STAY IN A ROMANTIC HILLTOP CHATEAU IN FRENCH CATALONIA

by YouShouldGoHere
April 3, 2016
in Stay Here
2

[MOLTIG-LES-BAINS, FRANCE] — So, here I was last April sitting in Skoura, an oasis town in Morocco, and I had to make a choice.

Fed up with my stupid job, I’d quit and left for a little sabbatical for a month in Portugal and Morocco. My plane to the States left the next day, but I wasn’t ready to go back. So I cancelled it.

I flew back to Barcelona, walked up to the Hertz desk and asked “Can I rent a car for a long time? Like two months?” “Si!” So they hooked me up with a sweet little upgraded BMV and I headed towards the Pyrénées.

I had no plans, no goals; just no big cities, only small towns. Places I’d never been. My compass was a triangulation of Relais & Chateaux and TabletHotels, leading the way down the autoroute and AutoGrills toward whoever had open reservations.

And a nice pool.

After jumping rocks and eating lamb in the Spanish Pyrenees, I rode the toboggan ride road down the Gorges de la Castellanerel into France, hooked a left and headed North.

That’s how I ended up here.

Moltig-les-Bains, a famous Old School spa town were people have been coming to “take the waters” for generations.

Driving around the gorges and canyons tucked between these gentle green mountains, you see one road sign after another leading to towns with names ending in -les-Bains.

“The baths.” Something’s goin’ on under these mountains…

Chateau de Riell is located in one of those Les Bains. Moltig-les-Bains, a famous Old School spa town were raisins have been coming to “take the waters” for generations.

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: Screaming down the crazy N116 highway from Spain, you cling to the steep edges of Gorges de la Castellane like its a toboggan run. It’s a blood-pumping ride through the aorta of the France’s Pyrénées-Orientales — French Catalonia.  The last two hours since flying through Alp — which if you think of it, a town named “Alp” in the Pyrenees is kinda funny, if not contradictory — you’ve been slaloming through one national parc after another, banking left and right through thickly forested green mountains, deep ravines and villages bear hugging the road.

: White knuckled and soaked through your shirt, the road finally flattens out towards the bottom, just a little. You make a hockey stop at Prades and a take a dogleg left, back up another valley toward a different ridge.  We’re going to a chateau in a hill.

: Driving around the gorges and canyons tucked between these gentle green mountains, you see one road sign after another leading to towns with names ending in -les-Bains. “The baths.” Something’s goin’ on under these mountains… Chateau de Riell is located in one of those Les Bains. Moltig-les-Bains, a famous Old School spa town were raisins have been coming to “take the waters” for generations. If you’re into that sort of thing, a series of steps and paths take you downdowndown to the les thermes to take a dip or sip, or slip into a steam room. I found the views and incredibly friendly service up here much more soothing.

: Oooohh, this looks like it’s going to be good…

: … especially when you see that shiny brass Relais & Chateaux plaque, always a good sign.

: The first thing that hits you after driving through the thick stone gate is the glorious garden, tumbling down the hill like an emerald spring. As you pick your way through the dark shade and the tall trees, the path grins wide to a sunlit view over the falling valley. There’s Pic de Canigou peaking up its snowy head, a cappuccino cap worn year ’round at this high altitude, the steep hills parting their hair to open up the view of for miles. Chateau de Riell is, as promised, a great chateau on a hill. With all the gardens and grounds you’d expect for a chateau. Not the fancy sculpted formal shrubbery of Chenonceau or Villandry, but more English, natural. All perfectly placed for your pleasure; layered with every pokey shape, texture and color of green…. you feel like you’re shroomin’. You just wanna touch everything…. It’s Spring in the Pyrenees. (Well, last Spring, technically…) Delete Comment

: This place really looks more like a castle than chateau. A castle on a hill. That was on purpose. It is actually quite new, built in the 1890s (!) , it was vogue then to make new things look old. They did a good job, with heavy stone and medieval turret looking out over all the land. Complete with all the modern conveniences of the 1890s, like windows. But they’ve kept updating since then, now with all the things we crave today. Like lights. And power. But also an amazing restaurant, enormous spa and nice sheets. Funny that there I was last spring, two hundred years later, driving all over France looking for old stuff, but found this “new” place, which actually is old. Very confusing… 🙃

: You know, you never hear the term “light-filled castle”… for a reason. Most heavy stone castle walls were too thick to poke a hole through. Staying in old musty castles is often like staying in a halogen-lit cave dwelling, with a single slit for light and air that you can’t even stick your foot through. But they figured it out here all right. Big huge windows and ceilings 4 metres tall let Spring in all day long. A constant gentle breeze (like in my earlier post) just lulls you to sleep every time you try to read… I never finished a page. If you come here, ask to stay in a Tower Room, that’s the one you want. Fantastic. Baronial. With giant views over the trees, hills and valley below. With about the prettiest wallpaper I’ve ever seen. Feels like being a pope, or prince. Heck, @catmango could have one of her @thisprincesslife parties here and not have to decorate a thing. “Tiaras up ladies, let’s order some biscuits!” That door over there on the right leads into the turret, where there’s a gigantor modern bathroom with a two-couple tub and nice faucets that are like having your own spa. I’ve decided I like my bathrooms in turrets… It ruined me forever. Now when booking a hotel/castle: “Ummmm, do you have a turret?”.

