Château Virlet

The Belle Epoque era was a period characterised by peace, economic prosperity and innovations on technological and scientific level. In France, especially in Paris, the arts flourished.

Château Virlet was built in 1894, in the middle of this so-called “golden age”. The wealth of the original owner is nowhere more apparent than in the magnificent stonemasonry of the façade, the chimneys and the parapets.

With little more information about its original interior except that what relatives of the original owner told them and the notion that the house had visibly undergone some changes by subsequent owners, the current owners wanted to give the house back a feeling of luxury that one expects when standing in front of it. At the same time, it was important to update it to the standards of comfort that are expected today.

Since having acquired it in the Spring of 2013, some structural changes were done and – although the work isn’t finished yet – lots of rooms in the house have already been redecorated to give it a homely feel and to make it a place that can be enjoyed all year round. As the Charente-Maritime region is said to be the second sunniest region in France, it can get quite hot during the summer so it was also important to have a pool where you can cool down, surrounded by a terrace and garden to relax in.

If you are used to the bustle of the city or if you just want to take a break from your daily routine, you will find it makes a nice change to hear the crickets chirp at night and to wake up to the sound of birds in the morning. You won’t mind the occasional passing by of a tractor. While your companions may decide to sleep in, you can get up, gently wake up the house by opening the shutters of the reception rooms, remove the pool cover so the sun can heat up the water for a dip later on, cycle or walk to the local baker to get delicious croissants and fresh bread, and set the table on the terrace outside the kitchen where you can have breakfast together.

During the day, you can visit a town nearby, drive to the beach, go for a swim in the pool, play badminton or table tennis in the garden, cycle around the area, take the kayak on the Charente river towards Cognac or peddle further to the north to see the castles along the river banks. You will find that the kitchen has everything you need to prepare a nice meal that you can have on the terrace or in the dining room. If you don’t feel like cooking, there are some restaurants in the area that offer very good value for money.

You can retreat to the library with a glass of cognac while listening to some music or someone playing the piano, or you can watch a movie in the living room before going to bed. But then, if the weather allows it, why not go for a midnight swim?

The Charente-Maritime department

Charente-Maritime is part of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine administrative region. It is located on the southwestern coast of France. Major towns in the department are La Rochelle, Rochefort, St-Jean-d’Angély and Saintes. It also includes the islands of Ile de Ré, Ile d’Aix, Ile d’Oléron and Ile Madame.

Looking out the windows on the first floor on a summer’s day confirms what you can read on the economy of this region, namely that Cognac and Pineau are two of the major agricultural products with corn and sunflowers being the others.

Although there are rainy days and occasional below-freezing-point temperatures during the winter months, the climate is mild and sunny, making it a nice region to spend time outside of the summer months as well.

The closest airports are located in La Rochelle and Bordeaux.

If you want to go to the beach, Royan is a good choice. Besides going to the beach, checking the shops in the town center or having a meal in one of the many restaurants, you can walk by the Belle Epoque beach front houses along Boulevard Garnier which follows the coastline towards Saint-Georges-de-Didonne, another seaside village that is quieter but offers long stretches of sandy beaches. North of Royan is La Palmyre, which has a very nice zoo that houses a diverse population of primates.

Pons

Distance: 9km

This is the smallest of the towns mentioned. It has pharmacies, bakeries, a cinema and other shops in the city centre, a Bricomarché and Intermarché supermarket just outside the centre and a big Leclerc supermarket, garden centre, fast food restaurant in the commercial zone outside the centre in the direction of the A10 towards Bordeaux.

Cognac

Distance: 17km

City centre: some of the big Cognac houses are located in the centre, which has pedestrian streets where the main shops are to be found. Along the banks of the Charentes river that runs through the town you can rent canoes and kayaks to spend some time exploring the river and see the castles besides it. There is also an area just outside the centre with a mini-golf course and an area for children to play as well as a public pool.

The commercial zone in Chateaubernard along the N141, east of the city, is where you can find supermarkets such as Auchan and Leclerc as well as DIY shops, garden centers and other shops.

