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La Vaudourière is an authentic 17th Century country château that has been carefully and elegantly restored. It is located in the Loire Valley area on 14 acres of beautiful, secluded grounds in a lovely pastoral setting. The home is impeccably maintained and is complete with all modern conveniences, including totally updated bathrooms and a gourmet kitchen. The entire property, including the 6 bedroom château and its 4 bedroom guest house, overseen by an on-site caretaker and his wife (who reside in the gatehouse), is made available for your exclusive use.
This includes the heated swimming pool surrounded by a large sunny terrace filled with flowered plantings and quality poolside furniture. The château grounds are comprised of luxuriant lawns abundant in trees, beautiful shrubs and flowers, including roses, lilacs, wisteria and others. The large château terrace, accessible from the two living rooms, complete with dining and barbecue facilities, overlooks a valley with panoramic views of the rolling lawns, a fountained pond surrounded by roses and inviting private woods filled with numerous shady walking paths. The property also includes a regulation tennis court and seasonal vegetable and herb gardens from which you may select various fresh produce.
La Vaudourière is a very special historic property (during the 18th Century it was owned by Joseph-Alexandre de Musset, the grandfather of the 19th Century French poet Alfred de Musset), which offers its guests the opportunity to savor the gentlemanly lifestyle of the French countryside of a bygone era. The local area, filled with charming wine producing villages, historic châteaux and medieval churches, offers endless possibilites for day touring. La Vaudourière is also convenient to Paris by nearby train service. We strongly recommend a stay of two weeks or more to fully enjoy all that La Vaudourière and the nearby area have to offer.
The Château
Initially constructed in the late 17th Century as a Parisian gentleman's country hunting domain, later expanded in the 19th Century, the main house of la Vaudourière is now a peaceful and charming 6 bedroom, 4.5 bathroom manor house or country château. In addition to the main house, the property includes several other period buildings including a 4 bedroom guest cottage with a fully equipped eat-in kitchen and fireplaced living room, a large barn (complete with basketball hoop and ping-pong table) and an oratory (private chapel-not yet restored). In addition to the luxuriant plantings and the heated swimming pool, the grounds include an herb and vegetable garden (available for your meals), an orchard, a regulation tennis court, a grassy field perfect for a game of soccer (balls provided) and acres of inviting woods. The property wine cellar is well-stocked with numerous good wines of the Loire region, which you may purchase for your dining pleasure. We will be happy to furnish you with the addresses and phone numbers of any of these wine properties if you later desire to visit them for your own purchases.
The ground floor of the main house includes two large, fireplaced living rooms with floor to ceiling French doors that open to a spacious, sunny terrace and the grounds. One living room is equipped with a high quality stereo system and a collection of CD's. The other includes a baby grand piano and a television, VCR and DVD player. Both the VCR and DVD player are compatible with all types of tapes and disks, including those from the US and Britain. There is also a selection of video tapes and DVD's available for your use. Between the two living rooms is a large dining room that can easily accommodate twelve or more. All rooms in the château are tastefully furnished with many period pieces, but perfectly comfortable for families with children. One of the living rooms has bookcases lined with reference and pleasure books, in both French and English, board games and puzzles. In addition to these four rooms there is a fully equipped eat-in gourmet cook's kitchen, with a beamed ceiling dating from the end of the 17th C. and a separate laundry room with washing machine, dryer and ironing facilities. The kitchen and dining room include full services of dishes, glassware, cutlery and all cooking utensiles. All bed and table linens and bath and pool towels are provided. There is also a fax machine and a laptop computer available for the guests. Please note that the internet service is low-speed as the high-speed is not available on the property.
