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Château de Villette | Wing Shooting | France

Overview

Tour code: FRA001
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Upon arrival to Chateau de Villette, you will be taken back by its charm and stupendous facade which overlooks the gardens and glorious greenery, parkland and breathtaking views. The Chateau is a family-owned and run estate by that of Coen and Catherine Stork. Chateau de Villette offers world-renowned shooting and the best Duck shooting in Europe where even the Royals like to visit. All hunting, accommodation and cuisine are to die for as Catherine and her team will make sure your French gastronomy experience will best you’ve ever tasted and Coen will ensure that his professional team will only give you the most memorable of shooting.

Location

Situated just 2 hours from Lyon airport and only 75km from the Burgundian gastronomy and wine hotspot Beaune, lies Chateau de Villette. The Chateau is located in the Regional Park of Morvan, close to Autun which is also known as an old Roman town built for the Emporer August. Between Autun and Chateau de Villette, there is a very interesting archaeological site of Bibracte. There is so much to offer at the estate including the most stunning views over the park, lakes and mature woodlands.

Shooting

Chateau de Villette is the most charming yet exciting shooting estate in France. One factor that sets it apart from many others is that all their birds are semi-wild and not only that, you can shoot on Sundays. This little gem is somewhat of a find for all those avid game shooters yearning for the more challenging and stronger bird.

The itinerary for this tour is based on Mixed Pheasant, Partridge and Duck days and will be that of a 600 bag, to be shot over 2 days (2×300) with overages applied accordingly upon group party agreement. The season for Pheasant, Partridge and Duck runs from 1st September- end of December. All these days are shot over the Chateau de Villette 1000+ acre estate where you will have only the best drives selected for you in order to keep your shooting holiday to the best standard. A sum total of 6-7 drives per day will be allocated where you will be sure to achieve the generous bag.

Additional Activities

There is a number of fantastic additional activities on offer for the non-hunting companions and of course children. For the discerning wine connoisseur, there are wine tours with lunch in the neighbouring areas. In Burgundy, there are castles and cultural sites to visit and for the more physical amongst you, there is a Golf course, tennis courts, cycling, swimming and hiking.

For children, there are many attractions available for them to enjoy. There is an amazing amusement park featuring 25 attractions and over 500 animals, open from 1st April to September. There is also a climbing park in the forest of Givry and Divitri Park which is a nature park that is devoted to giant-sized games made of wood, mazes and attractions.

Contact Us

If you have any questions regarding our Château de Villette holidays or any of our shooting destinations, please feel free to contact us on 01603 407596 and our experienced team will be happy to help. Are you looking to explore more of our shooting holidays? Make sure to request a free brochure.

Accommodation
Château de Villette

The magnificent Château de Villette is situated just 2 hours from Lyon airport and only 75km from the Burgundian gastronomy and wine hotspot Beaune. The chateau is nestled in the regional nature park of the Morvan hills. The parkland and its setting is said to be that of the earlier work of André le Notre, famous for the designs of Versailles and Chantilly. The Chateau is close to Autun which is known as  an old Roman town built for the Emperor August. Between Autun and Chateau de Villette there is a very interesting archaeological site of Bibracte. After the renovation Catherine and Coen decided to leave their busy life and settle down permanently at the domain. Catherine then opened the chateau for guests and started the prestigious B&B which offers the service of a small luxury boutique hotel with 1 family room and 4 double bedrooms.

 

The Lodge

The glorious Chateau de Villette is a stylish private home to the Stork family and was formerly the playground of the French aristocracy. The Stork family worked hard to renovate and redecorate the Chateau between 2000-2002 and the rooms are exquisite. Most bedrooms come with private en-suite bathrooms, beautiful period furniture, elaborate drapery and luxury beds with the finest bed linen. Each room comes with spectacular views over the parkland, terraces the resplendent woodland.

The idyllic gardens had been re-designed by Anthony Young an English garden architect whose main priority was to respect the view of André le Notre. There are several delightful gardens and courtyards around the Chateau, the main courtyard is where you will enjoy breakfast in the summer.

