Our first glimpse of the Château de Candie, a historic small luxury hotel near Chambery in the heart of Savoy, France, was picture postcard perfect. A winding road skirted a field of young vines to our right with the ivy-covered castle walls of the 14th century castle emerging from a lush forest backdrop. Across the valley the Chartreuse Alps sparkled under an azure sky.
We were in France for a three-day sisters’ getaway, which, is ideal for some rest, relaxation and fun. The scenery is spectacular, plus there’s plenty of culture, good walking and delicious food and wine.
The Château de Candie, which is just over an hour from both Geneva and Lyon, sits nicely in the middle.
There are 25 rooms, each with their own character, antiques and style, including smaller doubles and a range of ‘prestige rooms’ and family suites. There is also a triplex in an ancient romantic round tower – set at a distance from the main building, which used to be a dovecote in days gone by.
The Château de Candie is a prize location for weddings, so as we wandered around the grounds it was easy to imagine a bride and groom tying the knot by the fountain below the castle terrace; the trellises and pergolas all decorated with spring flowers. The tower is also a favourite of newlyweds, with its winding staircase that links a living room to the bedroom and the bathroom above.
We stayed in a spacious prestige room looking out onto the forest behind the hotel. With two faux Corinthian pillars framing the sofa it had quite a regal air. We also had a separate dressing area leading to a large bathroom with a double sink, an impressive bathtub and a superb shower.
Besides the breakfast buffet, the Château offers lunch and dinner either inside or on the terrace, weather permitting. The menu is devised and prepared by Senegalese head chef Badara Gueye. His dishes feature a mixture of traditional French and Savoy recipes, often with a twist.
On our final night we experienced the wine-tasting package that the hotel offers, put together by the Château’s resident sommelier, Raphael Diatta. He talked us through six wines that used the chardonnay grape. Eileen is vegetarian and her favourite dish on the menu was a ceviche of local fish, which went well with Bourgogne Chardonnay from Philippe Gavignet. Deborah thoroughly enjoyed the Chardonnay Bugey Peillot, paired with the Omble Chevalier de Cévennes, a beautifully moist river char served with fennel and potatoes.
The Château is a 15-minute drive from France’s biggest lake, the Lac de Bourget, that sits in the shadow of the distinctive Dent du Chat – cat’s tooth - peak. Here there’s an opportunity for swimming and other water sports, plus fishing. We opted for a leisurely lunch at the Lido Restaurant on the lakeshore, also owned and run by Purple Summer. It’s just outside the town of Aix-les-Bains, which was once known as the Alpine Riviera during the Belle Epoque, and there’s still a casino for those inclined to a flutter.
On the other side of the lake sits Chanaz, a picturesque village built on the canal that links the lake to the river Rhone. Chanaz is famous for walnut and hazelnut oil, both made using a press dating from 1868. We watched as the nuts were crushed by a millstone, then transferred into a wood-burning oven before ending up in the press. Less than five minutes later, the oil started to drip out.
On our final day we went to Chambéry, a medieval town with its impressive Castle of the Dukes of Savoy, dating from the 13th century, and the 18th century St Francois de Sales Cathedral with an interior almost completely covered with 6,000 square metres of trompe l’oeils paintings of carved walls and vaults.
The French Alps are enticing after the snow melts and for those of us who prefer to feel the earth under our feet perhaps even more so. The Château de Candie provided us with a great base to enjoy the sights, sounds and especially the tastes of Savoy.
To find out more or to book a stay at the Château de Candie, visit chateaudecandie.com/en
To make a reservation at The Lido Restaurant visit, lido-lacdubourget.com/reservations/