Saintes

Distance: 20km

City centre: a good selection of shops in a nice town with pedestrian streets

A big shopping area with supermarkets such as Leclerc and Lidl, shops like But/Mr Bricolage and Decathlon (just to name a few) and a cinema complex can be found in the commercial zone of Saint-Georges-des-Coteaux, just outside Saintes.

Royan

Distance: 55km

A good selection of shops can be found in the city centre.

La Rochelle

Distance: 100km

No need to look for shops outside the centre, this big town has plenty of shops.

Bordeaux

Distance: 110km

Although it is not in the Charente-Maritime but in the neighboring Gironde department, it is at about the same distance from the house as La Rochelle. With a population of almost a quarter of a million, it has all the shops you need.

Pérignac (3km)

L’Orchidée  – 16 avenue de Cognac

Pons (9km)

L’Arrière Cour   – 29 rue Emile Combes

Le Français  – 1 Place de la République

Café du Donjon  – 5 Place de la République

Les Moulins de la Vergne  – 64 Route de Colombiers

Chaniers (12km)

Moulin de la Baine – 14 rue Colbert

Courcoury (14km)

L’Amaryllis  – 17 Rue de la Liberté

Cognac (17km)

Click here for a selection of restaurants

Saintes (20km)

Click here for a selection of restaurants

Bourg-Charente (26,5km)

La Ribaudière  – 2 Place du Port

Cinema

Pons: Le Vauban

Cognac: Cinéma Galaxy, Le Galaxy

Saintes: Atlantic Ciné in the commercial zone of Saint-Georges-des-Coteaux, Gallia in the city centre

Saint-Savinien sur Charente: Cinéma Florida

Saint-Georges-de-Didonne: Crea

La Rochelle: CGR-Olympia

Saint-Jean-d’Angély: Eden

Theatre

Saintes: Gallia

Saint-Georges-de-Didonne: Crea

La Rochelle: La Coursive, Le Strass

Museums

Cognac: Musée des Arts du Cognac, Le Musée d’Art et d’Histoire

Saintes: Abbaye aux Dames, Ampitheatre Gallo-Romain

La Rochelle: Musée d’Histoire Naturelle, Le Musée des Automates, Musée des Beaux Arts

Archingeay: Les Trésors de Lisette

Rochefort: Musée de la Marine

Castles

Chateau des Enigmes: educational and fun theme park (11km)

Chateau de la Roche Courbon: magnificent interiors and gardens at this Castle that has its origins in the 11th century (36km)

Chateau de Crazannes: 14th century castle (36km)

Chateau de Beaulon: 15th century castle that produces Cognac and Pineau (40km)

Chateau de Buzay: 18th century castle (85-95km, close to La Rochelle)

Family entertainment

Chateau des Enigmes: educational and fun theme park (11km)

Les Antilles de Jonzac: aquatic centre with wellness and fitness (29km)

Zoo of La Palmyre: one of the most popular tourist attractions (66km)

Aquarium of La Rochelle: fantastic aquarium (100km)

Kayak

You can rent a canoe or a kayak in Pons or in Cognac, where you have the Cognac Canoe Club and the “Base Plein-Air“.

Golf

Golf courses in the area are the Golf du Cognac in Saint Brice (23km) and the Golf Municipal Louis-Rouyer-Guillet in Saintes (23km)

Surfing

Here’s a map with surf spots in the Charente-Maritime department

Karting

Kart Extrem  – ZA Terres Du Poteau, les Souches, 17240 Saint-Genis-de-Saintonge  (25km)

Pôle Karting Service PKS  – 2 Rue du Breuil, 36700 Clion (25km)

Karting de Royan  – 13 rue d’Arsonval 17200 Royan (52km)

Parachute

Europhenix 17  – Voie Joseph De Lelee 17600 Medis (26km)

Paraglide and Paramotor

Les Cagouilles Volantes  – 17600 Corme Royal (47km)

ULM Paramoteur  – Aérodrome de Jonzac – Neulles, 17500 Saint-Germain-de-Lusignan (30km)