel and inn. The current owner offers a range of other activities, including musical encounters, theatrical tours, seminars and receptions. The buildings lend themselves well to these activities, with the large courtyard, the Renaissance loggia, the beautiful chapel, the ballroom and the trophy hall. Surrounded by a well-tended garden and woods, the chateau offers superb views over the huge lake. There are lovely walks around the shore of the lake. Breakfast is served in one of the château’s dining rooms, while evening meals are served in the nearby inn. A huge monumental staircase leads to the guest rooms, laid out along wide corridors with lounges. The guest rooms are very spacious, some with king-size or four-poster beds. All have sumptuous bathrooms. Their antique furniture and beautiful fabrics create an attractive atmosphere. Today the chateau’s destiny is in the hands of the 6th Marquis. The Chateau de la Verrerie is also part of the Jacques Cœur route, by following which you can discover the heritage riches of the Berry region.

In the middle of a tree-and-flower-filled park of more than 4,000m² proudly stands “Les Hautes Bruyères” which is situated in the village of Ecully, a short distance from Lyon. Although it is close to the motorway, you cannot hear the traffic and you are surrounded by greenery and ancient trees. The nineteenth-century house offers three guest rooms and two suites, not forgetting the romantic, authentic gypsy caravan, which has been converted to offer every modern comfort. The guest bedrooms and suites are tastefully decorated and superbly furnished with pieces picked up here and there nearby. All are bathed in a unique atmosphere that will please all tastes. Karine, the owner, opens the doors of her charming home to offer you stays you will remember for a long time, and she really enjoys advising her guests on how to discover the surrounding area, that is unless the very high quality of services she offers tempt you not to leave…

Here is an address that will suit lovers of castles and antiques. Surrounded by a pretty park, the chateau was built around an eighteenth-century farmhouse with a portico and courtyard. Mr and Mrs Demarcq have owned the chateau for almost 30 years and have furnished it with period furniture and ornaments. Mr Demarcq is an avid collector and visits antique fairs, auctions and other sale-rooms to hunt down the rare pieces that he likes, both antiques and more modern pieces. Upstairs, there’s no shortage of guest bedrooms and guests are spoiled for choice between the “Rose”, “Salmon”, “Yellow” and “Louis XVI” rooms and the “Green” suite, which is huge and includes a small lounge and a small second bedroom and would suit a family with a child. The rooms are a little over-decorated, but this fits in with the overall ambiance of the chateau. Each guest bedroom has a private bathroom. In the morning, guests have the opportunity to walk through several of the chateau’s salons to get to the dining room, where breakfast is served on a large convivial table. On another table, guests can find many brochures and leaflets about things to do in the locality.

The Château de Juvigny is ideally located in the Rheims - Epernay - Châlons-en-Champagne triangle, but away from the motorways in the peace and quiet of a 20-hectare park with woods, gardens and a lake. Once through the white railings, you will be welcomed by Brigitte or Alain Caubère d’Alinval who watch over this ancient home. Surrounded by a pretty park with many mature trees, the château overlooks the lake where guests can swim, fish or go boating in the warmer months. In one wing of the château on the first floor are four charming guest bedrooms and suites decorated in the same style as the rest of the house, with wood-panelling on the walls and parquet or quarry-tiled floors and pretty Classical furniture. The “Nathalie” and “Céline” rooms are decorated in soft hues, while the “Amélie” room and “Le Lac” suite are decorated in warmer tones. The suite has a huge, beautiful bedroom with panoramic views of the lake, the park and the courtyard, plus a second bedroom and a bathroom. The fifth guest bedroom is located on the ground floor with a private entrance and enjoys more privacy. Breakfast is served in the beautiful, huge dining room, located between the courtyard and the garden. The dining room is stylishly decorated in pretty shades of green and beige, plus a huge family tree and many family photos. A very attractive address where you can enjoy the atmosphere of a family home in a delightful setting.

The Château de Philiomel is reflected in the water of the lake next to it. Surrounded by a huge, 30-hectare wooded park, today it is a B&B and also a venue for receptions. You climb a pretty flight of steps with a colonnade to enter the château's entrance hall with a reception room on one side and the dining room with a billiards table and terrace on the other. A beautiful wooden staircase leads upstairs where there are four large guest bedrooms and a suite. Each has been given a pretty name "Under the Northern sky", "At Sunset", "By the water's edge" and "On the edge of the woods" which reflects their location in the house. They are spacious and prettily furnished, each with its own comfortable bathroom. The sumptuous suite comprises lounge with desk, terrace, bedroom and huge bathroom with jacuzzi. Of course, guests are free to stroll in the park, but you can also visit local museums in Lens, Arras, St Omer and Lille and the many local parks and gardens.

The Logis d'Equilly dates back to the Middle Ages. Its chapel, mill, dovecote and farmhouse form a beautiful group of buildings. A large, welcoming courtyard is in front of the main building, while behind it is a beautiful large garden, with rose-beds and ponds. The large, granite, central staircase leads to an Empire-style lounge, two guest bedrooms and one guest suite. The "Admiral" bedroom with its wooden fittings and its walls covered with red-and-gold velvet is more solemn. The "St James" bedroom is more welcoming with its antique furniture and its walls painted in pale hues. The suite includes the "Rosebed" bedroom which overlooks the garden and the "Astrolabe" bedroom which overlooks the chapel. Breakfast and evening meals are served to guests in the beautiful dining room on the ground floor, which is also used for receptions, concerts and exhibitions. This beautiful building is a listed historic house and features on the Norman Abbeys Route. It certainly makes an ideal overnight stop for lovers of heritage and history.