ESCAPE TO THE CHÂTEAU: A WEEKEND AT L'ORANGERIE

L’Orangerie Château Duras was our final stop on a week long French adventure last month. After holidaying in Paris and Saint Emilion we wound our way South to spend the weekend indulging in a long held fantasy of sleeping over in a French Château.
Château Duras, whose history reaches back over 800 years, was recently renovated into a luxury country retreat by Londoner Olly and his partner; a creative couple who split their time between France and the UK. We had the pleasure of sharing the weekend not only with Olly but also Masterchef Professional’s winner Dan Lee, and his lovely girlfriend, who were in town prepping for an upcoming foodies retreat at the Château. We were kept incredibly well fed during our stay and it was brilliant to have such a nice little group to share the time with.

THE CHÂTEAU

You won’t be short of space with a stay at L’Orangerie. The Château, that sleeps up to 12, is split over 4 levels and has two kitchens with dinning spaces, two lounge rooms, a back garden and front garden, both with outdoor dining, a heated pool and plenty of parking (whew!). Theres all the practical kitchen things supplied as well as a laundry, TV’s, fireplace and good wifi. All 6 bedrooms are ensuite and come with luxury Floris London goodies. Each room also has beautiful south facing windows and we particularly loved spending the afternoons sitting by our bedroom view (which happily proved to be the perfect sunrise spot too).

Olly and his partner have done a lovely job at making the Château feel modern and bright while still retaining the charms of an older building. Mid-century furniture is mixed with French antiques through the spaces and there are plenty of cosy corners to settle down in to watch the valley below.

SURROUNDING AREA

Practically in the backyard of L’Orangerie sits the town of Duras, where you will find a mix of cafes, shops and restaurants. There are also food trucks on Friday night and a weekly market (which sadly we missed). Duras certainly has enough to keep you fed and entertained for a week or so if you choose to stick local.
If you have a car and plan to explore more, we can recommend the fairytale town of Issigeac and the city of Bergerac (where we had a great meal at Le Bistro d'en Face). You also shouldn’t miss the Saturday markets at nearby Sainte-Foy-la-Grande. Olly drove us out on the day we arrived and together with Dan we shopped for ingredients for a delicious poolside dinner that evening. The market was vibrant and varied and felt truly local, with lots of great produce and no sign of the usual tourist traps common in larger towns.

Although we stuck close to the Chateau for the majority of our weekend, if you planned a longer stay this spot would also serve as a great base to explore further afield to places like Bordeaux or the Lot-et-Garonne and Aquitaine regions

duras

Issigeac

Sainte-Foy-la-Grande Market

RETREATS

From this Autumn onwards L’Orangerie is hosting a series of retreats. There are options for floristry and yoga retreats as well as foodie retreats which will team up local wine experts with local and international guest chefs. Dan was in town prepping for the retreat he will be cooking at in October with wine expert Nicolle Croft who we also had the pleasure of meeting over the weekend. Head to their website for more information.

Dan, Olly and Nicolle

GOOD TO KNOW

The pool is heated so even in the cooler months you can take a dip
There is a BBQ by the pool
If dining al-fresco in the Summer evenings (which you should) make sure to pack some insect spray
Both kitchens are fully equipped so it’s easy to grab some groceries and cook your meals on site
There are quite a few flights of stairs up to the bedrooms so make sure everyone in your group is mobile
4 bikes are available to guests

GETTING THERE

The closest airports are Bergerac and Bordeaux and from there it’s a 40 minute or 90minute drive respectively.
If you don’t plan on renting a car (we didn’t) Its also possible to arrive via train and the nearest stations are Saint Foy Le Grande (40minutes drive away).
Although be warned that none of the station staff of taxi drivers we encountered spoke English, so it’s best to either book a taxi ahead or practice your French in prep!