Who doesn’t want to sleep in a castle, right? And as it’s shoulder season and rates are lower, we figured, what the heck. The drive from La Charite-sur-Loire to our first stay in Provence was a bit long so we booked a stopover here…Chateau de Rochegude.
Yup, that’s the front door.
This 12th century fortress, the summer home of one Marquis de Rochegude, was restored in the 1800s by Viollet-le-Duc, a prominent French architect who restored many medieval sites and many damaged during the French Revolution. Notre Dame, Mont St. Michel, and the walls of medieval city Carcassonne are on his CV.
Views towards the Alps from our first bedroom.Also from our bedroom window, overlooking the inner courtyard.
Surrounded by Cote du Rhone vineyards, it is now a Relais et Chateaux hotel, 4 stars no less, with a spa, pool, tennis court, and some excellent customer service.
Our first bedroom. Large, bright, great views. Gorgeous, right? But alas…no wiffy. (That’s French for Wifi). So they moved us. To a chambre privilegee. Oh yeah. Wayne’s happy. ‘To the manor born?’ The bed. Looks great. But no more comfortable than many we’ve slept in for far less $. Ah, but the bathroom. Very nice. No toilet, you say? Just across the hall in its own little ‘throne room’.
Naturellement, we strolled about the castle, but sadly a one night stay left no spa time. Here’s what we saw.
The music room… The salon, with real fires in that magnificent fireplace every evening. Next morning as we passed through, a French family of 4 had chosen to ‘take their petit dejeuner in the salon, s’il vous plait’. This looks like Joan of Arc, don’t you think? Not that I knew her personally, of course. Just one of millions of amazing women who have lived, are living, will live, to prove that gender has nothing to do with wisdom, smarts, or ability. N’est-ce pas? A little music in the courtyard… …playing to a captive audience. …this guy’s definitely got some moves….…but really, she’s clearly had quite enough of all of them. Puh-leeze! I’m sure I heard this chap whisper ‘Au revoir’ as we left.One last look.
So, in conclusion…the room was fine, breakfast was less varied and $7 more apiece than the one at Hotel Mercure in Chartres, (so $64 Cdn at Rochegude for both of us), and top marks for customer service and ambience. After all, it was a castle.
Au revoir, Rochegude
PS. That night’s restaurant location was very challenging for Mary. Nobody told her about the major roadwork in downtown St.Paul les Trois Chateaux. So poor PeterPaul got a real workout. But La Chapelle was perfect. Excellent food, friendly server who taught us some French, and in a cave. Ah, France.
Looks very chapel-ish, specially as it was way up in a quiet corner of a quiet street in a very quiet town.Sorry, we forgot to photograph the meal. But the olives and wine were excellent, and of course, both very local.
