Château de Villette

Coen and Catherine – he’s Dutch, she’s Belgian – fell in love with this little château in 2002, did it up together, then had their wedding here and now have two children: they love their adopted country. They’ve opened just five rooms to guests (the family rooms are twin-roomed) and two private cottages so they can spoil you properly. And get to know you over dinner; though, should you prefer a romantic dinner for two, they’ll understand. Deep in the Parc du Morvan, the château was built in 1782 as a summer retreat. Bedrooms, charmingly decorated by Catherine, are large, light and airy, with warm colours and polished floors. They are dressed in château-style finery with canopied four-poster or draped bedheads and sleigh beds. Bathrooms are as they should be – new claw-foot baths carry exquisite antique taps – and views sail out of great windows to meadows and woodland beyond. Your five-course dinner is served in a candlelit dining room or outside. The grounds are perfect for duck and pheasant shoots. Families would love it here; Beaune and the vineyards lie temptingly close.