The second courtyard lays a little lower, planted with a large variety of fruit trees and box hedges- the ideal place to sit, relax and read a book. Next to the second courtyard you will find the inviting azure pool and its peaceful poolside area which offers lovely views over the lake and surrounding parkland.

Extra activities are a must experience at the chateau with tours to such places as Moutarderie Faillot which is the “Edmond Fallot” mustard factory, the Gaugry Cheese Factory whereby the Gaugry family cheese makers since 1946 invites you to share their passion, know-how and discover the step by step production of cheeses such as Epoisses and Ami du Chambertin. Other delightful tours include a visit to the place of sparkling wine. Veuve Ambal is a family house founded in 1898 near Beaune that has become specialists in regional sparkling wine.

 

Food and Drink

Food at Chateau de Villette is something they take very seriously and are very passionate about. All the dishes they serve include local ingredients which are typical to the region and are of the highest quality. Local haute cuisine with the finest wines from the private cellars can be enjoyed in the candle lit formal dining room or to be had outside on one of the several pretty terraces.

Breakfasts are full of variety and include orange juice, tea, coffee, hot chocolate, and fruit juices. There are natural and fruit yoghurts on offer and homemade jams, pastries, eggs prepared to the customers wishes and fresh bacon to tantalise the taste buds. Not to mention cheese cereals and fruits to satisfy any guest.

On Fridays and Saturdays they serve gastronomic dinners all prepared with local ingredients.

For the wine lovers, the chateau is close to the famous Burgundian wine villages such as Meursault, Pommard, Mercurey, Volnay, Puligny and Monrachet.

 

Board: Full board
Rooms: Single rooms
Internet: Free Wifi
Power: 230 volt
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Alcohol: Reasonable limit
Equipment Hire: Gun hire available
Cards Accepted: Both Credit and Debit
Cash Accepted: Euros
Quarry Information
Pheasant
Season: September-December
Peak: September
Duck
Season: September-December
Peak: September
Partridge
Season: September-December
Peak: September

Itinerary

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The Itinerary below is dedicated to driven Pheasants, Partridges and Duck days but all our tours can be tailored to suit. We also have daily flights departing from the UK therefore should you wish to come home early or extend your stay with additional days either sight seeing or relaxing at the beginning or end of the itinerary below.

Day 1:

Depart UK (alternative routes available)
Arrive in Lyon.

A representative from Chateau de Villette will only greet you upon arrival to help assist you with gun clearance should you wish to bring your own. You will then make your way via hire car to the Chateau de Villette estate (2 hours).
When you arrive at the estate the staff will allocate you to your room where you will have time to relax, take in the views and unwind and join in for drinks and dinner around 8:30pm.
Overnight Accommodation: Chateau de Villette (Single rooms) F/B

Day 2: Shooting Day

Rise and shine for an action-packed day ahead. Enjoy a wonderfully fresh breakfast in the Dining room at 8:30am before gathering your personal effects and shooting equipment. You will need to meet for a briefing in the gun room next to the Chateau at the start of the day.

From then you will be shooting approximately 6 drives in the day which will consist of hand-picked specials from around the grounds, giving you over 1000 acres of shooting.

The first drive will be close by and you will feel the excitement of being escorted to your peg where you will have the chance to shoot an exceptional mixed bag of quarry.

Follow on to the next drive where Coen and his team will have yet another spectacular drive planned for you, by this time you will have really got your eye in. After two adrenaline filled drives it will be time to break for elevenses where you will get the chance to refuel and catch up with fellow guns.

Once you have been refreshed it’s time to move on to the last two drives before lunch where again you will have the opportunity to shoot some amazing birds. Lunch will be held in the chateau at 1:00pm where you will proceed to further enjoy yet more culinary pleasures. Two more drives follow on after a good feed where you will appreciate the abundance of mixed quarry that Chateau de Villette has to offer and be able to test your skills over the spectacular presentation of birds.

