Overview:
Located in a small village, the delightful Château de Ligny is a castle hotel roughly half way between Cambrai, once an immensely important and powerful archdiocese way back in the Middle Ages, and Le Cateau-Cambrésis, known for its Matisse Museum. Originally a fortified castle dating back to the 9th century, the Château de Ligny saw its fair share of battles and inevitable changes of ownership over the centuries. It is now a privately owned, 4-star hotel. It is ideally located for a tour of some of the new World War I sites and memorials discovered and built in recent years.
Description:
Le Château de Ligny is all you would want from a small château hotel in the rolling French countryside of north France. At the top of the village of Ligny-en-Cambrésis, you drive through the gates and park the car just a few steps from the walls of this delightful, two-storey, mellow stone collection of buildings. It has round towers, a grassy moat, an arched gateway entrance, a courtyard for pre-dinner drinks, a spa and -- to cap it all, a one-star Michelin restaurant.
Bedrooms in the old part are small and very prettily decorated (though they could be over-chintzed for some tastes); the one I had looked out over the courtyard and had a fairy tale feeling to it. Bathrooms are newly decorated with baths and showers. There's a new separate building with rooms in Second Empire style, all reds and golds with a touch of Napoleonic grandeur. You should book a room or suite here if you're tall or need a large bed. Suites are well-sized and many have balconies or terraces. A few steps away from the old château, all the guests have breakfast in the first-floor room of the new building.
The Spa
You'll find the small spa in a separate, red-brick building. There's a very small pool, sauna, hammam, jacuzzi and treatments running from lymphatic drainage to various different styles of massages. Look for special deals incorporating spa treatments when you book.
The Restaurant
With a well-deserved reputation and rated with one star by Michelin and 3 toques by Gault Millau, this is a destination restaurant for locals as well as French and Belgian weekenders. The restaurant occupies two rooms, both with comfortable large tables and chairs, wooden floors, warm red walls and old paintings.
The food is classic French, brought up-to-date with a light touch in dishes like tartare of lightly spiced duck with a mesclun salad of arugula, frisée and young salad leaves, all topped off with foie gras shavings, or local lamb roasted with parsley, garlic and lemon served with summer vegetables. The presentation is beautiful, the atmosphere smart casual and the wine list is legendary.
Address:
Chateau de Ligny2 rue Pierre Curie
59191 Ligny-en-Cambrésis
Nord, France
Tel:
00 33 (0)3 27 85 79 79More Information:
www.chateau-de-ligny.frEmail:
contact@chateau-de-ligny.frRoom Rates:
$$-$$$ What This MeansAs is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary accommodation for the purpose of reviewing the property. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our ethics policy.
