Château Bouffémont: French Countryside + Parisian glamour
Every once in a while I have the opportunity to discover amazing new places in or close to Paris. The Château Bouffémont recently came on my radar when the family who rented it for their month-long stay hired me to help them with their trip.
Château Bouffémont is a place so luxurious and secluded it is a netherworld of escape. The fact that it is only 45 minutes from Paris makes it the perfect place for families who want to have the best of both worlds on holiday in France – a bit of the French countryside tinged with the glamour of Paris.
Built in the 1800s, the château once belonged to the Baron Empain & the Marquise of Preignes. The château now belongs to a private family with a love for French architecture and interior; who are determined to preserve its typically French style boasting crystal chandeliers, ornate cornicing, Louis XVI furniture and antique mirrors.
While the château can be considered a private 10-bedroom family home, it opened to the public last year after a full renovation in 2012. Needless to say there have been countless legendary high society and celebrity parties in its extensive and perfectly landscaped grounds since it opened. Much of this success is due to Sarp Gogebakan, the very sharp and dynamic General Manager of Château Bouffémont.
Sarp Gogebakan is a man well versed in the world of luxury receiving his MBA in Luxury Brand Marketing and International Management from the Intitut Supérieure de Marketing du Luxe, a school founded by the Cartier Chair. So, needless to say when I had the chance to stroll the grounds of Château Bouffémont with him on my visits it was terrific conversation and also amazing insight to just how complex it is to manage not only a château of this magnitude, but to manage and exceed the expectations of the guests who rent it as well.
Located in the heart of Montmorency Forest, Château Bouffémont offers a panoramic view of the prestigious Paris International Golf Club, an 18-hole course designed by golf legend Jack Nicklaus. If golf isn’t your thing you also have 15 hectares of beautiful – and private – forest to ride bicycles through. There is horseback riding and there is even a quaint goat farm nearby where you can experience the art of making chèvre from start to finish. There is so much to enjoy on the grounds of this château that you may find it challenging to decide between a day in the City of Light or a day in the French countryside.
The silhouette and grandeur of the château and grounds is enough to leave you breathless…truly. Time passed here is similar to Alice going down the rabbit hole – you are completely transported into a whole new world of luxury and leisure.
And it was most certainly a privilege to wander this world for a bit.