Be it a year in Provence or two in Périgord, southern France has long been the ultimate place to hatch your Plan B. To the east, an abundance of sunlight nurtures lavender fields, olive groves and vineyards in Provence, while to the west the Dordogne river ebbs through a land of black truffles, foie gras and fortified hillside villages. Here we share a selection of the rustic bastides, charming chateaus and grand manor houses available for PRIOR members during their travels.
Chateau de Cum Arca — Dordogne
The castle-like Château de Cum Arca appears as if a medieval mirage with its stone walls and tapering turrets rising from the meadows of Périgord in the Dordogne. Up close, the 14th-century chateau is equally enchanting, with a citrus-lined courtyard and rose-scented gardens aside the main property and a converted walnut oil mill and tobacco barn.
Inside, baskets and pots dangle from the roof of a modern kitchen, blankets from Paris flea markets are thrown over patinaed leather couches, and four-poster beds adorn the spacious bedrooms.
The surrounding Dordogne area is one of the richest gastronomic pockets of France, with a cuisine that merges a natural love for seasonal fruits of the land with goose, duck, and black truffles. Guests can forage for the latter in the forest that surrounds the 600-hectare property of the chateau, ride horses through the rolling hills, or venture further afield to vineyards producing fine Bergerac and Monbazillac wines.
Contact us at hello@prior.club to learn more about staying at Chateau de Cum Arca and becoming a PRIOR member.
Domaine d'Ares — The Alpilles
The gardens take pride of place at this bastide estate in the heart of the Alpilles region of Provence. Its owner spent some fifteen years dreaming up a “jardin à la française,” planting medicinal herbs, vegetable patches, rows of cypress and a pergola heaving with wisteria. It even includes a tree hut reached by a staircase that spirals around the trunk of plane tree.
The interiors of the bastide have been conscientiously renovated with a soft, earthy color scheme and modern furnishings. The ten-bedroom property comes with its own wine-cellar, dining terrace and tennis court.
While the picture of bucolic charm year-round, the surrounding Alpilles region is at its most enticing during the warmer months, when the summer opera festivals of the towns of Aix-en-Provence and Orange take place and diners flock to restaurants serving local specialties like Alpilles lamb, eggplant gratin and Bandol rosé.
