Château de Mathod

Château de Mathod, near Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland, is a very charming and special place. A recognized historical monument, it was once the home of the Swiss artist Louis Rivier and has been in the same family for seven generations now.

They have a luxury B&B guest suite at the chateau which is beautifully renovated and decorated, and though having all modern comforts still retains a tangible sense of history. The property also has some beautifully landscaped gardens, including a swimming pool, which guests are welcome to explore and enjoy.

THE ACCOMMODATION:

The chateau is the private home of your hosts but they also rent a single 30 m² (320 square foot) one double bedroom suite adjacent to the main building. This was once the studio of the above mentioned Louis Rivier, and it still has many of his original paintings adorning the walls.

This cute, very romantic place is named in his honour as “Suite Louis Rivier”, though as you will see, it is listed in more modest terms as ‘Queen Room with Garden View’ on the booking.com page here.

It has its own independent entrance, a rustic style double bedroom and a modern kitchen and bathroom. There is also an outdoor furnished terrace area facing the gardens where you’ll find a heated outdoor swimming pool that guests are free to use (May to September).

The large, landscaped gardens have seven different themes, the Japanese Garden, the Andalusian Patio and the Rose Garden for example and are a joy to wander around.

There are orchards and berry gardens here too, you can pick your own strawberries and raspberries etc. if you like and the family make a range of bio-organic food, and other, products, including honey, various jams and nut oil which you are welcome to buy to take home. In general you’ll find your hosts very welcoming and friendly, though also allowing you as much space and privacy as you nee,  and they also provide you with a fantastic organic breakfast spread each morning.

There are private spa facilities at the chateau which guests can access too; namely the beautifully decorated ‘Espace Marocain Spa’ which has a hammam, a sauna and a jacuzzi.

THE LOCATION:

Château de Mathod is located in the village of Mathod, on the road between the famous spa town of Yverdon-les-Bains, on the banks of Lake Neuchatel, and Orbe. It is just 10 minutes by car from Yverdon-les-Bains, 20 minutes from Lausanne and roughly 45 minutes from Geneva.

SOME HISTORY:

The first mention of the estate was in 1631 when it was listed as the residence of the Bernese Bailiffs during the time Pays de Vaud was under the control of Berne, the present day Swiss Capital.

In 1774 a noble of the court of Louis XV of France left Versailles after the King’s death and settled at Château de Mathod. He undertook a major renovation of the chateau and the gardens, both of which are in evidence today. The landscaping for the gardens mainly dates from that time as does the structure of the current building with its unusual mixture of Dutch Baroque and Palladian architectural features.

In 1849 André Robert, the ancestor of the current owner, bought the Château de Mathod, and so began seven generations of ownership for the same family. Then in 1919 André Robert’s granddaughter, Julie de Rham, inherited the property and in 1939, she would settle there permanently with her husband, the artist Louis Rivier. He was by then famous for the extraordinary frescoes he painted at the Palais de Rumine in Lausanne, an incredible labour of love, they took eight years to complete and used up over 1,000 square meters of paint. He would live and work at Château de Mathod until his death in 1963.

WHAT OTHER GUESTS SAY:

“Wonderful stay in a beautiful castle with a very nice garden… we couldn’t have been happier there. If you worry that Mathod is quite a small village – there is an amazing restaurant right across the street, “Bras d’Or”. Breakfast was also incredible – thank you for everything!…”

“Chateau de Mathod is much more than an accommodation. Staying in suite Louis Rivier was a journey in itself encompassing history, art, architecture and spectacular nature. The suite is decorated with Rivier’s painting but does not lack modernity in the kitchen and bathroom amenities. Spa and a swimming pool are on the site. The suite has access to a private garden where Sophie, the lady in charge, served us breakfast with home-made, bio products. She even made sure we had gluten and lactose-free options. Tranquility of the garden and the entire property was blissful. Chateau de Mathod was a beautiful experience and we will definitely go back…. ”

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Location Category:

Castles in Switzerland