Laval, France

creative escapes,

harnessing your potential

An inspirational Château sanctuary to spark your imagination, expand your creativity, and bring your ideas to life.

An enchanting Château sanctuary where inspiration flows freely — a place to paint, photograph, compose, or play. Here, your creativity and intellect are nurtured by masters who help bring your passions to life.

Beyond the creative sessions, every moment is designed to indulge and restore. Savour exquisite meals crafted from the best local ingredients, unwind in the Chateau grounds, and enjoy quiet moments or lively conversations with fellow guests. Whether you seek solitude to reflect or companionship to inspire, the Château offers the perfect balance of rejuvenation and connection.

Adventure & Games Art & Photography Cookery Music Writing

Adventure & Games

A large yellow chateau with tall, conical towers, multiple white-framed windows, and ornate architectural details, bathed in warm sunlight.

A wooden sauna room with a bench, a bucket, a ladle, and hot stones, softly lit by warm ambient lighting.

A close-up of a hand moving a black king chess piece on a wooden chessboard, with blurred figures and warm lighting in the background, creating an intense and focused atmosphere. — Focused hand about to move a chess piece on a wooden board during a mid-game sequence. Shallow depth of field enhances tension and drama. Subtle bokeh background.

A short blond-haired woman with glasses examines an open book, showcasing ornate vases and furniture illustrations from the Death at the Chateau, an immersive Murder Mystery weekend.

A rectangular white plate holds several pieces of toasted bread topped with diced tomatoes and herbs, held near a window overlooking the gardens of a glorious chateau in the Loire.

People gather around warmly lit dining tables, engaged in conversation, as the Death at the Chateau, immersive murder mystery unfolds. The rooms red walls and curtained windows add to the ambiance. Candles and drinks on the table create a warm, convivial atmosphere.

A person holds a fan of playing cards, mostly clubs and one heart, while another person sits across the table with blurred hands and face in the background. The focus is on the cards and hands.

A large field of sunflowers stretches across a gentle slope under a clear blue sky, with a line of trees silhouetted in the background—just beyond, a glorious chateau in the Loire awaits discovery.

A plate of thin, golden crepes sits on a wooden table set for a meal at a glorious chateau in the Loire, with stacked white plates, cups, cutlery, and a fruit basket visible in the background.

Close-up of a chess game in progress, with a childs hand moving a piece. Multiple chessboards and digital timers are visible in the background, and a black chess piece with a red sticker is tipped over on the board.

A photo of clues at our immersive murder mystery - a map of the Chateau Estate and pages marked with red lines and handwritten blue notes, detailing key locations and connections.

A rectangular teal dish filled with golden-brown, crispy breaded cauliflower florets, with two metal serving spoons—perfect for savoring at a Glorious Chateau in the Loire. In the background are small bowls of dipping sauces and a jug with red liquid.

A group of people sit around a dining table, engaging in our Murder Mystery. The young detective stands by as a man in a grey sweater speaks with him. Glasses and a water carafe adorn the table, while a warm lamp glows in the background.

A person holds a fan of playing cards, including the 2, 5, 6, 9, and 10 of clubs, and the 10 of hearts, with another person and cards visible in the blurred background.

Adventure & Games

Our Adventure Experiences combine learning, leisure, and indulgence for unforgettable weekends away.

Bridge & Chess Weekends
Immerse yourself in the world of strategy with lessons from masters, followed by gameplay with fellow guests in a friendly, supportive environment. Evenings are complemented with cheese and wine tastings, while spa facilities and optional massages provide the perfect balance of relaxation. Explore local attractions, French markets, and picturesque sites during the day to make the most of your stay.

Murder Mystery Weekends
Step into a world of intrigue with our immersive murder mystery weekends. Solve puzzles, follow clues, and uncover secrets in a thrilling group experience, all set within the grandeur of the Château. Evenings combine fine dining, atmospheric storytelling, and the camaraderie of fellow participants, creating a weekend of suspense, fun, and lasting memories.

Engaging. Stimulating. Memorable.

Find Your Experience

Art & Photography

Mixed-media artwork of a figure with outstretched arms, featuring a painted body and textured wings made from layered materials resembling feathers, evokes the elegance of a glorious chateau in the Loire, set against a faded, neutral background.

Tall, slender trees with pale trunks stand closely together in a forest as golden sunlight filters through the branches, casting a warm glow reminiscent of the grounds of a glorious chateau in the Loire. Green foliage covers the forest floor.

Sunlit forest in autumn, featuring tall trees with moss-covered trunks and golden leaves. The forest floor is blanketed with fallen leaves, and sunlight filters through the canopy, creating a warm, inviting atmosphere.

