Bric-A-Brac Away

(3 nights)

Date: 7 - 10 June 2025

Vue d'Ensemble: During this stay at Château de Gudanes we invite you to explore bric-a-bracs and brocantes, vibrant flea markets and charming charity shops tucked away amongst the French countryside brimming with antique treasures and eclectic finds. Together we shall browse through collections, searching for all sorts of treasures from fine art and period furniture to vintage items and rare curiosities, each one telling a story of France’s rich cultural history. With each discovery you make, we hope you shall enjoy carefully selecting unique treasures that will enrich your personal collection all while enjoying the thrill of unearthing one-of-a-kind treasures in the bustling, lively atmosphere of France’s beloved markets and quaint second-hand shops.

Inclusions: all dining (daily breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks), all accommodation (5 nights at Château de Gudanes), accommodation amenities (wifi, pool, tennis court and self service laundry) activities as per the itinerary and more.

Please kindly note that the cost of the experience excludes your flights to and from France/ Toulouse, personal spending money and travel insurance.

Itinerary: view below

Price: €3,300 per person

Note: During this stay if you find that you exceed your luggage allowance upon returning home, we will have boxes, tape and bubble wrap available for you to wrap up a parcel or two... or three! We shall then send your package and treasures by UPS direct to your home.

itinerary

Saturday 7th June

We look forward to welcoming and meeting you in the morning in a central location in Toulouse and travelling together to Château de Gudanes, where you shall spend the duration of your stay. Upon your arrival at Gudanes, the Château Team will be eagerly awaiting with local sparkling and sweet French treats!

The entourage of the four legged kind - including Bruce Baptiste Gudanes the French Bull Dog chien de guarde and Claude Monet Cat Gudanes - shall also be waiting to greet you…

Having settled in, Saturday is a gentle day beginning your stay with luncheon followed by a historical tour of the interiors. Later, château style aperitifs shall be held in the Salon de Musique accompanied by a local string quartet. A formal enchanted garden welcome dinner is then hosted in the Salle à Manger.

Sunday 8th June

Following breakfast the morning shall begin with a visit to a local vide-grenier to rummage around for unique treasures. And then upon our return to the Château a bookbinding and calligraphy workshop shall commence, inspired by the old world ways that crafted the antique paper ephemera of yesteryear.

After a picnic luncheon on the garden terrace, we continue in the spirit of learning about traditional craftsmanship with the opportunity to assist with the restoration and unveiling of 18th century frescoes in the Château’s original dining room and discover more about neoclassical architecture and the influence of Italian design during this period of time.

Or, should you prefer to enjoy time outdoors we offer a guided electric biking adventure to the Plâteau de Beille for a panoramic view of the mountaintops. The Plâteau de Beille is often part of the Tour de France, most recently in 2024.

In the early evening, aperitifs shall be served in the Renaissance kitchen accompanied by a cooking demonstration by our chef de cuisine and a lecture by a local historian to share the history of the Cathars, who roamed this region until the 12th Century. Dinner shall then be served en plein air accompanied by the music and merriment of a local jazz band. Afterwards let’s relax with a French open air movie soirée!

Monday 9th June

Breakfast shall be served at Gudanes followed by a visit to the medieval town of Mirepoix to enjoy the most bustling market in the Ariège. Here you will find handmade local treasures, delectable produce and an abundance of antique and brocante boutiques.

Afterward, we shall continue our journey to visit Château de Camon for luncheon in the cloisters. Following lunch we shall resume our brocanting adventures also stopping for a visit to the L’eglise Rupestre de Vals, an extraordinary church built into giant rock formation.

Upon our return to Gudanes, aperitifs are held in the drawing room followed by an elegant 18th Century banquet fit for queens and kings! Then a night of disco dancing!

Tuesday 10th June

We bid you farewell nos amis… Depart from Gudanes to Toulouse at 11:00 AM. Our journey shall take approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. We kindly ask that you organise your ongoing travels around this departure time. We are able to drop you at the Toulouse airport, train station or Place Wilson.