Read the short story of my family getaway in a French chateau in the heart of Loire Valley with my teens. A haven of peace and slow life, like in a fairytale.
That was both a surprise and the icing on the cake for my wife and 2 teens aged 12 and 14. After a few nights in Amboise in a comfortable but rather simple rental apartment, we were now parked in front of the high and impressive red gate of the Chateau des Grotteaux, an elegant chateau built in 1620. We could not see much from outside, as the walls that encircle the 75 acres’ park of the chateau were too high as well. So the first question that my youngest son asked was: “ Did we get lost, Dad? “
Obviously we didn’t, and as a magical answer, the gate started to open slowly and silently on a cypress-lined gravel alley. I quickly started the car again (fearing that the gate could close again!), and drove for a few hundred meters along the majestic trees until we came to a bend. Then came the next word in all our mouths: “ Wowww! “
Just in front of us, like in a fairytale, stood an elegant and impressive chateau, as a glorious evidence of an ancient human presence on the banks of the small river Cosson that flows just behind the chateau. Indeed, it was built in 1620 by Guillaume de Ribier, a high-ranking magistrate and member of Parliament from Blois. King Louis XIII particularly appreciated this man and he offered him on three occasions a role as a minister. But Guillaume de Ribier always refused, arguing he preferred to concentrate on his local duties and the quietness of Chateau des Grotteaux. There he could pursue his two great passions: writing and collecting books. His library, with more than 3500 books, was one of the largest in Europe at that time!
Going out of the car, I saw a tall and smiling man coming to me, waving hair neatly combed, walking at a fast and determined pace on the gravel in an elegant but functional pair of green boots. From the very first sight, I was amazed by how Gaël fit perfectly with the decor around and looked like the perfect “lord of the chateau” from our 21st Century.
He shook my hands warmly and did the same for my wife and kids.
I was honestly impressed by how he could be as smart and “cool” at the same time. He was definitely animated by the passion and the pleasure to welcome new guests. We were then brought to our cosy “Gîte de La Commanderie”, a lovely 2 storey cottage, built in the 19th century at the entrance of the park. This is a very convenient, intimate and more affordable option for families up to 5 people than the luxury rooms inside the chateau itself. It’s only 200 meters away from the swimming pool and 400 meters away from the main buildings of the chateau. It comprises a sitting room, a well equipped kitchen and two bedrooms (each with their own bathrooms).
A couple of hours later, I sat in a comfortable Louis XIII armchair in the living room of the chateau, and let Gaël tell me about the fabulous story of the restoration and how he and his wife became the modern lords of the Grotteaux…I won’t tell you all the details, as I hope sincerely that you’ll have the pleasure to discuss yourself with Gaël and learn more about the recent story of the Grotteaux, but here are a few stories that will arise your curiosity!
It all began when Gaël and Cecile married in 1986, then had the happiness of the birth of their four children. After 18 years in Western France and a career in large organizations and big companies such as IBM and Vivendi for Gaël, or Hermès for Cécile, they decided it was time for a change.
So in 2005 they bought a business specialized in dental alloys in the Loire Valley and moved to Blois.
One day, their youngest son Ivan, coming back from a fishing excursion on the Cosson river, reported that he had discovered an amazing chateau. Gaël and Cécile went to see it from outside and both fell under its charms! A few months later, a friend of them, working as an estate agent, told them that this property was for sale… This was undoubtedly a sign of destiny… Unfortunately, Gaël and Cécile were far from having the necessary funds to buy the chateau! But, they nevertheless decided to go and visit les Grotteaux inside and they all (including the kids!) fell in love with this delightful spot fabulously positioned in the shadow of world renown Chateau de Chambord, set only 10kms away. They finally decided to sell their business and their house in Blois and throw themselves into this fascinating but quite mad adventure! It really required some serious nerve to go ahead because not only there was the purchase price to be considered but also the cost of the top to toe renovation!
The following years were a succession of high and lows, as the chateau had not been maintained for many years.
Between May 2015 and December 2016, no less than 50 local businesses and 120 individuals worked on the restoration of the domain… The facades, the roof and the interior decorations were worked on by specialists in the restoration of historical monuments who had frequently worked at the Chateaus of Chambord and of Blois.
The roofs were redone using original methods – there are no modern hooks here! The slates are all hand-cut and fixed in place with serrated copper nails. No zinc was used for the roof ridges, the surrounds of the skylights, the ornamentation or the guttering. Instead six tons of lead was employed by specialist artisans. A local stone, the Tuffeau of Vilantrois, was used to replace most of the cut stone of the facades and a special render was designed from a mixture of local sands from the rivers Loir and Loire.
