France Cooking Vacation Memories: Chateau de Berne

We plan all of our cooking vacation itineraries with the hopes that our guests will make memories that last a lifetime. In our latest blog post, travel coordinator Kerry Herbst recounts some lasting memories from her trip to Provence’s Chateau de Berne.

“Chateau de Berne should literally translate to Heaven on Earth, because it is one of the most beautiful and serene places that  a person can experience. I spent 5 nights at the property for my honeymoon in July of 2009, and I wished at the time that we could have prolonged our stay.

Upon our arrival to the Chateau, I knew that we were in for something special. The hotel is set in the middle of mountainous vineyards as far as the eye can see. It takes about 15 minutes to arrive at the property which makes you feel like you are all alone on the earth. It’s a great feeling.

If you choose not to, you really never have to leave the property of the hotel during your stay. Besides swimming in or laying out at the exquisite infinity pool that overlooks the vineyards, you can walk, bike and take a professional tour of the vineyards, as well as participate in cooking classes of course .

One of my favorite memories of walking around the property was seeing the animals that the chef uses for his meals at Le Bistrot restaurant. We saw an ostrich, goats, cows, and chickens. If you choose to spend some time indoors, you can use the exercise equipment at the hotel, read in the peaceful lobby or just sit and have a drink.

When you’re ready to eat, there is no shortage of food at Chateau de Berne. The first night of our trip, my husband and I decided to splurge and we got the 8 course tasting menu from Le Bistrot. It was the best meal that I have ever eaten in my life.  The soup, meat, fromage, dessert, everything was perfectly done. The pairings of wine with every course were amazing as well.

My husband and I plan to go back to Chateau de Berne for our 10th wedding anniversary. I know that there are many more places to see in the world but I can’t imagine any other being more perfect.”

Contact us if you’d like to plan your next trip to Provence!

By Kerry Herbst

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Originally published December 4, 2012.