Château de Goulaine

Haute-Goulaine

At Haute-Goulaine, at the edge of the marshes, the château belongs to the Goulaine family. According to Wikipedia, a Jean de Goulaine fortified the property in the 12th century against Norman attacks (the English version calls him captain of Nantes). In 1248 the family is mentioned during the Seventh Crusade. During the Wars of Religion, Gabriel de Goulaine fought for the Catholic League; Henry IV made him a marquis (1621 according to one note). The estate was sold in 1788 to a Dutch banker, which is said to have helped it through the Revolution, and the family bought it back in 1858. The château, in the Renaissance style, was listed as a historic monument on 13 August 1913; it remains one of the few Loire châteaux still producing wine. Since 1984, tropical butterflies have flown in a greenhouse fitted out by the marquis Robert de Goulaine (1933–2010). A legend, reported by the American cook Bobby Flay (CBS, 2006), holds that beurre blanc was invented in the château's kitchens by the cook Clémence Lefeuvre: this is a tradition, not established by archives. Wikipedia also has the Goulaine family living here “for some thousand years”; this length of time seems exaggerated and is not verified.

Getting there: South-east of Nantes, at Haute-Goulaine. The château is a wine estate with visits; arrangements not verified. Coordinates: Wikipedia (47°12′15″ N, 1°24′10″ W), confirmed by OpenStreetMap.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound