Chateau in Eaux-Bonnes - Pyrénées-Atlantiques

Chateau Eaux-Bonnes - Eaux-Bonnes

€970,000 - £843,832**

Located just 15 minutes away from Pau, this unique château is surrounded by 1.5 hectares of delightful woodland grounds and has a superb saltwater swimming pool, a gîte ready to rent out, a cottage to renovate and three barns (one of 200m² x 2).

Retaining its 19th-century character, this stylish château is perfect for a large family home or for transforming into a boutique hotel, a country restaurant, a spa and wellness centre, prestigious headquarters for a company...

Should you be hoping to run events, you should be able to get authorisation for weddings, conferences, wine-tasting courses, cookery workshops, activity holidays, yoga retreats... and even Murder Mystery weekends!

Located within walking distance of a village with a boulangerie, shops, restaurants and a pub, the château is just 15 minutes away from Pau, its International School and the HQ of TotalEnergies; ski resorts in the Pyrénées are 55 minutes away; Biarritz and chic Atlantic beach resorts are 90 minutes away...

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Built in 1836, this super château was commissioned by a French writer when he returned to France from Mexico. Inspired by the architectural styles he saw during his time there, the main building includes an unusual octagonal tower and a vast first-floor terrace overlooking the grounds. Much of the château has been renovated by the current owners, whose stylish restorations honour the building's unique heritage.

Set in superb woodland grounds of 1.5 hectares, this delightful property includes the four-storey château (approx. 500m²), a poolhouse-style gîte (approx. 80m²), a cottage to renovate (approx. 40m²) and three barns (approx. 340m² x 2). Ideal for a family home, a luxurious holiday home, the property offers numerous possibilities, especially if you also hope to use it for a commercial project or tourism-related business.

At the entrance to the property, decorative metal gates open into a private drive - and to the left of the entrance is a two-storey cottage, which has been partially renovated. It is an ideal size for a guest cottage or a gîte. There is ample space for parking several cars near the main building, or the barns could be used for covered parking.

Stone steps lead up to the château's front door, which opens into an entrance hall with two sitting rooms to the left and a third sitting room to the right. Behind the sitting room to the right is a dining room, which opens into a light and airy conservatory with a fabulous central island unit and contemporary kitchen units along one wall. Adjoining this room is a traditional-style kitchen with a large open fireplace.

Also on the ground floor is a bedroom with an en suite bathroom (in the tower), a utility room, a walk-in cupboard and a guest WC.

The first floor has three spacious bedrooms, two of which have doors opening out to the château's vast south-east-facing terrace (85m²). One of the three bedrooms has an adjoining shower room (in the tower); the other two bedrooms share a family bathroom. The terrace, which is also accessible from the landing, catches the sun for most of the day and has wonderful views of the grounds.

The second floor comprises a bedroom with an en suite shower room and WC (in the tower), three further bedrooms, a bathroom, a shower room with a WC and a separate WC.

The third floor is currently unconverted loft space... and the terrace's rooftop tower is accessible from this floor via an external stone staircase.

The basement level of the château has been partially renovated and has an amazing games room of 74m², along with a a wine cellar and various storage rooms.

Should you need more storage or wish to create a function room or yoga studio, the château has three barns. The barns form an L-shape behind the château building, effectively creating a grassed courtyard area of about 350m².

The property's heated saltwater swimming pool (10m x 4m) is located on the far side of the château, along with a superb contemporary-style poolhouse. The poolhouse has been converted into a self-catering gîte with a huge open-plan sitting room/dining room/kitchen, two bedrooms and a luxurious shower room. The gîte would also be suitable for accommodating Bed &Breakfast guests - and the poolside terrace is the perfect spot for them to enjoy breakfast in the morning sunshine!

This super property is located in the beautiful Béarn, between the mountains and the sea. Hugely convenient for people working in and around Pau, Tarbes or Lourdes, the château is also perfect for anyone who loves skiing, surfing and watersports. Pyrénées ski resorts are 50 - 60 minutes away to the south - and Atlantic beaches are 90 minutes away to the west. There are also several lakes nearby for swimming and watersports .

The local village has a primary school, a boulangerie, shops, restaurants and regular trains and buses to Pau. The centre of Pau is a 15-minute drive away, as are the International School of Béarn and the HQ for TotalEnergies. The closest international airport is Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées, 30 minutes away.