Two people with shoulder bags stand in a grassy field near a glorious chateau in the Loire. One person holds up a small rectangular black frame, looking through it towards the landscape. Both are facing away from the camera.

A dense grove of tall, slender trees with white bark and sparse yellow leaves evokes early autumn, resembling the tranquil woods near a glorious chateau in the Loire. The forest floor is hidden, and golden foliage fills the background.

A narrow cobblestone street lined with old stone buildings and shuttered windows evokes the charm of a glorious chateau in the Loire. A wrought-iron sign reading Aubabite Medievale hangs above, beneath an overcast sky in this quaint village.

A dense forest of leafless trees with a few remaining yellow leaves scattered among bare branches. The background is filled with a mix of shadows and hints of green foliage. The overall mood is autumnal and serene.

Five people with backpacks and cameras stand at a wooden fence near an information board by a river, surrounded by colorful autumn foliage, with views reminiscent of a glorious chateau in the Loire.

Narrow stone-paved alley in a quaint village with rustic stone houses. Purple wisteria cascades from the right. A colorful, medieval-style sign hangs on the left. Lush greenery lines the pathway under a cloudy sky.

A tree with vibrant yellow leaves stands in a lush green forest, creating a striking contrast. Sunlight filters through the foliage, highlighting the bright autumn colors against the surrounding greenery.

A field of vibrant pink cyclamen flowers blooms amid lush green leaves and scattered brown foliage, creating a colorful and lively scene under soft natural lighting.

Five women with cameras stand and walk outside a glorious chateau in the Loire on a sunny day. Some wear hats and sunglasses, while one woman in the foreground has a coral sweater and white jacket. Greenery and a tree are nearby.

Sunlight filters through a row of trees with lush green leaves, casting long shadows on the grassy ground. The scene is serene and bright, highlighting the vibrant foliage and creating a tranquil, natural atmosphere.

A field of dried sunflowers with drooping heads in a golden, sunlit landscape. The plants are spaced closely together, casting long shadows on the ground, creating a textured pattern across the scene.

A man in a flat cap takes a photo with his phone in a grassy field, beside a tripod. Behind him are rocky cliffs, trees, and a picnic table—reminiscent of the picturesque grounds near a glorious chateau in the Loire.

An abandoned, ivy-covered barn with a slanted roof stands in a grassy field. A leafless tree is nearby, surrounded by dense foliage. The sky is overcast, adding a moody atmosphere to the rural landscape.

Sunlight filters through a misty forest, illuminating branches and yellow-green leaves. The warm glow creates a serene, ethereal atmosphere, highlighting the intricate pattern of the tree limbs.

A serene landscape with a tower surrounded by autumn trees, reflected in a tranquil lake. The sky is partly cloudy, adding depth to the peaceful scene. A wooden pier extends into the water, enhancing the rustic charm.

Art & Photography

Our creative retreats celebrate self-expression and offer the perfect setting to explore your artistic side.

Fine Art Retreats
Immerse yourself in the world of drawing and painting, guided by experienced tutors who help you refine technique, explore composition, and develop your own style. Sessions take place both in the inspiring château studios and outdoors in the beautiful surrounding landscapes, allowing you to capture the essence of nature in your work. Evenings invite conversation and reflection over cheese and wine tastings, with time to relax in the spa or enjoy optional massages.

Photography Retreats
Led by award-winning photographer Paul Mitchell, our photography retreats help you capture the stunning seasonal landscapes of the Mayenne. From ancient woodlands and winding rivers to the grandeur of the château itself, each day combines fieldwork, mentor-led shoots, editing sessions, and engaging seminars to enhance your technical and creative skills. Excursions to local markets and nearby sites provide further inspiration, while evenings offer space to unwind and connect with fellow guests.

Creative. Inspiring. Immersive.
Find Your Experience

Cookery

Bottles of Club Socials red wine are horizontally stored in a triangular wooden rack, showcasing red caps with white text. The neatly aligned caps create a visually appealing display.

A festive Christmas tree adorned with glowing white lights and golden baubles stands illuminated at night. The tree is cone-shaped, decorated with fluffy white layers, and topped with a lit ring, set against a backdrop of dimly visible buildings.

A gourmet dessert with caramelized sugar art decorates a plate with fruit pieces and a green scoop of sorbet. The table is elegantly set with wine glasses and dishes in a refined dining setting.

Two dessert glasses filled with a mixture of oats, yogurt, and fresh berries, including blueberries and raspberries, are placed on a dark table. Elegant white lilies and green foliage lie in the background.

Night view of a riverside city with illuminated buildings. A large neon sign reads LAVAL atop a building. Festive lights decorate the riverside, reflecting in the water. Water fountains are lit with colorful lights.

