In 2010, we — Paula and Willem — started a small-scale, child-friendly holiday destination on the grounds of a 16th-century château. It’s located in the heart of France, in the still-authentic department of La Creuse.

In front of our stately home is the terrace under the linden trees, where you can pick up your bread in the Tower Shop in the morning and enjoy a cappuccino or a local beer. In the park and meadow behind the house, there are eight safari tents, each equipped with a bathroom and private toilet.

Not much of a camper? We also offer two gîtes in the traditional 18th-century farmhouse, and a third gîte with a magnificent view of the lake and surrounding fields has been created in the barn.

The large barn also houses the professional kitchen, the spacious event hall, and two mezzanines. Behind the barn, you’ll find the delightful heated swimming pool, two toddler pools, and the vegetable garden where Paula grows fresh produce that Willem transforms into a table d’hôtes now renowned among our guests.

At Le Mas d’en Haut, we do everything we can to minimize our impact on the environment. Of course, we separate our waste, use water sparingly, and encourage visitors not to travel here by plane. We also use as many fresh and local products as possible in the kitchen, build with sustainable materials, heat Gîte 3, our house, and the water with wood pellets, and have established a “food forest” garden and a permaculture vegetable garden. The pool water is heated with a heat pump. We’ve created shade for the safari tents and gîtes by planting trees and installing sunshades and tarps to avoid the need for air conditioning.

Equally important to us is involving the local community. We work with local people for renovations, kitchen help, service, and cleaning, supporting the area while keeping our estate welcoming and authentic.