Domaine du Banel

The Domaine du Banel is located in Matton-et-Clémency, a small village in the French Ardennes, in a region that borders Belgium. The campsite occupies a site of around 13 hectares, largely wooded, where springs, streams and ponds bring coolness in summer. It is run by a couple, Wendy and Glenn, who also run the estate’s restaurant.

The site has 40 pitches for passing holidaymakers and 34 residential pitches. Each tourist pitch measures around 200 m² and has its own washroom, with hot water, shower, washbasin, toilet and a 16 A socket. Four so-called VIP pitches add an open kitchen with gas hobs, a fridge and a sink. Two bathrooms are fitted out for disabled guests. For rental, the estate offers 35 m² Tamaris mobile homes for six people and wooden chalets for four people. Dogs are welcome.

On site there is a restaurant with a terrace, a play area, a fishing pond, a small beach beside a stream and a children’s farm.

Opening period: the campsite’s website does not publish annual opening dates. It states that reception is open every day from 10am to 11pm, that the restaurant operates every weekend of the year and that seasonal pitches are rented from April 1 to the November holidays, with the option of leaving your caravan on site over winter. Welcoming holidaymakers in winter is not confirmed: it needs to be checked with the campsite, on 03 24 27 15 89.

The Banel’s main practical asset is its private washrooms: each camping pitch is linked to a small washroom reserved for its occupants, with hot shower, washbasin and toilet, which avoids shared blocks. Electricity is supplied at 16 amps, and motorhomes can park on pitches set aside for them. The four VIP pitches also have an open kitchen area, equipped with four gas burners, a fridge and a sink.

Catering is based on the estate’s restaurant, in a setting described as lounge-style and cosy, with an open terrace and a covered terrace for rainy days. The menu showcases traditional regional cooking, with homemade foie gras and smoked salmon, a knife-cut beef tartare and seasonal mussels, as well as many Belgian beers and French wines and champagnes. An indoor and outdoor games room, next to the dining rooms, keeps the youngest entertained during the meal.

The restaurant opens every weekend of the year, from 11:30am to 1:30pm and then from 6pm to 9:30pm. From June 15 to September 15, it serves every day except Tuesday. Groups can contact it in advance for an event or seminar. No swimming pool is mentioned on the campsite’s website.

For children, the estate’s attraction is the children’s farm: alpacas, ponies, wallabies, rabbits and goats live a few steps from the pitches, without having to leave the campsite. A large play area with swings, slides and spring riders has been set up near the restaurant, so parents can stay at the table while the little ones play.

The site also has a fishing pond and a small beach beside a stream. For those who want to be more active, long walks or bike rides can be made along the Meuse, which flows nearby, in a landscape of forests and valleys typical of the Ardennes.

The campsite recommends several outings in the region: the castle of Sedan, the town’s great medieval fortress, Orval Abbey across the Belgian border, and the indoor pool in Mouzon, handy on rainy days. The website also mentions, for spring, a seasonal menu with game and tartiflette at the restaurant, which extends the stay beyond the summer months. The exact entertainment programme is not detailed: it is best to ask at reception before booking.