A decorative plate filled with assorted holiday cookies, including star and heart shapes, dusted with powdered sugar. Warm, festive lights blur in the background, creating a cozy atmosphere.

A table covered with various plates of food, including meats, noodles, rice, and sushi, lit by a candle and decorated with festive colors. A salt and pepper grinder are in the center of the table.

A decorated Christmas tree with green branches, adorned with gold and bronze ornaments, large gold leaves, and red baubles. The tree is set indoors against a dark background, with soft lighting highlighting its festive decorations.

Two people prepare fresh vegetables, including lettuce, avocado, tomatoes, cucumber, and red pepper, on a rustic wooden board, surrounded by bowls of ingredients and a pan with corn on a wooden table outdoors.

A tray filled with star-shaped cookies, some with red jam and others with dark purple jam centers, arranged neatly on a silver platter with a paper doily underneath.

A rustic kitchen with stone walls, a large window letting in daylight, wooden shelves, a black oven, various bottles and kitchen items on the counter, and cream-colored cabinets.

Cookery

Celebrate the joy of cooking with immersive, hands-on culinary retreats designed to inspire and delight.

These long weekends focus on practical catering for seasonal occasions, helping you create dishes that are as beautiful as they are full of flavour. Using healthy, locally sourced ingredients, you’ll learn techniques to impress at your next gathering while enjoying the convivial atmosphere of cooking and dining together.

Outside the kitchen, you’ll have time to unwind, explore the vibrant markets of the Loire, tour local fromageries and chocolatiers, and enjoy a guided wine tasting showcasing the best of the region. Evenings offer space to relax in the château’s grand lounges or indulge in spa facilities, creating a perfect balance of learning, leisure, and indulgence.

Flavourful. Social. Memorable.
Find Your Experience

Music

View of a stone building with arched windows, partially obscured by a wall. Bright flowers and greenery appear in the foreground, with trees visible in the background under a clear blue sky.

A close-up of a vintage globe partially open in a dimly lit room. The wooden frame is in focus, with blurred background suggesting a cozy interior space. The globes surface displays parts of continents and old-style text.

Close-up of a sheet of music with musical notes, a cresc. marking for crescendo, and dynamic notation ff on a white background. The image focuses on the printed staves and symbols.

A person sits cross-legged and meditating inside a tipi-like structure made of sticks in a lush green forest. They wear a black tank top and shorts, with eyes closed and hands in a relaxed yoga pose. Sunlight filters through the trees.

A sunny landscape with large trees covered in green ivy, standing in a grassy field. The golden sunlight filters through the branches, illuminating the leaves with a warm, serene glow.

A close-up of a person’s hand playing an acoustic guitar, with another person blurred in the background, possibly playing a percussion instrument. The focus is on the guitar strings and fingers.

A person with long blonde hair in a white sleeveless top and blue leggings is smiling while performing a yoga pose outside the glorious chateau in the Loire, framed by elegant light blue double doors.

A person in sunglasses, wearing a green shirt and shorts, plays an acoustic guitar while sitting on a log in a grassy area. Behind them is lush greenery and stacked logs, creating a serene outdoor vibe for the Make Music Together experience.

Music

Immerse yourself in music with inspiring retreats that celebrate creativity, collaboration, and the joy of performance.

Choral Gatherings
Join fellow singers in uplifting choral sessions, exploring repertoire under the guidance of accomplished conductors. Whether you’re a seasoned chorister or simply passionate about singing, these gatherings combine rehearsal, performance, and the camaraderie of group music-making in a beautiful, resonant setting.

Instrumental Workshops
For instrumentalists, our workshops provide expert-led tuition, ensemble playing, and opportunities to refine your technique. Sessions are tailored to suit all levels and create space for both individual practice and collaborative performance.

Evenings invite relaxation and connection — share conversation over fine food and wine, explore the peaceful grounds, or enjoy optional spa treatments for a restorative end to each day.

Harmonic. Collaborative. Inspiring.
Find Your Experience

Writing

A cozy outdoor gazebo with a round wicker couch sits in a lush garden. Pink roses climb the wooden frame, and greenery surrounds the shelter, creating a peaceful, inviting atmosphere.

A rustic outdoor setting with tree stumps and logs used as makeshift furniture. One stump holds a small lantern and another object. Lush greenery surrounds the earth-toned scene, creating a natural woodland atmosphere.

Sitting on a mat in a park, someone with short hair and a blue shirt featuring a yellow triangle design enjoys the view of a grassy field and tree-lined pond under an overcast sky, reminiscent of contemplating during 1-1 Sessions.

