Manoir de la Chausée – live in an Israeli castle in Brittany

During my visits to France, I stayed in all kinds of hotels, from modest 2-star hotels to luxurious and luxurious castles. And I'll tell you a secret: the better hotels you stay in, the more your standards slowly rise and it becomes harder and harder to impress you.

The next hotel I'm going to write about managed to meet this challenge and made me fall in love with it at first sight and I have a feeling that I'm not the first nor the last to fall in love with this charming castle. The reason for this, as you will see, is not just the beauty and pampering, but the whole package, which creates a unique experience that, in my opinion, simply cannot be experienced anywhere else in France.

Here's a short video I made that will get you in the mood 🙂

A colony of charming Israelis in a small village in Brittany

Before we start telling you about the medieval castle in the small village somewhere in Brittany that was turned into a luxurious boutique hotel, let me tell you about the “working souls.” I got to know Danny Ashkenazi a few months ago when he suggested that I publish articles on rope with him. Brittany Where he lives. From the very first article, I fell in love with his writing style and humor, and between articles I got to know him and the story of the place where he lives.

It all started when Michelle, the sister of Danny’s partner, decided to buy an old mansion called Manoir de la Chausée located between the cities of Nantes and Rennes. The peace, tranquility and beauty took their toll and Michelle was joined by her son and daughter-in-law and later Danny and his partner who became addicted to the peace and good life here. The “Israeli colony” was joined by an insanely talented Israeli painter named Yariv and ten dogs and two cats(!). And why am I telling you all this? Because this, ladies and gentlemen, is a very important part of the charm of the place.

Living within history

So what is this castle that made Israelis move to a small village with no name in Brittany? It is a manor located right next to the Vilaine River, one of Brittany's main rivers and as such has been a strategic point many times in history. It is a fortified manor from the 13th century, which sat on the ancient road that leads from Brittany to Santiago de la Compostela and was a place of refuge for pilgrims.

The last time the castle appeared in history (before I stayed there of course :-)) was during World War II when the owner at the time turned it into a base for the Resistance (you can read more about it in the article The unknown BrittanyToday, Michelle, who bought the estate from the family that lived in it for about 150 years, maintains the historic atmosphere with antique furniture in every room.

In general, no room in this boutique hotel is the same as another. Each one has a different character and a different story to tell you. Take, for example, one of the housing units located in the tower (Donjon) in the castle courtyard. On the lower floor you will find a spacious living room, but the real magic is revealed when you go up to the gallery above and discover next to the bedroom one of the most beautiful bathrooms I have ever seen.

And for those of you who have ever dreamed of sleeping in a four-poster bed, you will be happy to know that we can definitely arrange that for you too…

But the beauty of the castle doesn't end in the guest rooms, but is found everywhere. Take for example the huge guest room with its antique fireplace.

Or the dining room where the landlady occasionally serves gourmet meals made by her own hands…

Who did you call a garden?

And if you thought that the beauty inside the castle rooms was the highlight, then I must inform you that you were wrong. Every self-respecting castle should have a garden and this castle is no exception. However, in our case, it is not a garden but a huge and magical garden.

This is an English garden, the work of garden architect Alan Mason, who planted about 15,000 different varieties of plants here so that you can enjoy different flowers in every season. As you stroll through this magical garden, you will discover a lake and a small stream that flows directly into the River Whelen.

And if you continue walking, you will discover a retired cart resting perfectly harmoniously on the grass, waiting for a horse that may return in the future...

And finally, if you keep walking, you will come to an avenue of trees that has become a kind of museum and displays the paintings of Danny Ashkenazi. Who knows, maybe you will also find Nils Holgersson there, because I already found Molly and Commander Ake there.

And of course, how can we not mention again the sweet dogs and two cats that roam freely around and will be very, very happy to play with you there all day long. Take for example Paddy the terrier. He is currently a puppy so by the time you get there he will probably grow up a bit but I don't think that will make him any less cute or friendly 🙂

And what can you see around?

To tell you the truth, for me the story could have ended here. After all, what could be better than arriving at a place like this and spending a week in the huge garden or among the castle rooms? But I know you, and if you've already arrived in Brittany, you'll surely want to discover it. If so, you'll discover that the castle is simply wonderfully located and can be a wonderful base for star trips.

