You've heard it many times before. Two
girlfriends decide to chuck it all for a
few weeks and fulfill their own
dreams. So where to go? Well
certainly, France. We made plans to
soak up all of the culture, history, art,
music, fine cuisine and wines that we
could savor.
And in addition, we should spend
some time in Paris. Of course, we also
wanted to indulge a childhood fantasy
and sleep in a castle.
There are about 3,000 castles in
France, and we visited several in the
Loire and Burgundy regions. Still, we
wanted to stay in one, which was
more of a challenge. Asking around,
a friend suggested Chateau Challain
Castle, located in Challain la Potherie.
From Paris, we went by Rail Europe
to the ancient town of Angers. The
van from Chateau Challain picked us
up at the train station and transported
us to the chateau. Driving through the
countryside, we soon motored under
the chateau's gate, tires on crunching
white rock drive, and were spirited up
to the front of an enchanting fairytale castle. This was truly our dream
world come to life. At only an hour
and a half from the city of light, and
no less grand than her older
counterparts in the Loire, this
relatively young chateau in neoGothic style, sometimes dubbed the
“petit Chambord,” invites visitors for
a few nights or longer stay.
Chateau Challain in Challain la
Potherie exists for dreamers. It began
as the dream of Albert de la
Rochefoucauld and his beloved wife,
the Countess Ida. In 1847, they
started with a design created for them
by the Parisian architect Louis
Visconti. The castle is thus not
medieval, but stems from 1848,
during the reign of Napoleon III. It is
easy to see why this is also a favorite
spot for weddings and corporate
events. The American couple who
now own this castle purchased it
for about $2 million in 2001 and have
done a fabulous job with the expensive
task of renovation and finding
appropriate furnishings They’ve at least
doubled or tripled their investment in it,
working alongside crews and employing
70 local residents full time. In addition to
fulfilling a couple’s dream to share their
“home” with the world, the chateau has
brought life and endearment back to a
small village.
We toured the chateau's beautiful formal
rooms, library, chapel, and climbed
further up the circular staircase to our
floors (no elevator). There were several
exquisite bedrooms and suites to select
from and all were completely different
with respect to size, views and décor.
One favorite of ours was swathed in
deep shades of purple and maroon, truly
befitting an empress. It was elegantly
decorated with paintings, parquet floors,
carved wooden wall panels, and a high
poster bed layered in linens that
complemented lavish silk curtains
pooling on the floor. Another
exceptional room faced the castle
gardens. Its sitting room and bedroom
walls glowed with painted toile silk and
fine polished furniture. The en suite
bathroom with claw foot tub and shower
was enrobed in marble-- truly a space fit
for a queen.
That evening, owner's assistant Jean
Marie and chef Fabian joined us for
dinner, taking us to dine in the next
town, Candé, at Les Tonnelles. We all
enjoyed our own meals and oh’d and ah’d
at each others’ selections. Getting to
know Jean Marie and Fabian made the
entire evening more delightful.
the kitchen. In the warm cozy kitchen,
Fabian had prepared fresh croissants,
orange juice, homemade jam, and all the
right accompaniments set out on an
immense wooden table in front of the
fireplace. We sat down to a steaming pot
of hot chocolate and some tea, thinking
about how wonderful this entire
experience had been. The best part is
that you can come here yourself.
Maybe you’d like to climb out of your
sports car, amble up the stairs into your
private chateau, and be greeted with a
glass of Champagne? Or perhaps you
envision floating down the glowing
marble staircase in your wedding gown
to dance the night away with your
prince? For corporate incentives, you
Chateau Challain…
exists for dreamers.
may want to recognize the knights of your
organization. Chateau Challain can be your
answer. They can rent out the entire
chateau to you and supply preferred
vendors and the chateau owners’ assistants.
After a few days in busy Paris, tripping
over lines at the Louvre, most visitors will
long for a quiet place in the country. For a
retreat to the French countryside, we
recommend this private chateau where
your dreams can be indulged. Here at
Chateau Challain, your dreams can come
true.
Staying in the castle’s Empress Suite and
Toile de Joile was as elegant as it sounds.
We can say we were each missing our
own Prince Charming, as this is such a
romantic place, but slept well.
In the morning, after some time in the
library upstairs on the Internet to make
our travel arrangements back to Paris, we
wandered down the staircase and
through halls and took more stairs to
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MARCH 2014 •LUXE BEAT MAGAZINE