Charming guesthouse in a 13th-century farmhouse with cozy quarters, dining & lavender fields.
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Used this as a base to cycle and to watch the Tour de France. It's less than ten miles from Sault and the base of Mont Ventoux. If your are a keen cyclist this is the place for you! The Chateau is a working lavender farm, run by Margherite Blanc. It was built in the sixteenth century and has been in her family since the French Revolution. This is a wonderfully quiet and relaxed family run location. ||||We arrived in the small hours of the morning and Margherite was there to greet us. We were very pleasantly suprised by the standard of the rooms. It was more like staying in a friends home than a guest house. ||||Meals are taken in a very relaxed dining room. There are just two long tables, which is a great way of encouraging conversations amongst the guests. A doorway leads to a shop selling Margherite's lavender, honey and other wonderful produce. ||||Breakfast was a very simple affair and dinner was typical French home cooking - delicious! We were especially surprised to be asked if we would like more of the main course. This was so unexpected, that out of politeness, we automatically said no thank you and immediately regretted it!||||One evening we were sitting in the courtyard enjoying a few of our own drinks. Margherite came out to say hello, turned on an outside light and offered us coffees. No charge, all part of the service.||||The surrounding countryside is stunning. Small hilltop villages punctuate the endless fields of lavender. And always looming overhead is Mont Ventoux, the giant of Provence.||||I loved Chateau de la Gabelle and would highly...
Read moreI do not know why some of the reviewers are slamming Chateau de la gabelle. My family and I had a wonderful stay there. The rooms and ensuite were very large and clean. There was even a dispenser of amazing lavender and olive oil shower gel in the bathroom that Margeurite also sold in her shop. This is no 5 star hotel and a part of the chateau is in ruins but that is part of the charm! Dinner was simple but hearty. We had a four course meal that Margeurite herself cooked on the both nights. All the guests sat on one long table and Margeurite always came from the kitchen to check whether everything was alright. Breakfast was a simple affair of bread with jam or lavender honey. There were also cheese and eggs. Is this not what most people eat for breakfast anyway? Marguerite does not speak much English but from the little communication that we had, she comes across as an extemely warmhearted and kind person.||||With regards to the 'rules', she has stated clearly that she is trying to promote ecotourism, therefore she turns he hot water boiler off at 10pm. My family arrived at the chateau in the evening and did not have time to shower before dinner. There was no issue when we asked her to leave the hot water on for a bit longer. Another one of the 'rules' was about the noise level. Bear in mind that the chateau is in the countryside, even the most minute of noises can be heard. ||||We had a wonderful time staying here and exploring the surrounding areas. We will definitely come again and next time we will stay for longer than the...
Read moreThe room accommodations were somewhat Spartan, but it is after all a partially restored 13th century castle. It would also have been nice to have a TV, which we didn’t. That said, I’m still compelled to give it five stars for the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff, the beautiful surroundings, the quiet, and the superb chef. They only have a few rooms, and on a couple of occasions my wife and I were the only ones having dinner; on those occasions the chef went out of his way to ask our meal preferences and present us with an excellent dinner. One evening it was raining, and as we would have to walk around the building to the dining room, the daughter of one of the co-owners (it is a family enterprise) drove around to pick us up and bring us to the door of the dining room, then drive us back to our room when we had eaten. I’m not sure I would recommend it for a long stay, but for a few days it was perfect.||As a matter of interest, the chateau itself was featured on one of the first episodes of the popular French TV series “Des Racines Et Des Ailes,” the episode being “Mon Village En Provence,” and you can see the chateau on YouTube at the 1 hour and 29...
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