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  Château de Challain
49400 Challain-la-Potherie
Cynthia Nicholson
Email: inquiry@au-chateau.com

 PLEASE MENTION CHALLAIN IN THE SUBJECT LINE

  or  * * BOOK ONLINE * *  click here

10% Discount if you book with au Château!


Languages:    English 
Credit cards:  none accepted

Département: Maine-et-Loire (49) 

  • VIDEOS: 2015 Video: Your wedding at the Château; a wedding video; and a video visit to the château.
  • Total capacity is 50 guests!
  • SEE the Château's beautiful 2015 brochure [.pdf]

Château de Challain


  Spectacular! There is probably no better word than 'spectacular'  to describe this utterly French, delightfully romantic château ideally located in the Western Loire. Known as the “Petit Chambord”, Challain was built as a private residence 1854. Neogothic in design, the château reveals the lifestyle of the nineteenth century while providing guests with all modern amenities ~ certainly the best of both worlds!   Its American owners have decorated it in luxurious style in keeping with its history and charm,  and they have created incredibly beautiful rooms for the enjoyment of their guests.    It is a truly exquisite venue hosting gala events throughout the year as well as an ideal property for the gathering of family and friends for special occasions and celebrations.  Guests truly experience a fairy tale ambiance when they step through the entry way and back into the days of royal gatherings and an elegant way of life. 

Each magnificent guest room offers robes, slippers, a hairdryer, and en suite bathroom.  Each is uniquely decorated, furnished with antiques and opening onto views of the lush green park surrounding the château.  The Tower Suite is a room of silk, a king size canopy bed and a fireplace filled with candles; The Madame Rochefoucauld Suite boasts a hand-painted ceiling dating back to the year the chateau was completed and the view from the window of the south lawn and two-hectare lake is wonderful; The Romance Suite includes a large silk bed and its own salon for quiet meals, and guests can enjoy a luxurious bath in the antique clawfoot tub surrounded by fresh flowers; authentic furnishings fill the Royal Suite ~ a handcarved oak bed that is fourteen feet tall! 

Dinner is offered at the château, including wine, to complete one's total immersion into nineteenth century château life.   Each evening meal at Chateau de Challain is memorable with fine cuisine prepared by the château's on-site chef, trained at the Culinary Institute of America.  A full wine cellar, fresh regional produce and great culinary expertise promise a dining experience presenting the best the Loire Valley has to offer.  Breakfast in the morning is, of course, included in room rates.  With reservations made the day before, guests can also enjoy a mid-day meal at Château de Challain.  The new Gate House apartment for five is a fine self-catering unit on the grounds of the Château.

If you yearn to marry in a French château, it would be a wise decision to choose Château de Challain.  A magic atmosphere awaits the bride and groom, and guests will find the château a delightful gathering place.    A chapel in town, within walking distance,  or the private chapel at the château, with its marvelous hand-painted gold ceiling, are available for the marriage ceremony ~ or a garden wedding can be held in the new gazebo.   Small receptions with cocktails, a four-course meal including champagne and regional wines and service can be arranged; plans must be made directly with the owner.  Inquire about larger functions as well. 

The Chateau de Challain is located only thirty minutes outside the town of Angers, and only one hour from Charles de Gaulle International Airport by TGV.  It is situated at the edge of a charming Loire village, making it all the more appealing for guests who like to take strolls and experience local life.  A stay at the château permits easy access to the many sights in the region ~ the grand châteaux of the Loire, visits to incredible restaurants in the towns and cities along the river, tours of the Loire's fine vineyards ~ and it is the perfect locale for those interested in the history of royal France.  Do consider a stay at Château de Challain  ~ go back in time and enjoy the elegance and enchantment of 1800s France in a fairy tale château.

 ***  Book a room or the château with our booking form or email inquiry@au-chateau.com  with Challain in the subject line. ***

 
  Total Capacity:  50 guests.
Bed & breakfast accommodations: 
All guest rooms in the château are €350 per night.  Coach house guest rooms are €250 per night.
Suites:
  6 ~  Romance Suite, Madame Rochefoucauld, Tower Suite, Toile Suite, Empress Suite and the Kings Suite All suites have spacious en suite bathrooms.

Guest Rooms:  2, Napoleon Chambre, 1 double and 1 single with bath down the hall; Amboise Chambre, 1 double and 1 single and crib, bath down the hall.
Newly renovated Coach House offers and additional ten en suite guest rooms for 22 guests
Breakfast included in room rates, served from 7 to 10 AM.  
The château is NOT self-catering but has a full staff for luxury service each day.
Dinner:
by advanced reservation is € 75 per person, wine included.  Fine restaurants from 8 to 30 kilometers from château.
**Rent the entire Château (including Coach House) 
for a special family gathering: [up to 50 guests total]  low/high season 2 nights €13,900/€18,000; 3 nights €16,000/€21,500;  5 nights € 19,900/€23,000; 7 nights €  22,000/€29,000.   (Plus 20% taxes.) 
Shorter rentals:   2 nights mid-week €10,000weekends €15,000;  each additional night is €4000.
Breakfast and BBQ included.  Off season (November -April) Château is €4900 per day / Coach House is €3000 per day.  B&B off-season from
discount of 25%.

Weddings:  The château will accommodate up to 50 guests.   All details of the wedding can be arranged by the château owner. 
New Gate House Apartment:  Two bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen and living room - self-catering accommodations for 5 people.  € 600 per night.  May be rented by others when you rent the château, but those in the Gate House will not have access to the interior of the château.
Entire château is non-smoking. Check in 4 PM / Check out 11 AM.  Winter surcharge is 15% for heat on the rental rate.

Open all year.
On the grounds: Park and gardens, marriages and group events. Chapel. Gazebo for garden weddings. Games room.
Vicinity:  Horseback riding, golf course (20 kilometers away), Angers (Château d'Angers with its gardens, museum, tapestries), Nantes (Château du Ducs de Bretagne, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Jardin des Plantes, Musée Dobrée, and  Île de Versailles where you will find the Maison de l'Erdre and Jardin Japonais),  Loire Valley grand châteaux such as Saumur and Chinon, Fontevraud Abbaye, vineyards of the Touraine and Loire.  La Mine Bleue (the 'ardoise' or slate mines that provide the lovely roof tiles of the region) is open to tourists and is only a few kilometers north of the château.

  Directions:

From Paris or Angers,  autoroute A 11 to exit 18 onto the D963 direction Candé.  At Candé's third roundabout (traffic circle, le giratoire) take the right onto the D6 direction Challain-la-Potherie.  Look for château on the right just before the village.

From Nantes, take the A 11 direction Angers, to exit 20 onto the D923 direction Candé to the third roundabout and onto the D6 as above.

Airport - Nantes (55 minutes) 72 kilometers
Railway Station - Angers, 47 kilometers
Car Rental Angers (click here)

FranceMichelin Map to Châteausmcastle1

                                           CLICK ON PHOTOS BELOW TO ENLARGE & READ MORE!
 
  Romance Suite
Romance Suite

Suite Madame Rochefoucauld
Rochefoucauld
  Tower Suite

Tower Suite

  Chapel
Weddings
  Château Gardens
Gardens