Responsible holidays in the heart of nature

Imagine a holiday where your children can explore the magic of the gardens of yesteryear!

In days gone by, every château had its own kitchen garden, providing food not only for the owners’ families, but also for all those who worked on the estate.

Today, in the châteaux of Votre Château de Famille, these vegetable gardens are coming back to life, cultivated using environmentally-friendly methods such as permaculture.

When you stay at our châteaux, you’ll have the chance to taste fruit and vegetables freshly picked from our gardens.

A perfect opportunity to introduce your children to nature and show them how the food on their plates grows.

What could be more magical than eating sun-kissed tomatoes or sweet strawberries grown right next to your house ?

This method was theorised in the 1970s by two Australians, Bill Mollison and David Holmgren. Based on the damage caused by intensive agriculture (water and air pollution, soil sterilisation, loss of biodiversity, impact on the health of local populations, etc.), their concern was to develop a form of permanent agriculture, the aim of which was to accompany nature rather than constrain it.

Now in vogue, the term permaculture has as many definitions as there are people interested in it. For Damien Dekarz, author of the book ‘La permaculture au jardin mois par mois’, permaculture is based on three points:
– Taking care of the land (your own little plot of land, while thinking of planet Earth),
– Taking care of people (yourself, your family, your neighbours, but also humanity as a whole),
– produce and share resources fairly.

Permaculture is more than just gardening. It is an ethic of life whose fundamental principles are: respect for nature in all its components to better care for people, the creation of societies of abundance connected to each other and the redistribution of surpluses.

An organisation like ‘Ferme d’avenir’ is part of this movement, supporting more than a thousand agro-ecological farms in France since 2013. Their vision of agro-ecology: farms that feed the population with healthy, high-quality food (taste, maturity, etc.), while preserving the planet’s natural capital (water, soil, climate, biodiversity, etc.) and guaranteeing a viable, liveable and resilient business for farmers.

By renting a château from Votre Château de Famille, you are actively helping to preserve our heritage while supporting sustainable agriculture. It’s a unique opportunity to create happy memories with your loved ones, in an enchanting setting, while contributing to a greener future.

Treat your family to moments of sharing, love and learning, while playing your part in protecting our planet. Book now for a magical castle holiday!