Chateau de Canisy

The expansive estate of Chateau de Canisy offers suitable pursuits for those to the manor born, or recently arrived. Saddle up for a gallop on horseback, chance your hand and test your arm at petanque, or join the club of golf aficionados who cherish the region's spectacular courses. Archery, fishing, cycling, clay pigeon shooting and hot air ballooning are among the other aristocratic pastimes on offer.


In the chateau itself, browse a library of timeworn tomes, appreciate family heirlooms and explore medieval cellars. In the salon de musique a string quartet strikes up; in a private discotheque concealed in a cavern, night owls shake booties and hoot.

The chateau offers 17 suites, authentically restored to evoke the glories of bygone eras. The Comtesse has personally overseen each detail. The rooms are expansive and luxurious, with vistas of gardens, forests and shimmering swan lakes. Each has its own private bathroom and every modern convenience, with the exception of television – a distraction that would break the spell. Wi-fi, however, is available for guests’ convenience.

If the walls had ears, what secrets they could share. In the Empire Suite, the spirit of a grand bygone era resides amidst resplendent details and evokes the age of Napoleon, Emperor of France, and his wife Josephine de Beauharnais, a cousin of the family of Comtesse Marie Christine. The bathroom is a faithful recreation of the former Hotel de Beauharnais in Paris.

The Polignac Suite celebrates the Restoration and the Princess de Polignac, close friend of Marie Antoinette. The last Prince, Guy de Polignac Bailli of the order of Malta was a close friend of the Kergorlay family and often stayed at the Chateau.

Normandy is a name – and a region – that runs over with rich and vivid history. Its name derives from the Vikings, or ‘Northmen’, who settled in the region in the 9th Century. Its history gathers pace following the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 by William the Conqueror. The region comprises a dramatic 500km coastline, including the famed D-Day Landing beaches, lush rolling hills and charming patchwork farmlands, bustling market towns, and historical landmarks such as Caen, Bayeux and Rouen. Famed for its cider, calvados and cheese, its also a region prized for its seafood.