Château de la Barre

Less than 2 hours from Paris and close to the Loire Valley, Château de la Barre has been home to the Count and Countess de Vanssay for more than 615 years.

In the Countess' own words, her home is more than just luxury accommodation: it is a unique and immersive experience, like travelling into a forgotten world, full of the gracious hospitality, joie de vivre, elegance, and informal authenticity of French aristocracy.

Surrounded by a private parkland and protected from noise and disturbance by 16th-century fortifications, the elegant privately owned château contains a magnificent collection of antiques, oil paintings and tapestries.

As guests of the Count and (English-speaking) Countess, you can benefit from their extensive local knowledge and contacts; they will uniquely tailor your stay to suit your requirements.

Accommodation

Château de la Barre has seven rooms. Interconnecting rooms are available for families.

Each room is individually designed, incorporating valuable antiques, family portraits and oil paintings, designer fabrics, beautifully adorned chandeliers, grand fireplaces and Versailles parquet floors, coupled with modern luxurious bathrooms, towels, robes and toiletries.

Dining

The “Grand Siècle Dinner” is a hosted evening beginning with Champagne served either in the cozy Salon Rose (pink drawing room) by the large fireplace, or outside on the terrace overlooking the garden and park. It continues with an elegant, 4 to 5 course dinner, with wine pairing, served in the Grand XVIIIth c Dining Hall with family silver and crystal, followed by coffee and brandy in the Grand Drawing Room. It's as if you were in 1910…

Other dining options (when the Grand Siècle dinner is not hosted) consist of:

• A 2-3 course dinner served in the small dining room. Wine to be chosen from the extensive wine menu from the vast cellar of Count de Vanssay
• High tea with champagne, sweet and savoury canapés, and tea, served on the family's heritage porcelain in the Grand Drawing Room
• A light cheese and wine supper on the terrace or by the fireside
• An elegant picnic hamper to take down to the floral garden
• Reservations in the little village bistro, less than 5 minutes walk from the château
• Reservations in various other gourmet restaurants in the region

Leisure

Your hosts, Count and Countess de Vanssay, will tailor an experience to fit your time, interests and budget. You will benefit from their contacts and extensive knowledge of the area. You can experience European aristocracy first-hand with private invitations to meet, lunch or dine with the often colourful owners of France’s famous castles and elegant private châteaux and visit parts of their houses and art collections not normally accessible to the public. A luxury chauffeur can be arranged.

Attractions locally include driving the Le Mans race track at the wheel of a Porsche (early booking is advisable, available at certain times of year), balloon rides over the Loire Valley, launched from the grounds of the château, a wine tour, cooking lessons, or even learning to restore French Boule marquetry furniture.

Families

Children are welcome at all times with full parental responsibility.

Prices