Beautiful 300 Year old House near Chateau of Montmirail

Maison Conti details

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Maison Conti, Montmirail

Picturesque Montmirail

Home description

If you long for a change of pace from your hectic workaday routine, look no further. When you enter Montmirail, a protected "petit cité de character" it feels like going back in time to the Middle Ages. Life is unhurried here.

Maison Conti will warmly welcome you into their historic 300 year old house with all the charms of the old world but with up-to-date amenities. 4 beautifully decorated rooms await you, each with its own personality.

Gourmet dinners are available at your request. Tours of the lovely Perche region are offered by your hosts. Etching classes are given in our fully equiped studio.

External features on site

• Barbecue
• Boating lake
• Fishing lake
• Garden
• Scenic views

The Château of Montmirail is open to visitors during the warmer months of the year. Le Perche is a wonderful, unhurried area to discover. It offers many small charming villages, woodlands, and magnificent countryside.

Accommodation detail

Reception Area

The green room

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This enchanting house rests at the foot of the beautiful château of Montmirail. At the beginning of the eighteenth century, the castle was owned by the Princess Conti, favorite daughter of Louis XIV. The house was built as a residence for her finance minister. In spring 2008 the house opens to the public for the first time as a bed and breakfast.

Maison Conti offers a tranquil and charming setting in one of the most picturesque areas of northern France, the Perche. Convenient to Paris, the Loire Valley, Chartres, and Le Mans, Montmirail is a classified, architecturally preserved "petite cité de caractère."

Four elegantly appointed rooms are available for your relaxing holiday. Breakfast is included and dinners are offered. We also lead printmaking workshops in our fully equipped etching studio, as well as themed tours of the surrounding area.

About the location

Situated at the highest point in the area, Montmirail has been inhabited continuously for thousands of years. During the middle ages it was a strategic location, straddling the border between French and English domains. The local dukes had exclusive loyalties to neither crown, were related by marriage to both, and sometimes mediated between them. So it was that in 1169 Saint Louis of France met with Henry II Platagenet and Thomas Beckett at the castle of Montmirail in an attempt to reconcile differences between the English monarch and his archbishop.

In the early part of the 18th century the beautiful and charming Princess Conti, favored daughter of Louis XIV, resided in the castle. She made extensive changes to both the exterior and interior, adding many renaissance elements to the original feudal structure. Today the castle is an unusual blend of the two styles. It was during the Princess’ tenure that her secretary built Maison Conti adjacent to the chateau. Today it is regarded as one of the most beautiful buildings in the village.

From the grounds of the chateau there is a spectacular 360° view of the surrounding countryside. On a clear day the spires of Chartres Cathedral are visible in the distance. Montmirail is a historically preserved “little city of character” without overhead power lines or modern buildings. The architecture is homogenous in a palette of pale colors, with ochre predominating. Limewashes and original details such as brick cornices and red tile roofs create a harmonious integration.

An hour and a half west of Paris, Montmirail is within convenient touring distance of the Loire Valley, Chartres, Vendome, and Le Mans. It is situated in the Perche, one of the most idyllic regions of France. Home of the famous Percheron horses, the gently rolling countryside is dotted with charming hamlets and traversed by several rivers and ancient forests. Its mild weather and unhurried pace make it an ideal destination for a relaxing getaway.

See Local guide and map for information on nearby towns and facilities.

Activities near by

Bird Watching, Drawing and painting, Gourmet dining, Kayaking, Mountain biking, Photography, Rambling, Sightseeing, Walking, Wine tasting, Wine touring

See Activities and attractions for more information on nearby activities and places of interest.

How to get here

Montmirail is situatied between Chartres and le Mans off the A11 autoroute. It is an hour and a half hour's drive west of Paris. Trains from Montparnasse station can be taken to la Ferté Bernard, a fifeteen minute drive from Montmirail. Tours, an hour by autoroute, has an airport with service to Great Britian.

A car is not essential but well advised to take advantage of discovering the surrounding countryside.

See Local guide and map for information on nearby towns and airports.