The Bedrooms
There are six bedrooms in the main house, two with private bathroom. On the main floor is a bedroom with queen bed. The adjacent bathroom includes toilet, sink and shower. There are five bedrooms in the 19th Century tower addition. The first is located on the second floor (first floor in Europe), just above the living room with the grand piano. It has beautiful views out two sides, overlooking the property. The bedroom has a queen bed, a sitting area by the fireplace and another situated in front of one of the large windows. The private bathroom has both a shower and a separate bathtub, toilet and sink. On the floor above this bedroom (second floor in Europe) is located a family suite comprised of three rooms and a full bathroom with both bathtub and shower. The first is a charming fireplaced bedroom with double bed. The room has lovely views overlooking the terrace, lily pond and the fields and woods beyond. The second room is furnished with a Simmons "kangaroo" twin bed (a twin bed with a separate regulation pull-out, pop-up twin that can be placed anywhere in the room). This room too has lovely views overlooking the château property. In addition there is a small baby's room complete with a beautiful wrought iron crib (in conformance with current safety standards) and changing facilities. All three rooms are independent, each with its own entry door. The bathroom is accessible to all three rooms. One floor above are situated two bedrooms, each with two twin beds, and a bathroom with shower. Linens, blankets, pillows and towels are provided for all bedrooms and bathrooms on the property. All four of the bathrooms in the main house have been completely modernized, are tastefully decorated and are in excellent condition (each bathroom in the château and guest house is equipped with a hand held hair dryer). There is also a powder room located on the ground floor. Additional baby equipment is provided : high chairs, infant seat, portable crib, playpen, strollers, cradle, bassinet, bottle warmers, baby listeners, plastic plates and cups, and any other available upon request. Of course, we have not forgotten toys (for 6 months and up), games, puzzles, and books for all ages (children, teenagers and...).
The Grounds : Outdoor Dining and Recreation
There is lovely garden furniture placed throughout the property. The spacious terrace is complete with three stone tables surrounded by chairs that can seat comfortably up to 22 people for outdoor dining. There is also a large Weber barbecue for summer cooking and elegant citonella filled lanterns. In addition to the tennis court, recreational equipment includes a ping-pong table, a croquet set, numerous bicycles of various sizes (complete with an array of bike helmets for different ages and baby carriers), a grassy field for soccer (complete with balls) and a basketball hoop in the farm barn. The property is maintained by a caretaker couple, husband and wife, who reside on the property in a house by the entrance gate. They will greet you when you arrive and show you around the property. They take care of the grounds, pool and house and are available to handle any problems that may arise during your stay. There are numerous walking paths that begin either on the property or adjacent to it. Local walking maps are available in the château. A short walk (about ten minutes) down the country road will lead you to a neighboring farm where you may buy freshly baked bread.
Guest House
In addition to the main house, a completely renovated guest house may be added to your rental package. Please note that the guest house is not available for rental alone during the summer season, but may be rented separately from mid-September to mid-May. The four bedroom guest house includes a fully-equipped eat-in kitchen (with refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher, microwave, coffee maker, toaster, water boiler, full set of dishware, cutlery and cookware), a fireplaced living room with a double size sofa bed, a CD player, a television, VCR and DVD players (that play all international systems including US and British), two full bathrooms (one with bathtub, one with shower) and a laundry room with washer, dryer and ironing facilities. Two of the bedrooms are on the ground floor : one with a queen sized bed, the other, suitable as a children's room, has a full size crib, changing table and a twin bed with another pull-out, pop-up twin. There are two additional bedrooms on the second floor : one with a double bed the other with two twin beds.
Cooking Services and Dining Opportunities
It is also possible to have your meals prepared and your shopping provided. An excellent cook is available during your stay. She will be happy to prepare the evening and/or mid-day meal for your party. She has provided a list (in English) of many possible dishes ranging from light summer salads, cold meat and cheese platters, barbecued meats and fish to full traditional French recipes. Your personal requests are also welcome. If you are interested in the cooking services, please try to indicate this when you make your booking. Upon your arrival, you will meet with the cook to discuss and arrange the number and types of meals desired. We do ask, however, that if you are interested in meals for the weekend of your arrival (either Saturday or Sunday), they should be requested in advance (for shopping purposes). The list of possible meals is available to you in advance upon request. Children's meals are also offered. Fresh French bread and croissants can also be provided each morning. In addition, there are many excellent restaurants in the local area. A list of these restaurants, complete with phone numbers, is provided in the château and will be mailed to you in a package of information once a firm reservation is made. If you are interested in dining out the weekend of your arrival, we strongly suggest that you make the reservation several weeks in advance. We will be happy to assist you in making reservations. Babysitting services are also available for an extra charge.
