Category Archives: Activities

Let’s Talk Weddings: SacreBleu & Château Bouffémont

 

Each week during lockdown our General Manager, Sarp Gogebakan, has been live on Instagram for Let’s Talk Weddings – a series of interviews with Château de Bouffémont vendors offering inspiration and useful tips on weddings and events. This is the final episode of the series as lockdown restrictions have been almost entirely lifted in France, but don’t worry we will be back soon with some great new concepts, as activities at the château gradually pick up!

 

Last week, for our final interview, we spoke to Stéphanie Boutet-Fajol the founder of SacreBleu, a Paris-based travel agency specialized in personal assistance and unique experiences in Paris and the surrounding area.

 

 

Continue reading

The Glorious and Distinctive History of The Best French Châteaux

 

A Chateau in France is the singular of chateaux and forms a very special place at the heart of French society and culture.  Originally defensive strongholds, they rapidly came to be anything from medieval keeps, castles and towers to decoratively elegant palaces and manor houses to represent the seats of power of their owners.

 

They can be found all over France but are most numerous in the Loire Valley region in the North West of the country. There are several notable and world-famous chateaux in the country the show the glorious and distinctive history of France, her rulers and her people.

 

 

 

Continue reading

The World of Château Bouffémont: How To Eat Well During Lockdown

Our digital newsletter keeps you up to date with everything happening at Château Bouffémont – including recipes, interviews and activities in the local area

 

Karim Yameogo is a sports coach in his private coaching studio CO2 in Paris -Courcelles and the Healthcity Fitness Club on the Champs Elysées. He is very passionate about sport and how it affects our daily lives and is also a certified Precision Nutrition coach. Here he gives us his top tips on how to eat well during lockdown.

 

 

There are currently almost 1.7 billion people worldwide on lockdown due to the Covid-19 epidemic, already for a duration of over four weeks.

As you are expending less energy, you’re bound to feel like you’ve put on a few kilos and are a bit out of shape.

 

Continue reading

5 Steps To Planning The Perfect Family Reunion Vacation

 

A family reunion means a lot of different things. For some people it might be three generations of siblings, their parents and their kids all in one place once a year. For others it might be once-a-decade meeting of their uncles, cousins and more. A destination reunion still requires plenty of planning, though. Are you planning a reunion for your family? Then here are a few tips to help your reunion be one you’ll cherish the memories of for years to come.

 

Continue reading

5 Best Historical Paris Landmarks You Absolutely Must See

A trip to the City of Lights will never be solely about immersing oneself in the artistic treasures of the Louvre, marvelling at the intricate Gothic detailing or flying buttresses of Notre-Dame Cathedral, or even revelling in sumptuous interiors during your downtimes in the prestigious chateau.

 

That’s because, with its distinguished history stretching back to the third century BC, as well as the ease with which it can be explored on foot, Paris will always serve up fresh and undiscovered delights to the sufficiently curious visitor.

 

In many different districts, some of the monuments are massive and others are humble, but they are all part of Paris’s and France’s history. Here, then, are the selection of the best of the unsung Parisian landmarks that are well worth incorporating into your itinerary during your time in this incomparable art, historical and fashion capital.   

 

 

 

Continue reading

5 Creative Corporate Event Ideas

It can be tricky to think up ideas for corporate events that will be memorable in all of the right ways, while genuinely furthering your organisation’s broader objectives.

 

Here at Château Bouffémont – an enchanting private venue for such events on the outskirts of Paris – is perfect for organising activities within a wide range of settings. These corporate events can include anything from internal meetings, parties and team building events, through to client events, conferences and awards. Whether it is a small one-day event or a large week-long conference, you can find some suggestions below to assist in making your next corporate event one to remember.

 

Why Château Bouffémont is perfect for conferences and business meetings

 

Continue reading

THE WORLD OF CHÂTEAU BOUFFÉMONT: FIAC, International Fair of Contemporary Art

Our digital newsletter keeps you up to date with everything happening at Château Bouffémont – this week we delve into FIAC, International Fair of Contemporary Art.

