Mariages et évènements
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ARDENAY :
MORE THAN A CASTLE, AN ESTATE!
THE GROUNDS, PARKS, GARDENS & ACTIVITIES
Ideally located 25 minutes from Le Mans train station and airfield, and 55 minutes by the TGV (high-speed train) from Paris, Château d'Ardenay-sur-Mérize is first and foremost a private estate!
Its main luxury is space aplenty, peacefulness, the majesty of an open forest of over 4 km² (1,5 mi²) with sumptuous sunrises and sunsets. It is the perfect setting for your weekend and holidays with family or friends, for a private or professional event.
In its heart, stands a listed 18th century seigneurial castle surrounded by moats, parks, a French garden and vegetable patch.
Near the castle, the Trophy room, one of the most stunning in Europe, can accommodate up to 100 seated guests.
On the estate, the Caluyère, a charming watermill standing over a brook in the woods, offers additional bedrooms.
Here, you can enjoy the countryside to the full along 20 km of tracks and bridleways, on foot, on a bicycle, on horseback. You can chose to fish in one of our many ponds, watch the rich flora and wildlife diversity (even at night), go mushroom picking, play tennis, swim in the outdoor heated pool, work-out in the gym and relax in the sauna and jacuzzi.
Quality cuisine at the castle and the watermill, La Caluyère, can also be offered.
Close to the estate, you will find the old town of Le Mans, the medieval Plantagenet city and its early 12th century spectacular Saint-Julien cathedral, the now very trendy Visitation Cloister, its restaurants and shops, and Le Mans 24 Hours car race. The nearby European horse hub, beautiful golf courses, amusement parks for kids, a zoo, the breathtaking beauty of the Mancelles Alps will also offer unlimited getaways and leisure for all tastes in the department of the Sarthe with its rich cultural heritage... And let us not forget, 40 minutes away by motorway, the first châteaux of the Loire Valley.
The Forest Estate
FOREST, PONDS & BROOKS
The estate is characterised by its two assets: its many hardwood species with century-old oaks, beech, chestnut, birch, cherry, plane, lime trees, poplars, but also maritime and laricio pines.
... And the number of wild animals is such that a prefectural decree makes it compulsory to remove a minimum number of them each year, in order to preserve the species (consanguinity) and the forest. A state-controlled management plan allows a good balance between an incredible abundance of fauna (hundreds of deer, roe deer and wild boar) and logging.
The red deer rut (early September to mid-October) is a highlight of the estate, at the heart of this ancestral cycle of reproduction within a private forest of over 4 square kilometers (400 hectares).
Parks & gardens
DEER PARK
This look-in park offers city town dwellers, their children and friends, a close-up observation of this superb, mostly invisible animal.
Contrary to popular belief, the size of the French forest has increased by 25% since the 18th century. The red deer was then an endangered species (its hunting a royal privilege), whereas its population nowadays exceeds hundreds of thousands and is still on the increase.
FRENCH GARDEN & VEGETABLE PATCH
A French formal garden and vegetable patch are enclosed within a 2.5 hectare (6 acres) park dating back to the 17th century. Germain SOUFFLOT himself has allegedly drawn the layout with the balancing central pond. Three period terracotta statues can be admired.
The Orangery is undergoing refurbishing.
Activities at the Chateau
MANY AVAILABLE ACTIVITIES
Near the castle you can enjoy a tennis court and an open swimming pool to laze by on sunny days. A gym, a sauna and jacuzzi welcome you at any time.
Experience the pleasure of picking fruit and vegetables in the vegetable patch and fruit trees, or mushrooms and chestnuts in the woods, for the more adventurous, and have them roasted or cooked for lunch or diner.
Walking, running, cycling or horse-riding (on request), Ardenay-sur-Merize grounds offer 20 km of paths and bridleways where you come upon wildlife and game. You can also avail yourself of our many watchtowers (even at night) for wildlife sighting.
Hunting and fishing on request.