Both houses are equipped with internet access. There is also a laptop computer available in the Chateau for your use. Cables for direct hook-up between your laptop and a telephone line are also provided. Please be advised that it is a low-speed internet connection since the high-speed is not yet available in our corner of the beautiful French countryside.
Location and Nearby Sights
La Vaudourière is located amidst gentle rolling hills in the eastern part of the Loire Valley area : 40 minutes north-east of Tours and 20 minutes west of Vendôme. It is an easy 40 to 60 minutes drive to the Loire Valley Châteaux, Chartres Cathedral, the city of Orléans and numerous lovely villages. There is regular train service between Paris and Vendôme. La Vaudourière is 3 km down a quiet country road from the village of Lunay where you will find a very good butcher and boulangerie (bakery shop) and a small grocery store. In the village square is located a church dating from the Middle Ages.
The town of Montoire is located ten minutes from la Vaudourière. There you will find conveniences of modern France (2 large grocery stores, banks, numerous shops etc.) along with ongoing traditions. There is an active farmers market, all day on Wednesday and on Saturday morning, in the town square. In July the town hosts a series of chamber music concerts followed by an international folklore festival in early to mid August. Just outside Montoire is situated one of the loveliest villages of France, Lavardin. An impressive château from the Middle Ages, though partly destroyed, overlooks the village from an adjacent cliff-top. An excellent restaurant, Le Relais d'Antin (reservations a must), is found in the village center. The outdoor garden terrace overlooks a quiet river.
In another nearby village, Trôo , are located several very good restaurants, a charming antique shop, troglodyte dwellings (carved intothe cliff walls), which may be visited, and a small church in the upper village with wall paintings dating from the 12th Century. The larger town of Vendôme (population 20,000) is located about 15 to 20 minutes from la Vaudourière. The old section is now a lovely pedestrian area full of small shops, gardens and a cathedral. Balzac, the 19th Century French novelist, was a student at the former college of the Oratorians (now the town hall). A bit farther away (30 to 40 mins) is the Possonnière , the home where the 16th Century poet, Pierre de Ronsard, was born and grew up. The house and grounds are open for visits. In the nearby village of Arville (20 mins), you can visit a Commandery (a residential community) of the Knights Templar dating back to the 12th Century.
Train Service and Car Rental
Train service from Paris: the highspeed train (TGV : « train à grande vitesse ») leaves from the Montparnasse station in Paris and arrives at the station of Vendôme-Villiers. Reservations are necessary for the TGV. The local train departs from the Austerlitz train station in Paris and arrives at the Vendôme station (not the same as Vendôme-Villiers); reservations are not necessary but tickets should be bought before boarding the train (same for the TGV) or you will be subject to a penalty. Rental cars may be reserved through Avis for availability upon arrival at either train station in Vendôme. You may contact the French rail system, the SNCF (Société nationale des chemins de fer français), at: www.voyages-sncf.com .
Restaurants
Lavardin:
Le relais d’Antan 02-54-86-61-33
Trôo: Le Cheval Blanc 02-54-72-58-22
Auberge Sainte Catherine 02-54-72-51-23
Le Petit Relais 02-54-72-57-92
Le Bistrôo 02-54-72-57-88
Montoire: Le Cheval Rouge 02-54-85-07-05
Les Deux Châteaux 02-54-85-01-99
Les Voyageurs 02-54-85-00-73
Thoré-la-Rochette: L’Hôtel du Pont 02-54-72-80-62
La Ville aux Clercs: Manoir de la Forêt 02-54-80-62-83; www.manoirdelaforet.fr
Vendôme: Auberge de la Madeleine “Le Jardin du Loir” 02-54-77-20-79
Les Caves du Bois aux Moines (restaurant troglodyte) O2-54-89-09-09
Les Trois Buissons
The family farm of M and Mme Leroux, a ten minute walk from the Vaudourière, bakes numerous sorts of biological breads: whole wheat, white, sesame, poppy seed, raisin, raisin-hazlenut and three grain. Bread may be ordered during the day on Thursday for availability on Friday afternoon (from 3 pm on), or bought Saturday afternoon (3 pm on) without a reservation. They also sell various farm products: an assortment of flours, sunflower seed oil, apple juice and lentils. 02-54-72-02-1
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