THE CHÂTEAU

Basement:
- a games room (74m²)
- a wine cellar (28m²)
- a cellar (26m²)
- a workshop (22m²)
- a boiler room (28m²)
- a storage room (7m²)

Ground floor:
- an entrance hall (20m²)
- three sitting rooms (33m², 32m², 29m²)
- a dining room (22m²)
- a conservatory with a central island unit and contemporary kitchen units (32m²)
- a traditional-style kitchen with a large open fireplace (22m²)
- a utility room (7m²)
- a bedroom (15m²) with en suite bathroom & WC (7m²) in the tower
- a guest WC (2.5m²)
- a walk-in cupboard (3m²)

First floor:
- a terrace (85m²)
- a bedroom (22m²) with en suite shower room & WC (7m²) in the tower
- two larger bedrooms (28m², 28m²), one of which has its own door into the bathroom
- a family bathroom & WC (23m²)

Second floor:
- a bedroom (23m²) with en suite shower room & WC (7m²) in the tower
- three further bedrooms (23m², 23m², 17m²)
- a bathroom (7m²)
- a shower room (10m²) + separate WC (1.2m²)
- a WC (1.2m²)

Third floor:
- three loft spaces (38m², 37m², 18m²)
- a storage area in the tower (7m²)
- access to the tower's rooftop terrace


THE POOLHOUSE

- a dining terrace overlooking the pool
- an open-plan sitting room/dining room/kitchen (48m²)
- two bedrooms (12m², 8m²)
- a shower room (9m²)
- a pump room for the pool (2m²)


THE GROUNDS AND THE OUTBUILDINGS

- woodland grounds of 1.5 hectares
- a saltwater swimming pool (10m x 4m) with a security cover, heated by a heat pump
- a two-storey guest cottage to renovate (20m² + 20m²)
- barn 1 (198m² + 200m²) + two WCs (3m², 2m²)
- barn 2 (75m² + 130m²)
- barn 3 (60m² + 8m²) + a workshop (15m²)
- garden sheds


THE POTENTIAL!

Currently used as a splendid family home, the château could be absolutely perfect for anyone hoping to set up a tourism-related business or an events venue (authorisation required).

The property is located in an area that is very popular with tourists all year round, so you may want to transform it into a unique boutique hotel... or set up a Bed and Breakfast business if you prefer a less formal arrangement.

You might want to use the two-storey cottage and the extensive outbuildings to create more gîtes and Bed & Breakfast suites in the future. Demand is especially high during the summer months, the skiing season and for Christmas and New Year breaks, so you could even rent out the château itself to large groups of family and friends...

Hosting exclusive weddings and corporate events might also be a possibility, along with offering upmarket activity holidays, such as painting and photography workshops, tours of the Jurançon and Madiran vineyards, cookery lessons, yoga and mindfulness retreats or music, dance and drama courses. Murder Mystery weekends and Escape Games in this atmospheric château would also be fun!

Alternatively, the château could be used as a spa and wellness centre, incorporating trips to thermal baths higher up in the Pyrénées… or as a beautiful country restaurant, offering overnight accommodation and weekend breaks so that guests can truly relax and enjoy their stay in this splendid château near Pau!

NB: please note that planning permission would be required for any conversion/change of use of buildings for residential and/or professional purposes. Should you wish to host courses, events and celebrations, you would need to conform to the ERP regulations ("Etablissement Recevant du Public" = "Establishment Receiving the Public" . This would, however, allow you to cater for a larger number of participants at your events, courses, conferences, seminars...


SERVICES & TECHNICAL

Saltwater swimming pool (10m x 4m): heated by heat pump + security cover
Cable internet connection
Heating: gas central heating + open fireplace + heat pump for the pool
Mains gas
Mains water
Septic tank (will need works)
Spring (in the basement)


THE LOCAL AREA

Located on the outskirts of a lively Béarnais village with a boulangerie-patisserie, a grocery shop and bar-restaurants, this charming château is just 15 minutes away from the centre of Pau. From the village, there are regular buses and local trains (TER) to Pau, Lourdes and the nearby town of Nay, which also has a weekly farmers' market.

There is a primary school in the local village for young children; for older children, there are excellent collège-lycées in both Pau and Nay, which offer a range of study options (some in English), as well as the chance to specialise in theatre, dance, sports… and even horse riding! There is also the International School of Béarn in Pau, which follows the English National Curriculum and awards UK qualifications.

The château is close to the Vallée d’Ouzom, which extends all the way up to the Spanish border in the Pyrénées. The closest ski resorts are 50 - 60 minutes away at Val d’Azun, Eaux-Bonnes, Gourette and Artouste. Closer to home, there are several leisure lakes for swimming and watersports , as well as exciting white-water rafting on the local rivers ("gaves").

If you prefer beach-based activities, the Atlantic coast is about 90 minutes away, where you can picnic, swim and surf at Biarritz, St-Jean-de-Luz, Hendaye, Hossegor...

Airports: Pau, Tarbes-Lourdes, Biarritz
Train: Pau, Coarraze-Nay
Coach: Pau, Lourdes, Tarbes
Ferry: Bilbao, Santander

Ski: Eaux-Bonnes, Gourette, Artouste, Val-d’Azun, Formigal (Spain)...
Beaches: Biarritz, St-Jean-de-Luz, Hendaye, Hossegor...

Attractions: Base de loisirs au Lac de Baudreix, Parc Aquasports (Pau), Golf (Billère), Parc National des Pyrénées, Cirque de Gavarnie, Petit Train d’Artouste, Grottes de Bétharram, Sanctuaire Notre-Dame de Lourdes, GR782...
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Information about risks to which this property is exposed is available on the Géorisques website : https://www.georisques.gouv.fr