~ Chateau de Fere is overlooked by the romantic ruins of a 12th-century castle ~
Richard BLIAH (owner of Château de Fère) is a well-|
Hotel Château de Fère Route de Fismes, Champagne 02130 Fère-en-Tardenois near Reims 50km, France Email: FereILA@ila-chateau.com 
Paris 115 km • Calais 290 km • Bruges 280 kmBrussels 300 km • Karlsruhe 460 km Luxembourg City 280 km • Mâcon 460 km 90 minutes drive from Roissy-CDG airport (110 km) 45 minutes drive from Reims-Champagne airport http://www.ryanair.com/ 2 hours drive from Beauvais airport (130 km via Compiègne and Soissons) http://www.aeroportbeauvais.com From Paris A4 exit Château-Thierry American WW1 Cemetery nearby
Owner: Richard Bliah
Number of Rooms / Suites: 24 / 5 Rates: from 160 € / from 390 € (single or double occupancy) Buffet Breakfast: 22 € per person Restaurant: menus and a la carte (closed only for lunch on Mondays, except during holidays and for groups) Al fresco dining weather permitting Superb outdoor swimming pool (heated mid-May to mid-September) Tennis – Helipad Extensive grounds - Horse riding in the nearby forest Rare setting for all kinds of events Ideal venue for weddings (up to 200 – possibility of exclusive renting) Annual Closing: From January 2nd (after the brunch) until February 13th Helipad (GPS): N 49° 13' 21" E 003° 32' 15" 
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~ One of our "Chateaux & Hotels de Charme" ~
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~ One of the fantastic new and exciting Suites ~
Set in the romantic village of Fère-en-Tardenois in the province of Champagne, the castle
welcomes guests from around the world with its elegant gardens and fine accommodation. There
are actually two castles on the grounds. One, the Château de Fère was built in 1206
by Robert de Dreux, grandson of Louis VI. Now in ruins, it serves as a backdrop to the newer
16th century castle, the Hostellerie du Château. And now, this majestic fully restored
hotel invites you to share its rich history.
The Château's magnificently appointed 6 apartments, 19 rooms and excellent conference
facilities offer you luxury befitting a five star hotel. The superb dining room with its
panelled walls, chandeliered ceilings, crystal and elegant silverware is a regional favourite.
To complement the exquisite cuisine is a remarkable selection of 20,000 bottles of fine wine,
housed in the labyrinth of tunnels below the Château. The guest suites are appointed
with collectables envied by those who appreciate the finer things. Tastefully arranged
paintings, wall hangings, and lamps are matched to the grace of the Château itself.
Modern luxuries include spa baths. A feast for the senses. A time for reflection . . .
with service fit for kings.
At the Château de Fère Hotel you can do as much or as little as you choose. Revive your spirits over a game of tennis. Take to the air in a hot air balloon, or make a splash in our pool. Tee off on the neighbouring 18 hole golf course of L'Ailette or hunt (season permitting), horse ride, cycle or simply enjoy a leisurely stroll through the beautiful surrounding forests. And when you need to impress, the Hostellerie is the ideal conference, meeting or trade display venue. Amongst these pastimes there is of course another promise of enjoyment - the country of Champagne, with its traditional delights of local vineyards, historical buildings, fields of summer flowers and friendly locals. And nearby at Marne-la-Vallee, the fantasy and adventure world of Euro-Disney beckons the young, and the young at heart.
CASTLE IN THE TERRE
When it comes to the good life, the 'ancien regime' still rules in France
“The French aristocracy has always known how to live well. The food the royals and nobles ate became the envy of the world, the love affairs they conducted turned into legendary tales of passion, and the castles and palaces they built were some of the most beautiful in the world.
Today, many of these castles and palaces are still havens of luxury and privilege, but they cater to a rather different clientele - the hotel guest. A combination of conservation and enterprise has transformed many of these historic buildings into luxury hotels, offering a taste of the good life which is distinctly French in flavour.
Chateau de Fere, for example, is just an hour and a half's drive from Paris on the way to Reims. It is surrounded by manicured lawns and set in a deep forest, and used to be a stop-over for royal groups on their way to the superb Reims Gothic Cathedral.
With a ratio of one staff member for every two guests, Chateau de Fere truly pampers those who stay there. The Chateau itself has magnificently appointed rooms and apartments which provide some of the most elegant accommodation in this area of France. Service is impeccable. A kitchen brigade under the watchful eye of a master chef ensures that guests can try the best local dishes.............”
(Excerpt from Singapore Tatler, by Walter Glaser - www.walterglaser.com)
Reservations may be made directly & always mention “ILA Châteaux &
Hotels de Charme” to ensure best possible service.
~ Banquet Room ~
Merveilleusement situé, ce château a toujours été un
haut-lieu d'hospitalité malgré les outrages des
siècles passés. Cette tradition d'accueil atteint ici,
actuellement, son paroxysme grâce à une “équipe
d'enfer” bien soudée autour d'un propriétaire d'exception
soucieux de son fabuleux patrimoine comme du confort de ses visiteurs.
Fère, est un château enchanté!
