From the heart of the estate, a path winds gently away. It winds its way through the woods, runs alongside the ponds, and crosses the wet meadows and limestone grasslands.

You don’t simply visit the Reserve; you experience it. As it unfolds at a different pace, a genuine sense of renewal takes hold within us, our senses awakened.

A bench at the top of a hill, a gap in the foliage, a pool of water rippling in the breeze... Everywhere, nature gently reveals itself to those who take the time to appreciate it.

Xavier wanted the estate to reflect his convictions. Back in 2005, when nobody was yet talking about ‘sustainable tourism’, he was already building houses on stilts to avoid damaging the ground. Twenty years on, he is expanding the estate not to make a profit, but to create a space of balance, a symbol of commitment.

The Reserve will never be an amusement park, nor a formal French garden. Understated in nature, it is best explored in peace and quiet, offering a chance to reconnect with oneself whilst contemplating nature reclaiming its rightful place. Nature that is reclaiming its place and regenerating itself.

With every visit, in every season… a different side reveals itself.

Children are, of course, welcome throughout the estate, and La Réserve is no exception. We come as a family, hand in hand, and without even realising it, we learn to listen in a different way and to take our time looking around. 

Information boards are dotted along the route. Recently, an orchard, a few deckchairs and picnic tables have been added to this gentle setting. There are even sheep on hand to keep the lawns tidy in a simple, natural way, reviving the practice of eco-grazing.

Something to feel and be moved by, even from a very young age.