CHATEAU DE BAGNOLS
Opulent Burgundian château worth splashing out on
CHATEAU DE BAGNOLS IS ENOUGH TO MAKE YOU believe in fairytales. Step across the drawbridge and moat, and you are encircled by medieval
pierres dorees – honey coloured stone that positively glows in the evening light. Set against the green Beaujolais vineyards and hills, it is now
arguably the world’s finest vineyard chateau hotel.
Rescued from near dereliction 20 years ago by Lady Hamlyn, Château de Bagnols has been
wonderfully and atmospherically restored. Renaissance frescoes discovered during four years of painstaking works now shine from walls and ceilings in all their former glory.
Vast rooms are the stuff of romance, filled with stunning decorative flourishes and beautiful pieces. One of the finest gothic fireplaces in Europe dominates the Grand salon, while others are adorned with antiques and silver and glass objets d’art
set against opulent velvets, wood panelling and marble.
Four-posters – just the place to play the princess and the page, perhaps – are dressed in crisp Swiss bedlinen and draped with shimmering silks and velvets, while monastic stone floors add yet more visual drama. Huge clawfoot baths, enveloping fluffy towels, bottles of fragrance and local lavender add indulgence to baronial bathrooms.
Hit the spot
In the heart of Beaujolais wine country, 24km from Lyon.
Bedtime
Bed down in grand Burgundian bedrooms outfitted in silks and velvets.
Be savvy
It’s a place to blow the budget, big time.
Be smitten
Vintage Burgundy never tasted better.
Breakfast beneath the trees
Suites come with huge sofas, while rooms in the converted stables and carriage house have a more rustic-contemporary feel and bucolic views. Outside, you’ll find towers,
terraces and parkland with sweeping views to complete the idyll. Breakfast on the terrace beneath the lime trees makes a superlative to start to the day.
Château de Bagnols’ Michelin-starred Salle des Gardes exemplifies the gastronomy this area’s famous for. Expect traditional dishes working with the seasons, spit-roasted game and seductive modern dishes. You’ll see the culinary brigade preparing your dinner in the
bustling, open-to-view kitchens. The vaulted stone cellars are stuffed with some of the great vintages of Burgundy and Beaujolais.
Despite its grandeur, Château de Bagnols is far from overpowering or stuffily formal, and contrives to feel relaxed and private. Service and personal attention second to none.
From here you can take off with a picnic basket and
follow vine trails through Beaujolais and Burgundy countryside. Lyon with its
vieille ville, tennis and balloon rides are just some of the other diversions to tempt you away from this Burgundian heaven.
Château de Bagnols was reviewed by
Room for Romance
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Dining in
An enormous Gothic fireplace and royal coat of arms set the tone in La Salle des Gardes, the château’s impressively grand dining room. This Michelin star restaurant is an out-and-out winner: expect excellent local charcuterie, freshly caught river fish, to-die-for desserts and a wonderful selection of cheeses. The
Bresse chicken with potato tarte tatin is a favourite.
Dining out
For a night out, try Le Vieux Moulin in Alix (3km) or La Vieille Auberge in Oignt (5km). Lyon itself is renowned for first-class Burgundian cuisine, so make the trip and try some for yourself.
Where?
La Salle des Gardes at Château de Bagnols.
What’s cooking?
Regional specialities served alongside traditional French dishes and delicious spit-roasted meat and game.
Dress the part
You'll want to be château-glam.
Top table?
Warm up at table nine, by the big fireplace.
See & Do
Lie by the pool, stroll through Bagnols itself and relax in the village square with a bottle of local Beaujolais. Pamper yourselves with a massage, body or facial treatment, all bookable at Château de Bagnols.
Burgundy is the gastronomic heart of France, so do some tastings at local vineyards, nibble at local delis and surreptitiously loosen your belt. Spend a day in the cobbled streets of nearby Lyon, with its medieval
Vieille Ville (old town), Renaissance mansions and hilltop cathedral.
Shop
Explore Lyon’s riverside street market at Quai St Antoine, dip into the big departments stores of Presqu’île, trawl for a bargain among the city’s 80 antique shops along rue Auguste Comte or try the chocolates at Bernachon.
After dark
Lyon is pretty lively after dark. Sip a glass of Beaujolais in a traditional Lyonnais bar, check out one of the new cyber bars or wander past some of the city's 100-odd illuminated buildings.
Dates
June – September
Staged in Lyon’s ancient Roman theatre, Les Nuits de Fourviere is an biennial extravaganza of music, dance and performing arts.
December
Lyon lights up with a Fête des Lumières: four days of light shows, theatre, art exhibitions and music.
GETTING THERE
Location
Le Bourg, 69620 Bagnols.
Parking
There is free guest parking
Trains
Lyon TGV station – 30km
Taxis
Around EUR 100 from the station
Airport
Lyon Saint-Exupéry – 68km
Rooms and suites
8 rooms, 13 suites
Special features
Sumptuous rooms come with a hot tub, DVD player and wi-fi. Get that lord-of-the-manor feel in the suites, with a private terrace, living room and open fire.
Also…
You’ll be treated like aristos, with drinks and fresh fruit on arrival, free newspapers and a spacious lounge to sprawl in. There’s also a pool and gorgeous grounds.
ESSENTIAL INFO
Rates guide
EUR 400 – 2.250
Open/closed
Open all year
Check-in
3pm
Check-out
Midday
Minimum night stay?
No
Breakfast
Buffet breakfast is served until 10:30am.
Room service
Available 24 hours a day
Children
Welcome
Pets
Small dogs are welcome.
Air conditioning
Yes – all rooms
Languages
French, English, Italian, Spanish and Dutch
Wedding license?
Château de Bagnols is fully licensed to hold weddings, catering for up to 120 guests.
Eco conscience
The château grows much of its own produce, most of it organically. Ecological cleaning products are also used.
Your contact
Franco Moro – General manager