Mais rassurez-vous, car si la splendide “idiosyncratic” aventure de Walt Dysney ne se trouve qu'à moins d'une heure, il est certain que les Fées responsables de ces deux merveilles n'ont point suivi la même doctrine dans les cours de magie.
~ A Garden Room with Private Terrace ~
Herrlich eingebettet in einen Park von 70 ha, liegt dieses Schloss neben einer
einzigartigen Schlossruine aus dem 13Jhdt. an einer Strasse, die die Könige nach
Reims zur Krönung führte. Damals schon war das Schloss Hochburg grosser
Hospitalität. Heute am Schnittpunkt moderner Europastrassen warten die Nachkommen
darauf, Ihnen zu zeigen, dass Tradition im Hotelgewerbe weitergeführt und
verbessert wird. Einen Tag oder eine Woche in „Fère” werden Sie nie
vergessen.
~ Courtesy of A-M Urbain ~
Het kasteel naast de ruïnes
"Château de Fère" was een van de eerste kasteelhotels in Europa. Het ligt op de drempel van de interessante champagnestreek met in de nabije omgeving een abundant cultureel aanbod.
Even ten zuiden van Laon en iets ten westen van Reims, precies op de route die de Franse koningen volgden om zich in die laatste stad te laten kronen, ligt Fère-en-Tardenois. Er verrees in de 12de eeuw een quasi onneembare burcht op een heuvel, nog eens omringd door een gracht zo diep als een kloof.
Ooit woonde er Anne de Montmorency, die geen dame was zoals u misschien zou denken, maar de opperbevelhebber (Connétable) en rechterhand van de koningen Frans I en Hendrik II. Hij vond het niet langer nodig dat het kasteel verdedigd kon worden en liet de sierlijke renaissancegalerij over de slotgracht aanleggen. Een nakomeling van hem zag er evenwel financieel voordeel in het kasteel te laten slopen en de brokstukken te verkopen, zodat we nu nog slechts ruïnes aantreffen -maar wel schilderachtige ruïnes !
In de 16de eeuw was naast de burcht een bijgebouw voor personeel en vee ontstaan, waarvan men in 1863 een modern kasteel maakte. In het jaar 1956 werd dit een van de eerste kasteelhotels van Europa ...
Heel wat plaatsen in de omgeving hebben herinneringen en musea betreffende beroemde Fransen.
Want in Château-Thierry werd de fabeldichter La Fontaine geboren, in La Ferté-Milon de
tragediedichter Racine, in Villers-Cotterêts de romanschrijver Alexandre Dumas sr., in
Villeneuve-sur-Fère zowel de dichter Paul Claudel als diens beeldhouwende zuster (en later
krankzinnig geworden minnares van Rodin) Camille Claudel.
Je raakt op deze streek niet uitgekeken.
Courtesy of Gerard Van Swieten (Copyright -Artsenkrant-)
Fère-en-Tardenois was
constructed between 1206 and 1260 as a fortified castle by Robert de Dreux,
grandson of Louis VI, King of France. Little is know of it except that it
belonged to the royal family Valois-Orléans-Angoulême from 1328 to 1528 when it
was given by Louise of Savoy, mother of François I, to Anne de Montmorency,
Governor Général of France and Chancellor to six kings from Louis XII to
Charles IX.
A warrior, diplomat,minister, devotee of the arts, Montmorency was the most powerful man in all France next to the king. He was in possession of six hundred feudal properties, one hundred thirty châteaux and baronies, four mansions in Paris and numerous other holdings.
Though his five sons and seven daughters, all married into the highest families of the land, he was able to keep his finger on the nation's pulse. Builder of exquisite chateaux at Chantilly and Ecouen, he undertook to create at Fère-en-Tardenois a country seat of relaxation. He mainly ordered the monumental bridge that still stands in the garden of the château to be thrown across the moat. Crossing this beautiful bridge one reaches the ruins of eight huge towers.
The château passed to the son of the great Connétable Montmorency and then to his grandson Henry II, whose plot to overthrow Richelieu lost him his head at Toulouse in 1632, as well as confiscation of Fère-en-Tardenois.
Louis XIII returned the castle to Henry's daughter, Charlotte de Montmorency. (Henry IV had once so passionately loved her that he almost fought the King of Spain to retrieve her when, on her wedding night, she fled to Belgium with her husband, Prince de Condé, in order to avoid the King's advances).
The castle was finally inherited by Philip Egalité. So anxious was he for the approval of Republicans that he ordered to demolish partially his own château at Fère. To further his political ambitions he sold the furnishings and fixtures. Those which remained were taken to public auction by his creditors in 1793.
This ended the glorious era of Fère-en-Tardenois. In 1863, the present chateau, once a wing of the Royal castle, was restored and converted to a hotel in 1956.
~ The brand new Suite Camille Claudel ~
~ Outside terrass for al fresco lunch or dinner, weather permitting ~
~ Main Dining Room ~
~ Meeting Room on the ground floor with garden views ~
~ Ballooning escape departing from the Chateau Grounds ~
~ View of the back of the castle with the swimming pool ~
~ Romantic sunset at Fère ~
