Best Self Catering Castle Stays in Pays de la Loire - 2023

Most Famous Former Guest: King Louis XI. Le Manoir de Champfreau has a three bedroom manor house and a one bedroom cottage for holiday rentals on a 15th-century, partially moated, estate near Saumur and the city of Tours, in the heart of the Loire Valley. The accommodation is spacious, comfortable and full of historic character with sturdy old stone walls, wood beamed ceilings and a great array of classic antique and art pieces. ACCOMMODATION: The main building is the 200 m² (2100 ft²) Manor House which has three comfortable and spacious double bedrooms, one of which is en-suite and all of which are beautifully, and individually, decorated with antiques, Persian rugs, mirrors, paintings, prints, tapestries and floor to ceiling curtains. Adjoining one of them is the Turret Room, a small room which served as the Manor Oratoire (private chapel) in olden times and is still now designed and decorated as such. The entrance hall has deep red upholstered walls, a large oak table and many fine antiques, paintings and prints, a wrought iron, candle holding chandelier, and an 18th-century era library filled with books, mainly about history, art and architecture. The main room of the house is the large ‘Great READ MORE

Most famous former guest: King Henri IV of France, aka ‘Good King Henry’. Château de Chanzé is a beautifully authentic old château for rent near Angers in the heart of the Garden of France; the Loire Valley. It has history going all the way back to the 11th Century and still retains a huge amount of medieval ambience. There are five spacious bedrooms and suites in total, and the château can sleep up to fifteen people comfortably. THE ACCOMMODATION: There are three spacious suites with en-suite bathrooms and lounge/seating areas, and two smaller bedrooms with shared bathroom. Two of the suites have one double bed and one single while the other has one double bed and two single beds. Of the two bedrooms, one has one double and one single bed and the other has just one double bed. Thus the château can sleep a total of up to fifteen people. The centre piece of the château is the very atmospheric 100m2 ‘Banquet Hall’ which has a five metre long solid oak dining table, an enormous, 17th century era fireplace, candelabras, handmade lead-light windows, a Young Chang grand piano and some lovely old antique furniture and art pieces. There is READ MORE

Chateau De Piedouault is a wonderfully authentic old chateau for rent near the Loire Valley and the cities of Nantes and Angers. It has 700 m² of internal space, can accommodate up to 15 guests, and has all the ingredients in place for a relaxed, leisurely stay. The location is ideal too for exploring the very iconic, and very beautiful, Loire and Anjou regions of France. ACCOMMODATION: There are a total of eight bedrooms at the chateau, a mixture of double and twins except for one single room, and it can accommodate 15 guests comfortably. There is also a large living room/ lounge area plus a dining room and a fully equipped kitchen. Outside you have acres of space with gardens, which include a heated swimming pool, lovely woodland walks and views of the surrounding countryside. The house feels both spacious and cosy at the same time and is the type of place that begins to feel like home very quickly indeed. You’re find the owners, who live nearby, welcoming and friendly and will on arrival offer you a nice gift pack of food staples and wine. PRICES: Check out all the details – prices, reviews and more photos – READ MORE