 

 

A land of rolling pastoral hills and picturesque rivers, the Val-d’Oise region invites gentle reflections on nature and the self. Camille Pissarro’s paintings of ‘the essential nature of things’; Claude Monet’s Impressionist works formed in field-fresh air; Vincent Van Gogh’s Post-Impressionist dream fragments: imaginations have wandered through these green valleys and discovered in themselves unheard-of ideas.

 

This week we see FIAC, International Fair of Contemporary Art, launch in the heart of Paris. It offers a continuation of artistic imaginings and creativity, with a selection of almost 200 galleries – from Amsterdam to Zurich, New York to Tehran – given spaces in the city to exhibit works. Installations come from the modern masters of the early 21st century through to those pushing the boundaries of contemporary artistic thought. And with our French château near Paris, conveniently situated just 30km from the centre of the city, your stay affords the perfect time to visit this renowned art fair.

 

 

Among the grandeur of iconic Parisian settings, from the Grand Palais as a bastion of Art Nouveau to the Musée du Louvre, FIAC throws open the doors of the contemporary art world. Observe and explore vibrant aesthetics, immersive performances, cinematics and movements that crackle with potential. You can even experience a revival of Henri Matisse in joyful and unexpected forms, thanks to collaborations with Maison Matisse and artists given the opportunity to celebrate him through their own expressions.

 

Switch seamlessly from a royal château in France to regal glories, designed to showcase Parisian splendour to the world. The decorative intricacies of the Grand and Petit Palais, and the verdant Jardin des Tuileries, are works of art in themselves. They make an ideal backdrop to this international art event and host the majority of FIAC installations.

 

As you enter the Grand Palais, a billboard by Emekah Ogboh sets the tone for visitors with a thought-provoking message. Once beneath the glass-domed roof – a feat of Art Nouveau architecture, with its masterful ironwork – you can wander the many booths, which incorporate a large sculptural work by Yayoi Kusama in the Victoria Miro booth through to landmark pieces from the Hauser & Wirth collection. You can also meet artists, attend book signings on the Balcon d’honneur and more.

 

 

While you have to have a ticket to see the Grand Palais installations and events, the FIAC Programs also include a cultural performance program (Parades for FIAC), conferences (Conversation Room) and film screenings (Cinéphémère), that are free and open access – many hosted within the Petit Palais. Make your way past the imposing yet alluring golden gates into the marbled atrium, and explore the setting of this sister to the Grand Palais. The inner garden provides a thoughtful and picturesque setting in which to contemplate, discuss, or simply sit quietly for a moment. Close by, Jeff Koons’ ‘Bouquet of Tulips’ offers a tribute to the victims of the Paris terror attacks in the Champs-Élysées gardens.

 

 

This year, FIAC continues to offer a series of Hors les Murs, Outside the Walls, exhibitions in spaces beyond the Grand and Petit Palais. Head to Place de la Vendôme to experience more of Yayoi Kusama with her enormous, inflatable polka dot pumpkin. In the beautiful Jardin des Tuileries, take in the beauty of the garden cloaked in its autumnal colours, and enjoy twenty artworks that respond to their richly historical surroundings. If you’re imaginative in your observation of the garden, you’ll be rewarded. John M. Armleder’s new reading of his ‘Furniture Sculpture FS 85a’ sees three chairs suspended from trees in the Jardin du Tuileries, transforming this monumental work.

 

 

When you have taken your fill of art and let your imagination run free, our château near Paris awaits your return for a peaceful place to reflect. See you next time, for more news from us at the Château Bouffémont.

 

Keep in touch at @chateaubouffemont

 

The World of the Château Bouffémont: Activities for Autumn

 

Our digital newsletter keeps you up to date with everything happening at Château Bouffémont – this week, we discover the best local activities to celebrate the new season

 

 

Symbolist poet Remy de Gourmon once called autumn “as joyful and sweet as an untimely end”. There is a feeling of wistfulness about this season, bittersweet and poignant, as the leaves change colour and eventually wither and drop, and the animals begin to search for burrows and nests in which to soon hibernate. A beautiful period that embraces the darkness required for future renewal, autumn offers a great time to get out and enjoy the natural world in all its blazing, red-and-golden glory – and where better than in the luminously beautiful natural surroundings of the Château Bouffémont? Read on to discover our top tips for autumnal adventuring.

 

Continue reading