: Chateau de Riell is not just any old chateau. It’s also a Relais & Chateaux, the French Gold Standard of destination hotels, which means: a) you can stay here, not just visit b) it’s always going to be in a remarkable, often remote setting c) they’re gonna have really nice sheets and d) you can bet strong money they’ll have an amazing restaurant. It’s also pretty. Pretty perfect.

: Said breeze, from previous post ◀️◀️◀️◀️ This just killed all my reading goals. A sun-warmed Spring-scented breeze that comes through the window like pixie dust and puts you to sleep before you can get to the bottom of the page. Of a paperback, even… 💤

: Yep, this is exactly what I needed. A pool in the Pyrenees. French Catalonia. With Spring on the side…

: I mean… look how cool that little pool is tucked away in there amongst all those perfect trees. As a pool freak, this kinda makes me think I need to seek professional help…

: I mean… look how cool that little pool is tucked away in there amongst all those perfect trees. As a pool freak, this kinda makes me think I need to seek professional help…

: I mean… look how cool that little pool is tucked away in there amongst all those perfect trees. As a pool freak, this kinda makes me think I need to seek professional help… #poolwomb

: As with any Relais & Chateaux-aligned hotel, you can always count on the hotel to have an amazing restaurant. The Restaurant du Châtelain is no exception. Nestled among the trees in what feels like a cozy sheepherders’s house… if the sheepherder was a designer for Elle Decor.

: Check out this gorgeous restaurant. It’s like eating inside a Catalan flag. 😍As with any Relais & Chateaux-aligned hotel, you can always count on the hotel to have an amazing restaurant. The Restaurant du Châtelain is no exception. Nestled among the trees in what feels like a cozy sheepherders’s house… if the sheepherder was a designer for Elle Decor.

: Check out this gorgeous restaurant. It’s like eating inside a Catalan flag. 😍As with any Relais & Chateaux-aligned hotel, you can always count on the hotel to have an amazing restaurant. The Restaurant du Châtelain is no exception. Nestled among the trees in what feels like a cozy sheepherders’s house… if the sheepherder was a designer for Elle Decor.

: In the summertime, this is where they serve lunch and dinner. It was closed due to the chilly spring when I was there. I can only imagine.

: What better place to have an after dinner negroni ?This is the Chateau’s Out of Africa bar, reflecting the hotel’s hunting estate heritage. Love the wallpaper.

: What better place to have an after dinner negroni ?This is the Chateau’s Out of Africa bar, reflecting the hotel’s hunting estate heritage. Love the wallpaper.

: This is where you read the paper in the morning…

: …and this is where you have breakfast. A hand-carved wooden Russian dacha imported for just such a purpose. Sitting there sipping coffee and exploring every inch, I don’t think I saw a single nail. It’s cool how they built it to thrust you out into a wooded valley, suspended in the air, surrounded by a green wall of quivering trees, the sound of a hidden natural spring resonating inside this warm wood womb. I’ve used this analogy before, but it’s like eating inside a violin. Or cello, if you eat a lot…

: It’s cool how they built it to thrust you out into a wooded valley, suspended in the air, surrounded by a green wall of quivering trees, the sound of a hidden natural spring resonating inside this warm wood womb.

: Not a nail in sight.

: I fell in love with this wallpaper

: My bathroom was in this turret here. Ruined me forever. Now I always ask for turrets when I book hotels… 🙂

: This is a two couple size tub!

: Cocktail deck

: They have other rooms separate from the castle part of the chateau. I originally booked these, but they upgraded me to one of the best castle rooms and boy am I glad they did.

: Moltig-les-Bains, a famous Old School spa town were raisins have been coming to “take the waters” for generations. If you’re into that sort of thing, a series of steps and paths take you downdowndown to the les thermes to take a dip or sip, or slip into a steam room.

: A lot of people rave about the spas in Moltig-les-Bains, but walking around and looking at the faded photos of treatments — with nozzles and dunk tanks and stark white rooms and pale old people — it all had the relaxing effect of an upcoming visit to the proctologist. I kept getting visions of Wes Anderson. A summer version of The Grand Budapest Hotel. They wouldn’t have to do anything to the set or hire any Extras, it’s all right here. I briefly shopped for corduroy suits, then ran back up the hill to my warm, feathery nest.

: Oh look, they have a pool… on the roof! 😳 A pool on the roof of a castle. Might be a first. That is just completely awesome. That’s like getting pork AND lamb. I think my head is going to explode…

Ya know, I undershot the landing at this peaceful place. Found it and booked only days before and I shoulda stayed more than a couple of days.

Heck, the hotel has its own beautiful spa I never got to dip a toe into. And never got to explore the surrounding mountains… because, you know, all the napping and all.

Plan on three days, minimum to really sink into the mellow spring vibe. Oh, also, during the shoulder seasons, that great restaurant is only open certain days of the week, so time accordingly.

Last visited May 2015

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“STAY IN A ROMANTIC HILLTOP CHATEAU IN FRENCH CATALONIA”

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YouShouldGoHere Cool Places. Good Food. Nice Sheets.

STAY IN A ROMANTIC HILLTOP CHATEAU IN FRENCH CATALONIA

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