Chateau hotel in Normandy, the Pavillon de Gouffern is located near Falaise

The «Haras National du Pin » stud farm is 3 km away from the hotel. The chateau was built in 1665 by order of Louis XIV in order to bring together all the king’s stud farms in Normandy. Nicknamed the “Versailles du Cheval” the chateau and its 3000 acre park have been classified as a historic monument. With its thoroughbred stallions and harness collections, the chateau is today dedicated to all the trades of the horse and includes the “écoles des haras”, the centre for professional training of the French national stud farms. 25 km to the West of the charming hotel stands William the Conqueror’s castle in Falaise. Erected on a rocky spur between the XIIth and XIIIth centuries, the castle overlooks the town. A rare vestige of mediaeval architecture in Normandy, this fortified castle is one of the foremost monuments in the history of France, as it was the home of the Duke of Normandy before his conquest of England. The castle of Falaise, classified today as a historic monument, organizes events, shows and temporary exhibitions around the theme of the Middle Ages in Normandy.

To the North of Falaise, 35 km away from the hotel, there is a visit which is not to be missed: the museum and gardens of the Norman chateau of Venveudre. Built in the 18th century as a stately home, it is a model of harmony and sobriety. Fine mouldings and sculptures adorn the outer walls and the interior is decorated in 18th century style: study, smoking room, dining room, bedrooms with toilets concealed in the woodwork, all bear witness to the refined life of the chateau. The chateaux’s museum holds a collection of exceptionally refined miniatures : masterpieces wrought by prominent craftsmen, a rare and unusual collection of liliputian silverware, in the tradition of the “Cabinet d’Amateur” (private collection). Compiled by the Countess of Vendeuvre, this unique collection has ensured the renown of the chateau far beyond the reaches of Normandy. Around the chateau, a French garden with an ornamental lake and surprising water gardens complete a visit of rare diversity.

A few minutes away by car from the hotel, the chateau Bourg-Saint-Léonard is worth a visit : built in 1767, surrounded by stables, an orangery, a water mirror and a park, the grand lounge of the chateau has preserved it’s original wood-panelling as well as magnificent d’Aubusson tapestries. Thanks to the perfect conservation of it’s interior decoration, this monument tells the tale of chateau life in the 18th century in Normandy.
20 km to the North, accessible from the hotel via the D16, stands the château de Camembert : a 17th century chateau with half-timbered studding, in the traditional architectural style of the Pays d’Auge. Converted into a farm during the 18th century, this is where the recipe of the world-famous Normandy cheese was first elaborated.

20 km south of the hotel, in the village of Saint Christophe le Jajolet, stands the chateau de Sassy: the visit begins with the chateau gardens, an architecture of stone and trees coming down from the terraces of the chateau, with a French-style flower garden at the bottom.

Not far from there, half an hour’s drive away from the hotel, stands the château d’Ô in the village of Mortrée: with it’s exceptional architecture that rivals with the noblest Loire Chateaux, the Chateau d’Ô carries the name of the family who built it in the 15th century. Finely decorated inner courtyard, slender turrets and monochrome brickwork on the façade give this Normandy chateau an unreal charm.

25 km south of the hotel, the château de Carrouges, the building of which began in the 14th century, imposes it’s architecture : a former fortified castle besieged by the Pantagenets during their conquest of Normandy, it was rebuilt and in later years, extended. It is the seat today of the Parc Naturel Régional de Normandie-Maine.

Near Carrouges, half an hour’s drive from the hotel, stands the château de Champ de Pierre : adjoining a 16th century forge, this 18th century chateau is built in a romantic park adorned with an Aviary and surrounded by ornamental lakes. To the West of the chateau, there is a canal with a small island bearing the promising name of “Rendez-Vous” on which an obelisk has been erected.

50 km to the West of the hotel stands the chateau de Flers: dominated by two corner towers crowned by pinnacle turrets, the chateau harbours the Fine Arts and Decorative Arts Museums and through it’s temporary exhibitions, tells the story of the Pays de Flers in Normandy. Standing in a park of 17 acres, converted into a ornithological reserve, the chateau de Flers, which was bought by the Municipalité in 1901, is today the Town Hall.

50 km to the South of the Pavillon de Gouffern, on the outskirts of the village of Couterne in the heart of the Normandy-Maine Park, stands a chateau built in the 16th century out of granite and brick: the park is open for visiting, as well as an exhibition area containing a collection of objects dating back 450 years.

Finally Caen, located 60 km North-West of the hotel, is a not-to-be-missed stage in the history of the Normandy chateaux: William the Conqueror decided to build a castle here, the first stone ofwhich was laid in 1066. This fortified castle, the pride of mediaeval Normandy, has a surface area of 12.5 acres and is one of the largest castles in Europe.