What it’s like to stay in a chateau in France and beautiful French chateaux to stay at

Each of us has a bucket list with experiences that they want and staying in a chateau in France has been long been on mine.  While living in Paris, my husband and I took a weekend road trip to Normandy and I knew that this was my chance to stay in a chateau in France (also the clock was ticking).  Keep reading for my experience of staying at a chateau in France as well as others’ experiences staying at French chateaux, and other beautiful chateaus in France that you’ll want to visit!

My experience staying in a chateau in Normandy, France

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Something that I always wanted to do was to stay in a chateau in France (after watching Beauty and the Beast too many times!).  While taking a trip to Normandy, I ended up seeing reading about Parc Naturel Régional des Boucles de la Seine, a park where France is attempting to preserve the traditional environments and agrarian way of life. 

Within the park, you’ll find numerous chateaux and when I was mapping out our journey, I realized that it would be possible to stay at a chateau instead at a conventional hotel in Rouen for less than $70 USD (55 euros).

After seeing “le Verbosc” on Airbnb, I ended up booking this family-owned chateau dating back to the 17th century run by Michel, a French nobleman who runs the chateau together with helpers.  The mention of breakfast with Michel and his adorable cats was enough to convince me to book this chateau. Although there are certainly more chateau in the area, I loved the idea of a more personal touch to make my first chateau stay truly special.

After a charming day in picturesque Honfleur in fall, we drove through the winding roads of the Parc Naturel Régional des Boucles de la Seine.  Between the trees changing color and the fog that obscured the many historic buildings that we passed, I was glad that we chose this region. 

Le Verbosc is hidden up a road that was surrounded by red and orange leaves and upon arrival, the door was open for us. As we chose to visit out of season, we were the only guests.

Immediately, we met Michel and his helper who briefly gave us a tour of the house and offered us our pick of rooms.  I ended up selecting the yellow room as I linked the additional tables/chairs as we intended to open the cider that we had purchased earlier in the day.  However, it was a tough decision. 😉  It’s clear that Le Verbosc is both Michel’s home as well as a guesthouse, so you’ll find thoughtful touches and antiques all throughout the house.

Afterwards, we asked for advice on where to eat dinner nearby.  Michel’s good friend runs a half-timbered guesthouse in a former coaching inn (Auberge Du Val At Cesne).  Michel called to make us a reservation and our meal was spectacular. (Some chateaux have an in-house chef, so check ahead.) Auberge Du Val At Cesne focuses on using local ingredients to create traditional dishes from the region. The food was incredible and incredibly reasonable considering the quality and portions.

We slept very well on the comfortable bed and I rose around sunrise to explore the grounds.  Michel’s adorable cats followed me around the house and soon, Michel offered us breakfast (at 8am as I requested).

Our breakfast included jams that Michel himself made, toast, eggs, and fruit.  (My husband’s favorite room of all was the kitchen, which had a large fireplace). Michel is incredibly charming and his helper, an Argentinian girl, were a delight to talk to and insisted upon showing us more of the property, which includes a small apple orchard.

I was especially amused by Michel’s pets, which included two mischievous cats.  One of them spent most of breakfast purring on my lap while the other snuck a bite of my husband’s breakfast. (There’s also a friendly dog!)  Michel also gave us detailed advice on where to go in Normandy, which helped us to determine our Normandy road trip.

There’s a small family chapel on the property, which was created with stones from a demolished church in town.  As someone who has never been invited into someone’s private chapel, I was delighted at the idea of seeing the interior.  I was apparently the first guest, ever, to ask about the chapel. The interior was much of what I expected although I took a lot of delight in seeing the cats using this opportunity to break in.

Check prices at Le Verbosc now! 

Other chateaux in France to consider…

Chateau Feely by Margarita from the Crowded Planet

Chateau de Lucy – Picardy by Katy from Untold Morsels