The Château de Varennes hosts weddings, company seminars, public relations events, family celebrations and film shoots with exclusive use of the whole estate. Its Orangerie seats 200 guests, up to 250 in a single room, and the house sleeps 40 people in 20 bedrooms. The château stands at Charette-Varennes, on the Doubs, in the Saône-et-Loire department of southern Burgundy.
Seminars and company events
The château is equipped for meetings of every kind, with rooms of different sizes for anything from an executive committee seminar to a large PR event held outdoors or in the Orangerie. The owners say the same companies come back year after year. A seminar brochure can be downloaded from the official site. Because the estate is let in exclusive use, a company has the house, the grounds, the pool and the tennis court to itself, and the team can be lodged on site. For larger numbers, capacity can be extended outdoors or by adding a marquee.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings are the estate's main activity, and the site reports that CNN named it among the ten best wedding venues in the world. Professional wedding planners are welcome, and the château's team can help couples who do not have one or recommend agencies. Couples choose their own suppliers, except for the caterer, who must be approved. The chapel and gardens serve for ceremonies and outdoor receptions.
Rooms and capacities
The Orangerie is the main reception room. Its renovation raised the capacity to 200 seated, and the site elsewhere states up to 250 seated in one large room. The dance floor, equipped with a video projector, sits in the same room, so the evening flows from dinner to dancing without moving. The room is on the ground floor, with French doors onto a large terrace used for cocktails and for bigger events. Cloakrooms, restrooms and professional kitchens for caterers are grouped in an adjoining building. The château also has salons and dining rooms with their period character, a chapel, gardens, a large pool and a tennis court.
Accommodation
The château sleeps 40 people in 20 bedrooms with 17 bathrooms, all renovated: a bridal suite with a marble bathroom, two family suites totaling five bedrooms, six deluxe suites with marble bathrooms, three classic suites in the outbuildings and five superior double rooms. For group bookings, the reception room and gardens are not let without the accommodation, and in high season, from May to September, the minimum stay is three nights with all rooms booked.
Catering
The estate has a team of resident chefs who work with fresh produce. Formats include open buffets, seated dinners, cocktail dinners and snacks, with seasonal menus and a bistro-style menu of the day. Children's, vegetarian and gluten-free menus can be arranged. Outside caterers may be considered if they meet the estate's standards, at extra cost.
History and setting
The château dates from the 18th century and has belonged to the Truchis de Varennes family for more than 400 years. It was fully renovated, with new plumbing, electricity, heating and internet, while keeping its historic rooms. The estate lies close to the great vineyards of Burgundy.
Getting there
The château is about 30 km from Beaune, Dole and Chalon-sur-Saône, and 45 minutes from Dijon. Lyon is 160 km away (1 h 30), Geneva 200 km (2 h) and Paris 330 km (3 h 15) by motorway. The nearest motorway exit and railway station are in Seurre, 10 minutes away, with trains from Paris, Lyon and Geneva; direct TGV trains from Paris stop at Dole or Dijon.
