*Chateau de la Barre

Hidden away in the midst of the idyllic wooded hills of the Perche, between Chartres and Tours, at the entrance to the Loire Valley, Château de la Barre progressively unfolds its history. For centuries, its parkland has protected it from noise and disturbance, and it now emerges as an historical haven, close to the small Loir Valley and the famous Loire Valley Chateaux.

Although having born witness to the Hundred Years War, the Religious Wars, and the vicissitudes of the French Revolution, Chateau de la Barre could tell countless tales, and delights most in joyfully extolling a preserved way of life.

Today, the Count and Countess de Vanssay (she is Anglo-American, he is the twentieth generation at his family chateau), welcome you to their home, where the rooms combine elegance and authenticity with all the important modern comforts. The living rooms, with portraits of various family ancestors, rival in grandeur with the immense dining room, a veritable chef d’oeuvre of the 18th century, complete with its monumental buffet displaying an exquisite collection of china.

Thus, you will be guests in a chateau constantly cared for and loved, where the history of the place and of the family have been intertwined for centuries.

The Salons / Lounges

Rose Salon ;
Luscious fabrics, ancestral portraits, antiques and a tapestry embellish this sixteenth century living room extended onto Chateau de La Barre by the great grand daughter of the builders of Chenonceaux Castle in the Loire Valley. The leather Chesterfield sofa, the Louis XV arm chairs and majestic fireplace render a feeling of utter comfort, luxury, peace and convivialilty to this welcoming room.

Dining Room :
Splendour worthy of the ‘Grand Siècle’ awaits you in the imposingly impressive dining room. The prodigious ‘vaisselier’ is a masterpiece in its own right. Our guests may dine at their choice of several excellent restaurants hidden in the villages of the Perche, Sarthe or Loir valley and are welcome to join us three evenings a week for a festive candlelit dinner with appropriate wines accompanying each course.

Rooms
types of room all decorated in the spirit of the castles.
The Chambre Marin is like a lost paradise of elegance and vastness.
Chambre aux Fleurs : Built during the dark ages of the Hundred Years War which hit Western France heavily, this lovely room is now brightened by stripes and an exquisite floral patterned fabric forming a striking setting for the antique furniture and furnishings

Esprit de Jouy : French craftsmanship for this elegant bedroom with a king size four poster bed. The ‘toile de Jouy’ fabric, created in France during the ‘Siècle des Lumières’, has since become famous throughout the world