Château d’Arlay, Jura, Franche-Comte
Pop over the border from Burgundy into Franche-Comté and the Jura Department to visit the Chateau d’Arlay. The castle is lovely but it’s the gardens that make it a real knock out visit with exquisite views over the countryside. With 8 hectares of walled park, it’s the perfect place for a breath of fresh air. Afterwards take a visit of the castle which was built in 1774 on the site of a fort which dates back to 1150.
The family-owned home is full of beautiful artefacts furnished by former resident the Countess Laraguais, heiress to the Princes’ of Orange’s holdings in the region. During the French Revolution the castle remained unharmed but many of its possessions were taken. Later, Napoleon ordered reparations to families who had lost belongings and the castle is full of furniture from the 1800s where the family went on a spending spree with the money they were awarded. There’s an eclectic collection here including some fabulous giraffe memorabilia commemorating the arrival of Zarafa the giraffe in France in 1827. She was a gift from the King of Egypt to Charles X of France and walked with her keepers from Marseille to Paris where she lived in the Jardin des Plantes – it caused a sensation in the day.
You’ll need around 3 hours to take a tour, visit the grounds and do a wine tasting in the shop which sells the wine made from the estate.