Artists say this 1620s château inspires creativity – you may fall under its spell too. The formal gardens are listed and open to the public – a French reverie of bosquets and paths sprinkled with sculptures, gazing over Mont St Michel. Find a hidden spa, zen garden and pool too. Baroque recitals may ring in the courtyard; inside, Purcell odes may float through elegant panelled rooms, over marble fireplaces, antique paintings, gilded mirrors and orchids. This is no museum, however, but a family home with spirited hosts who are passionate about the place. Drift off on dreamy canopied beds in fabulous bedrooms: perhaps bold red ‘Victor Hugo’ or blue-ferned ‘Florence’; three have tented cabinets de toilette rather than separate bathrooms. Wake to a fine continental spread in the candle-lit breakfast room.