The 17th century murals of the very highest quality were uncovered and restored. This same team then worked on the monumental fireplace in the great drawing room, removing various decorations that had been stuck to it and repainting it in harmony with the woodwork and thereby rendering it all its original charm.
Every day brought new decisions to make and there was always the risk of making the wrong one. As a last curse, in June 2016, just as the project was reaching its end, the once-in-a-hundred year flooding of the Cosson wiped out several months of work and considerably delayed the opening of the Chateau. But then the domain des Grotteaux finally opened in 2017 after 3 years of very hard work and strong emotions, and started its new life as a luxury and incredibly romantic and authentic property. Gaël and Cécile could finally contemplate the wisdom of their folly!
“Here everything is a delightful and harmonious combination of light and shade” (extract of The Double Bedroom, a poem by Charles Baudelaire)
After hearing such a fabulous story, I couldn’t wait for a private visit of the rooms! Gaël took my arm and led me to the stairs. The Grotteaux is not a chateau to be visited like a museum. It is a chateau that is lived in and all the objects around you have a personal significance – it might be the memory of a loved one, of a journey, of a day spent in Paris, a moment shared, or of an enjoyable read. The living rooms and bedrooms have been restored and decorated to create a welcoming, authentic, comfortable, warm, soft, elegant, harmonious, surprising, luxurious, original, restful, simple, useful and voluptuous atmosphere! Carefully selected by Cécile, a piece of cloth, an object or a painting are the inspiration for the choice of colors and materials. The bedding, the focal point of the bedroom, has been chosen carefully as well to provide the most restful experience. A continental breakfast is served in the dining room and hot drinks are also available to help yourselves all day long.
Among the numerous advantages of the Chateau des Grotteaux, there’s its strategic position, only 10km to 15km away from Chambord and Cheverny castles, two of the most magnificent and iconic symbols of the Renaissance times in Loire Valley.
What we did for the visit of Chambord is to rent some bikes and go for a ride on the flat and secured cycle lanes that pass just in front of the Chateau des Grotteaux. Gaël and Cécile can also provide some bikes, but the choice is a bit limited. You can have a larger choice and many options of pick-up / drop off at the Vélos Verts (Green Bikes) in nearby small city of Blois.
We got on our bikes and rode for around 30 minutes from our base camp in the Grotteaux, following the small river Cosson until we reached the impressive park of Chambord. Indeed, when you come to Chambord, the castle itself, though monumental it could be, is only a part of this vast 13,000 acres domain. Remember that when our famous king François asked Leonardo da Vinci to build that property, it was supposed to be only a hunting retreat! All the forests around are full of deers and wild boars. This is actually the biggest fenced park in Europe.
Entering the gate with our bikes, we felt like we entered a real wild zone, with high Scots pines and dense forests of oaks. Only 10 minutes later, my elder son stopped suddenly and shouted: « Look, a deer! ». Indeed, a majestic stag with its wide antlers was standing only 20 meters from the road, nearly hidden inside the dark forest, staring at us like if we were intruders in his own territory, but staying immobile and silent. We stayed immobile as well for at least 5 minutes, admiring the majesty and power of the animal, then it disappeared in the woods in a agile and graceful jump. What a royal meeting!
OK, I won’t describe the castle itself, though we’ve spent more than 3 hours to visit it, playing hide and seek in the dozens of rooms of this enormous building. My kids loved the Histopad, which is an interactive tablet that allows you to step into the past and see the rooms and their furniture as they were set 500 years ago. Chambord is definitely on the bucket list of the castles you must not miss during your stay in the Loire Valley!
As we were really fascinated by our encounter with the deer, we decided to make a « game-drive » in the park in the late afternoon. This is a recent experience, offered for small groups of 8 people maximum. or on private basis.
Accompanied by a forest guide, we sat in an all-terrain vehicle and explored a complex and peaceable environment. We visited the ponds, prairies and heaths of the largest enclosed nature reserve in Europe and received valuable information on management of wild flora and fauna from our guide. And during a stopover in the spacious trophy room, we had the privilege of discovering how a stag’s antlers can develop over seven years. As the park of Chambord hosts a high density of stags and wild boars, it is common to cross paths with them in the broad daylight.
Believe me, if you want to step into the past, a stay at the Chateau des Grotteaux and a couple of visits of the majestic castles nearby is the best way to feel as a Royal family!