A person sitting on grass, writing in a notebook with a pen on a creative writing retreat. They're facing away, wearing glasses and a white shirt. A bicycle with a wicker basket is nearby. Sunlight filters through trees in the background.

A stone bridge arches over a river with a small waterfall in the background, reminiscent of a glorious chateau in the Loire. Green trees and branches frame the left side, while sunlight sparkles on the water.

A person types on a laptop showing the Blog webpage. The screen prominently displays BLOG, with CREATE YOUR BLOG highlighted. Text and icons related to blogging are visible against an indoor backdrop with a plant. — Group Evolution Blog

A pretty garden scene with a chair and a table surrounded by white, pink and purple cyclamen flowers. The table holds a red lantern. Sunlight filters through the trees, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

A young woman with glasses and long blonde hair looks closely at books on a shelf in a library, reaching out to select one.

White and pink cyclamen flowers bloom amidst green leaves and scattered fallen brown leaves, creating a vibrant, natural scene. The cyclamen petals delicately contrast with the surrounding foliage and earthy tones.

A close-up of an open notebook with handwritten notes and a silver fountain pen resting on the pages. The background is softly blurred, suggesting a calm and focused writing environment.

Writing

Step away from the noise of everyday life and immerse yourself in the perfect setting to write, reflect, and create.

Professional Writing
Ideal for academics, researchers, and business leaders, our professional writing retreats provide dedicated time and space to focus on major projects. With quiet work areas, structured writing sessions, and optional coaching on productivity and clarity, you can make significant progress without distraction.

Literary Writing
For novelists, memoirists, and non-fiction authors, our literary retreats offer inspiration and encouragement in equal measure. Daily workshops explore craft, style, and narrative structure, while guided discussions and peer feedback sessions foster creativity and confidence.

Between writing sessions, enjoy the peaceful château grounds, nourishing cuisine, and spa facilities to recharge your mind and body. Evening gatherings with fellow writers create opportunities to share ideas and celebrate progress together.

Focused. Creative. Liberating.
Find Your Experience

Evolve

Our creative retreats are designed to help you grow as an artist, writer, or performer. Before and during your stay, we explore your creative aspirations and current work, gaining a clear sense of your strengths, areas for development, and goals. This insight shapes personalised mentoring, one-to-one guidance, and group sessions, helping you refine your skills, expand your creativity, and build confidence in your craft.

After the retreat, our support continues with thoughtful feedback, suggested next steps, and ongoing encouragement. You become part of our welcoming creative community, staying inspired and connected as you continue your journey long after you leave the Château.

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Indulge

Our food is fresh, seasonal, and lovingly prepared, with ingredients sourced locally. Menus are thoughtfully created to be nourishing, balanced, and full of flavour — designed as much for pleasure as for well-being. We cater to every preference and dietary need, ensuring each meal feels like a highlight of your day. Throughout your stay, delicious snacks and drinks are available, that you can savour at your leisure.

Between creative sessions or moments of quiet reflection, our spa facilities invite you to pause and unwind. Slip into the sauna or hot tub, refresh with an ice bath, or indulge in a therapeutic or relaxing massage — each experience designed to soothe body and mind, leaving you feeling centred and renewed.

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Recover

Our serene grounds offer the perfect sanctuary to unwind and reconnect with yourself. Spend unhurried moments on the lakeside deck, wander the soft woodchipped trails at your own pace, or simply settle into one of the grand lounges with a book or for conversation with like-minded friends, old and new. At our Chateau, time slows, and the outside world gently falls away, as you refresh your mind and your spirit.

Your bedroom is a haven of calm, with sumptuous linens, elegant bathrooms, and a curated selection of thoughtful touches to support deep, restorative sleep. Every detail is designed to encourage you to relax fully, recharge completely, and wake renewed — ready to enjoy the gentle rhythm of your retreat.

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"Thanks to you both for such an amazing time, we so enjoyed it all and learnt so much from Paul."

Eve Govier

"The Chateau is beautiful and my room is amazing. It's like you're welcoming us into your home."

Katie Purves

"The surroundings around the Chateau were incredible ... it was just a fantastic experience for everyone who took part in it."

Peter Alburn

"I had a go with a couple of the techniques you taught us and it has really helped - thanks so much for the session. Thought I should practice whilst I still remember!"

Amy Robinson

"Suddenly the Chateau comes into view and that's breathtaking. The size of the room, the views are beautiful, the setup of the rooms is really good ... it's unique."

Maureen Dansgaard

"The food was amazing. It was fresh and well prepared ... and abundant."

Claire Adams

get better,

feel better

Beyond luxurious surroundings and transformative experiences, our Château offers connection — a place to recharge, evolve, and share unforgettable moments with friends, both new and old.