Ever heard of the Chateau of Craon?

January 13, 2020

by Lydia Brooks

Honestly, us neither. But you should!

We are closing in on our last days of orientation at the Chateau de Craon and what a surprise it’s been. Known as the “the little Versailles of Mayenne,” the chateau is situated in a tiny French town, Craon. In the seemingly middle of nowhere, the Chateau de Craon hosted the first week of our orientation and introduction to France.

The little town held many a surprise for us. This 18th century gem overlooked the petite ville of Craon, which is also home to the Ferme du Pressoir, an apple orchard and distillery. Not only were we able to visit the distillery, but we had to chance to taste all of their curated ciders and liqueurs.

Our week at the Chateau was full of meetings and team building exercises. French actresses, Cecile and Connie, were brought in to lead us through various bonding activities, including an impromptu fashion show and game of improv.

The niche town of Craon holds more than meets the eye. Although we are all excited to return to Paris, it was nice to expand our horizons outside of the city and have the to opportunity to explore less-known regions of France.