At the end of the day once the excitement is over you will retreat back to the Chateau to unwind and reflect on the days shooting before a more calm affair of dinner and drinks which will be served at 8:30pm.
Overnight Accommodation: Chateau de Villette (Single rooms) F/B

Day 3: Shooting Day

Your second-day shooting will be as spectacular as the first, prepare yourself for a wonderful day ahead with another delicious breakfast in the Chateau dining room at 8:30am before collecting your personal effects and heading down to the gun room for your pre-shoot briefing by the host. The day will be very similar to that of the previous with regards to the number of drives and elevenses, however, they will plan different drives for you to shoot to keep your trip and shooting as varied and exciting as possible.

Lunch will be served back at the Chateau at 1:00pm where you will be able to catch up with other Guns and reflect on your morning’s shooting. The last drives of the day will be carefully planned so that you will achieve the desired bag and thoroughly enjoy the remainder of the day with some challenging yet fair quarry.

A restful afternoon and evening will be deserved and will give you a chance to catch up on the day’s activities before dinner and drinks are served at 8:30pm.

Overnight Accommodation: Chateau de Villette (Single rooms) F/B

Day 4:

Arise and prepare to leave.

Depart Lyon.
Arrive back in the UK.

Prices

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Remember that Sportquest Holidays' services are completely FREE! When you book a trip with Sportquest Holidays, you never pay more than when you book directly with the lodge and flights independently.

Start Date End Date Days Nights Shooting Gun Bag size Availability Notes
01/10/2020 31/10/2020 4 3 2 £5,928 600 Enquire Now N/A
01/11/2020 30/11/2020 4 3 2 £5,928 600 Enquire Now N/A
01/12/2020 31/12/2020 4 3 2 £5,928 600 Enquire Now N/A
01/09/2021 30/09/2021 4 3 2 £6,269 600 Enquire Now N/A
01/10/2021 31/10/2021 4 3 2 £6,269 600 Enquire Now N/A
01/11/2021 30/11/2021 4 3 2 £6,269 600 Enquire Now N/A
01/12/2021 31/12/2021 4 3 2 £6,269 600 Enquire Now N/A
01/09/2022 30/09/2022 4 3 2 £6,413 600 Enquire Now N/A
01/10/2022 31/10/2022 4 3 2 £6,413 600 Enquire Now N/A
01/11/2022 30/11/2022 4 3 2 £6,413 600 Enquire Now N/A
01/12/2022 31/12/2022 4 3 2 £6,413 600 Enquire Now N/A

Price Notes

Prices are based on 8 guns sharing transfers and shooting based on two 300 bird days (unless otherwise stated) and are correct at the time of going to press. Subject to time of year or date and currency fluctuations, these prices may fluctuate slightly due to flight price increases or fuel surcharge.

ATOL
Holidays or flights booked with Sportquest Holidays Limited are protected by the Civil Aviation Authority by our ATOL bond (Number 6371). ATOL protects you from losing your money or being stranded abroad. It does this by carrying out financial checks on the firms it licenses and requiring a guarantee, called a bond.

What's Included

  • All Flights
  • Car Hire (For team of 8)
  • All shooting for two days (2x300 bird days)
  • 3 x Nights at Chateau de Villette
  • All Gastronomic meals
  • All alcohol (Grand Cru wine package)
  • French Licenses
  • Tips
  • Cartridges
  • Taxes

What's Excluded

  • Gun rental (150 Euros a day)
  • Personal Insurance

Options

  • Non-hunting companions are 145 euros for Accommodation and food.

  • Price for the bag is fixed for whether you shoot 6 or 8 guns.

Price Supplements

  • Overages are only available upon request on the day but the days objectives are to hit the agreed bag number. Overages are priced at 50 euros per bird and are to be paid after the trip via invoice.

  •  

Price Match Promise

We are so confident that our packaged prices are the best available and offer great value for money.

If, however, you find an identical holiday available with any other fully bonded Tour Operator at a lower price, we will match that price.

Financial Security

Holidays or flights booked with Sportquest Holidays Limited are protected by the Civil Aviation Authority by our ATOL bond (Number 6371). ATOL protects you from losing your money or being stranded abroad. It does this by carrying out financial checks on the firms it licenses and requiring a guarantee, called a bond.