What's good about it is that you don't really have to go too far to reach the hills from which you can view the Vilan River in all its glory:

And if you wanted ancient history, then right next door there is an ancient dolmen (megalithic tomb) that is thousands of years old…

And also a medieval tower that belonged to Du Guesclin, the Minister of War of King Charles V.

Lakes that will make you think that in a moment a hand holding a sword will appear there (King Arthur's Forest is about an hour's drive away):

And everything, as you can see, is bathed in bright green (I leave the purity of the air to you to imagine):

All the pictures you have seen were taken within a 15 minute drive of the castle. However, if you decide to travel a little further then the blue/grey skies of Brittany are the limit. You can easily reach the city Nantes (The castle is about a 50-minute drive from the airport there) to the city of Rennes to the district Morbihan, the western part of Loire valley And even to North-East Brittany There you can find Saint Malo, Cancale and Mont Saint Michel (perhaps the most well-known attraction in France outside of Paris).

In short, even if you try hard to be bored, it won't really work out for you.

What trips in Brittany can you take from the castle?

Because of the castle's strategic location between Rennes and Nantes, you can make it a wonderful base for star-gazing trips in Brittany and the Loire Valley. Here are some itineraries you can do if you live here:

• Northwestern Brittany (Treguilla, Finistere, etc.)
• Rochers Castle, where Madame de Savigny lived
• Pompon and Brookland (King Arthur's Forest)
• Maltrois (a cute medieval town on the riverbank)
• North-East Brittany (including Mont Saint Michel)
• Tour of the Morbihan region
• Tour to the salt ponds of Guerande 

The distance of the castle from cities and important attractions

• La Gassey (where you can find the Yves Rocher factory store and quite a few cute boutiques) – 25.5 km.
• Chateaubriand Castle
• Rochefort-en-Terre (A beautiful village voted one of the most beautiful villages in France) – 46.3 km
• Rennes - 55 km
• Joslin Castle – 71.4 km
• Nantes – 73km
• Van City – 85.8 km
• Vitra – 91.2 km
• Dinan – 105 km
• Fougeres – 105 km
• Clisson – 106 km
• Saint Malo – 122 km
• Cancale – 124 km
• Mont Saint Michel – 136 km
• Brissac Castle 148 km
• Pois du Pous Amusement Park – 150 km

Want to live in this paradise?

So what, have you fallen in love too? There are 2 ways to live in this charming castle and have a French/Israeli experience that you can't have anywhere else.

Rent a room for one night or more

If you have already rented a car and are coming to the area for one or more nights, you are welcome to stay in one of the decorated rooms in the castle. Since Danny and I are good friends, he agreed to provide a special price of 80 euros per night (including a rich breakfast). To receive this price, please contact Karen (Danny's partner) by email.  Karen151046@gmail.com Or on WhatsApp + 330761801122 And say that you came through Anonymous Francophiles. It is recommended to hurry because the number of places in the castle is very limited.

And what happens if we arrive late at night?

Currently, most flights from Israel to Nantes arrive late at night while rental agencies are closed. In this case, it is recommended to take a hotel for one night in the airport complex and arrive at the castle the next morning. In the Nantes airport area, there are 3 hotels, each with a different price and level of pampering, so there is always an option for every budget. Here is the list of hotels:

B&B Hôtel Nantes Aeroport – Modest 2-star hotel

Stopover Oceania Nantes – A 3-star hotel that even includes a pool

Hotel Oceania Nantes – A relatively luxurious 4-star hotel

All-inclusive package (except flight)

If you don't feel like renting a car, staying near the airport the first night, and spending a lot of time planning your trip, Danny is happy to offer you an "all-inclusive" package at a special price of 250 euros per night per room (minimum booking of 3 nights). What do you get in this package?

• Double room in the castle including breakfast
• Transportation from the airport and back (which will save you an overnight stay at the airport).
• Daily trips in intimate groups of maximum 4 people with Danny in the places mentioned above (Chateaubriand Castle, Rochefort, Quiberon etc').
• Entrance to paid sites such as castles and museums.
• Lunch and dinner.

In short, all you need to do is buy a plane ticket and all the other trips will be organized for you.

Sound interesting? Contact Danny by email.  dani2006clean@gmail.com Or on WhatsApp 0505-211079 And say that you came through Anonymous Francophiles.