Domaine Les Gandins

Domaine Les Gandins is in Saint-Germain-de-Salles, in the Allier department, in the heart of the Bourbonnais, between Vichy and the medieval town of Charroux. The property, which dates back to 1674, is arranged around a house full of character bordered by the Sioule river and a wood. The site has a three-star campsite, safari tents, wooden chalets, four holiday cottages and three guest rooms; it works like a small village, with no cars inside the estate.

The holiday cottages sleep 4 to 12 people: Le Pigeonnier (2 bedrooms), La Fleurie (2 bedrooms, 5 people), L’Orangerie (3 bedrooms, 6 people) and Bois le Duc (6 bedrooms, 12 people). The safari tents sleep 2 to 6 people on a wooden floor, with an equipped kitchen and a private bathroom 50 m away, and the two 45 m² chalets each sleep 6 people.

The estate runs at two rhythms. The holiday cottages and guest rooms are open all year round, which makes off-season stays possible; several cottages have central heating. The campsite, safari tents and chalets operate only from late April to late September, with Saturday-to-Saturday rentals in high season. In winter, the address therefore suits those looking for a holiday cottage or a guest room rather than a pitch.

The Bourbonnais then lends itself to country weekends: châteaux, villages with character and the Tronçais forest are within the estate’s touring radius.

Cross-country skiing in Super-Besse, festivals and markets in the region, visits to châteaux and Bourbonnais villages.

The estate offers a table d’hôtes: in the evening, guests gather around a large table for a regional menu prepared on site, and in the morning you can come for bread and croissants. Homemade pizzas can also be ordered to take away. A library, a play corner for the little ones and a shaded terrace complete the picture.

As for equipment, the accommodation has duvets, pillows and mattress protectors; sheets and towels are not provided, except in the guest rooms, but they can be rented by the set (€18 for 160 x 200 cm, €12 for 80 x 200 cm, €18 for towels). Baby equipment for children under 3 (travel cot, high chair, sheets) is offered at €30 a week. The safari tents come with their own private bathroom with shower, washbasin and toilet, as well as a quality barbecue and two Chilean chairs. Wifi is reported as free in some cottages. A €200 cash deposit is requested on arrival.

For water, the estate has a 90 m² heated outdoor pool and runs alongside the Sioule, whose shaded swimming spots, at a safe distance, suit children. These facilities are designed for the warm season: no opening dates are published for the pool, so confirm them before coming outside summer. The cottages remain usable all winter thanks to their central heating.

At the estate, life revolves around children: four play areas, trampolines, pedal karts, a zip line, a slackline, swings and the farm animals punctuate the days. Adults have a volleyball court, a table tennis table and a pétanque court, and you can fish in the river. In the evening, the table d’hôtes is a chance to meet other families.

The surroundings are full of things to visit: the medieval châteaux of Billy and Lapalisse, the Centre national du costume de scène in Moulins, the village of Charroux, tastings of Saint-Pourçain wines and potato pâté. Walkers prefer the Tronçais forest, one of the finest oak forests in Europe, or the banks of the Allier.

The estate is about an hour from the Auvergne volcanoes: the Chaîne des Puys, the climb up the Puy-de-Dôme, the Vulcania park, Romanesque sites in Issoire and Saint-Nectaire. Off-season, the estate notes that festivals and markets liven up the region all year round, and that cross-country skiing is possible in winter in resorts such as Super-Besse.