Limoges, France
Domaine des Etangs, Auberge Resorts Collection
A Castle Fit for Royalty
What it is
An 11th-Century château on nearly 2,500 private acres, with a Michelin-starred restaurant and a cinematic countenance.
What it isn't
Gilding the lily. This is château-chic at its best—think starched white sheets and exposed wood ceiling beams (i.e. it’s not Liberace’s house).
What we think
If you were not ‘To the Manor Born,’ fret not. Domaine des Etangs awaits—and what a manor it is, with seven suites designed by Isabelle Stanislas, an Ecole des Beaux arts-trained decorator. Each one is named after a star, which means you can ask to stay in Venus (which includes a wall of photos by Dieter Appelt) or Saturn (under an open-beam tower of the château, where 16th-century engravings moonlight as humble decor). Feeling sluggish? Hit the more than four miles of woodland hiking trails...or go horseback riding...or fish the ponds. In short: it really is your very own castle, and they have everything.
You're here because
You’re a Francophile, but you’ve nearly (nearly) grown bored of Paris. You want all of its deliciousness and beauty with none of it’s traffic.
The Moment
Locavore is one thing. Picked this second in the kitchen garden is another. That’s why you find eating at Dyades—where the crayfish are plucked from the on-site Moulde river, and your young leek in jelly appetizer arrives like a modern art installation—so bracingly refreshing.
Restaurants & Bars
//Dyades restaurant //- Michelin starred - a cuisine that complements the incredible natural surroundings and the gentle rhythm of its passing seasons. Dishes are created over a number of weeks using the harvest from the vegetable garden at Domaine des Etangs.
Location
A four and a half hour drive south of Paris, but just two from Bordeaux. Many guests arrive from Limoges or the TGV from Angoulême, just a 40 minute drive away.
