Artists’ retreat

Château de la Haute Borde (Rilly-sur-Loire)

GETAWAYS • Rilly-sur-Loire

Only two hours from Gare Montparnasse, tucked into the Loire Valley, the Château de la Haute Borde is a five-room guesthouse that’s also a working artists’ residency. The three owners (Céline Barrère, Cécile Simon, and Violette Platteau) blur the lines between hospitality, creativity, and ecology.

Stays last a minimum of three nights, each one helping fund the château’s resident artists. Days might include a meditation session in the garden, a wild foraging walk in the surrounding woods with century-old trees, a jump in the pool, or a hands-on workshop on natural skincare. Conversations happen over tea or barefoot in the grass. This is a place that encourages slowness, and nudges you towards curiosity.

The interiors are pared-down and soulful: local stone, lime-washed walls, and vintage furnishings collected over the years. Every detail works in concert with the château’s strong ecological commitments, from the plant-based kitchen to the biodegradable soaps in the rooms. The 100% vegetarian meals are a highlight: generous, creative, and made with seasonal ingredients grown onsite or sourced nearby.

Whether you’re here to rest, learn, or create, Château de la Haute Borde offers a rare kind of nourishing hospitality. –Victoire Loup

→ Château de la Haute Borde (Rilly-sur-Loire) • 6, La Haute Borde.