A great country escape: Saint Malo
Saint-Malo is mostly famous for its beaches and of course Mont Saint-Michel, which is a short drive from the town, but it also has some beautiful county chateaus. Connected to Paris by the fast TGV train, you can be down in a couple of hours, making it a great weekend country get-away.
And is there a better way to spend a few days away from the rush of the city than in a beautiful “maison de plaisance”? A typical centuries-old bourgeoisie country home, it was built in 1715 by a wealthy ship owner who made his fortune during the ‘Compagnie des Indes’. The mansion stands in the middle of 6 hectares of parkland with roses, trees and a pond. There is also a golf course on the land, and if golf is not your cup of tea you can get a bicycle to roll around or get down to the beaches. There are also other activities and games to keep you busy, either outdoors or indoors.
The chateau is impressive from outside, but the interior is really stunning. The lounge, the ‘inviting’ tea room – ‘Salle l’InviThé’ – and the ‘reception rooms’ will take you back into another time. It is a luxurious and homely setting: hard to decide if you want to stay indoors sipping on a drink while playing chess or other games, or be outside in the green park.
The rooms are also furnished with beautiful antique pieces and are very big: surely more then a bedroom, with its sitting corner and chairs, a desk, big glass doors and windows looking out on the trees. It is indeed a very relaxing and stylish environment, you will feel home right away.
The chateau is ideal for families, groups of friends, even business meetings, but really for anyone who wants a bit of a rural escape. We, a group of friends who don’t see each other too often, spent a long weekend in the chateau and forgot about all our day-to-day problems. It was good to be together, catching up with the others, spending a relaxing time – wish we could do it every weekend!
Château Hôtel du Colombier
Petit Paramé
35400 SAINT MALO
Tel : 33(0)2 23 52 02 28
Website: http://www.saintmalo-hotelcolombier.com/
