Maisons Cambrousse

Double the Delight

Less than an hour’s drive (or an hour-long train ride) from Paris lands you in the sweet country hamlet of Fontaine, surrounded by woods and meadows where two pretty houses covered in vines hide behind the gates of this classic French country property, ready to greet up to 14 for a weekend of pure détente.

La Grande Maison’s centerpiece is its open kitchen adjacent to a communal farm table. There’s a comfy living room with a fireplace and a smaller TV room/library to cozy up in, too. Five double bedrooms with ensuite baths and classic exposed wood ceiling beams and timber-accented walls offer sunlit, breezy respite laid simply and elegantly with crisp, white linens. The Petite Maison is smaller, with a fully equipped/wired conference room for work sessions, a kitchenette, and two bright double bedrooms and baths under the steep eaves, with exposed timbers adding country charm.

The property's outdoor space is lush and leafy, with a tree-lined pool and pool house, a sauna, multiple terraces around the meadow-like garden, and a vast lawn. Alfresco dining is a must, and Friday night arrivals receive a heat-and-serve meal, or a charcuterie platter delivery, so you can sit down at the table upon arrival with ease. Private-chef-prepared meals with ingredients from nearby farms are available by reservation as is breakfast delivery. The property’s wine cellar is open for browing and selection.

And experiences beyond those of the table can be booked as well, with team-building exercises, yoga, sports guides, wine tastings or cocktail workshops and cooking classes all on offer by reservation. The home has a selection of board games and books, as well as a ping-pong table.

Around

The dense green of the country setting invites you to unwind, but if you must leave the property, there are several walking/biking paths that are easily accessible. Some five minutes from the houses, a 120-hectare lake, L’étang de Mézières, offers the possibility of sailing a catamaran, or paddling a canoe or SUP. Other recreational facilities offer golfing, equitation, go-karting, paintball and l’accrobranche, an organized tree climbing session via a series of ropes, bridges, and swings.

A goat farm in the nearby Bois des Louvières is open to the public, and the vast royal Forêt de Rambouillet is not too far from the property, with its trails for walking, cycling and exploring. The nearby village of Thoiry is famed for its château, safari park and botanical gardens. The Renaissance castle, in the same family since 1609, was designed by Philibert de l’Orme and constructed using the Golden Mean or Divine Proportion to be in harmony with nature and the sun’s course. The center arch of the majestic castle marks the position of the sun during both the summer and winter solstices. The château's interior boasts Gobelins tapestries, art, porcelain, and a pianoforte once played by Chopin. The castle gardens cover 95 hectares and include woods of beech, oak and chestnut, a French formal garden designed by a successor and nephew of famed landscape architect Le Nôtre, Claude Desgot, and a romantically loose Chinese-Anglo garden in addition to its popular Animal Park, home to over 100 species of animals held in a 60-acre reserve.

Location

Nearest airport: Paris Orly (1-1.5 hours)

Best time to visit

April to October