Tour Notes

Visa

A machine-readable passport with at least 6 months before expiry, no visa for UK citizens required.

Medical Requirements

No vaccinations currently required

Please Note

All details of visa and medical requirements are correct at time of press however please check these requirements for changes.

Departure tax

There is no additional airport departure tax when leaving France.

Flight Route & Flight Time

UK – Lyon (1 hour 35 approx )

Baggage Allowance

Your actual allowance is based on both which airline you are flying with and also what class of seat you are travelling in. Normally in economy it is 1 checked bag, Premium Economy / Business 2 checked bags, First 3 checked bags. In addition to your checked bags you are also allowed 1 cabin bag and either 1-laptop bag or ladies handbag. The actual size and weight limit for bags is dependent on the airline. We therefore recommend that once your flights are booked you check on the airlines website for the up to date allowances.

Note, if you wish to travel with your own guns you will need to confirm this at time of booking as some airlines do not allow you to travel with firearms therefore we will need to ensure that you are on flights/airline that does allow travel with firearms.

Note If you are travelling from a E.U. country it is essential that you have a “EUROPEAN FIREARMS CARD” (Without this document it will be impossible to import any gun into the country). Once in the airport it will only be necessary to fill out a questionnaire, pay a small tax to get your  firearms card stamped. A maximum of 5 guns (rifles or shotguns independently) will be allowed under one person.

Transfer Time

Lyon Airport–  Chateau de Villette (approx 2 hours)

Questions & Answers

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Where is the Chateau?

The Chateau is set within 1000 acres of the Regional Parc of the Morvan close to Autun and only a 2 hour drive from Lyon Airport. It sits within its own hunting grounds so is easily accessible whilst on your shooting holiday. Beaune is situated about 75km in which makes for a fantastic day trip to explore the Burgundian gastronomy and wine.

Where do they shoot?

You will be shooting within the grounds of the 1000+ acre estate, which includes lakes, ponds, woodlands, parkland and agricultural land and you will be shooting 6-7 drives per day.

How long does it take to reach the shooting ground?

You will be staying in the Chateau de Villette within the estate. Drives will be no more than 10 minutes away.

What quarry will I shoot?

Depending on the time of the season there will be Semi Wild Pheasant, Partridges and Ducks available to shoot as mixed bag days.

What will the bag be?

You will be shooting 600 birds over the two days which is split to 2 x 300 bird days.

How does the day work?

The day will start with breakfast in the dining room of the Chateau at 8:30am before gathering your belongings to meet in the gun room next to the Chateau for a safety briefing by the host. You will head out to the first drive on foot but if you find this too much then transport can be arranged. You will be taken to your peg where you will enjoy plentiful quarry. A further drive will be done before elevenses, followed shortly by another two drives of pure quality shooting. You will be heading back to the Chateau for a hearty lunch at 1:00pm then onto 2-3 drives in the afternoon. Dinner will be served with pre drinks at 8:30pm so it will give you plenty of time to unwind and spend some time exploring should you want to after your full day in the field.

Who is best suited to this destination?

The shooting is suited to everyone who enjoys their game shooting and being surrounded in such splendour makes it all the more magical.

What skill level is required?

This trip would be ideal for the intermediate of game shots to the more experienced.

How physically demanding is this trip?

You will be walking from drive to drive on the wing shooting days which is around 4-6km of easy walking per day. For those who require a little more help and would prefer a less laboured trip vehicles can be made available. The only hardship is the carrying of your ammunition and your gun if you don’t have a loader.

When to go?

The season for the Mixed Driven Pheasant, Partridge and Ducks is 1st September through to the end of December.

How to get there?

Fly from the UK direct to Lyon with a transfer of 2 hours to where you’ll be staying at the idyllic Chateau de Villette estate.

What is the accommodation like?

The Chateau is located in the Regional Parc of the Morvan close to Autun also known as the old Roman town built for the Emperor August. It is decorated in a sumptuous luxury boutique style and comes with 10 lavish bedrooms with 8 bathrooms, tennis courts and a swimming pool.

What is the food like?

The cuisine at the Chateau is renowned for its sensational food and Catherine prepares a nice table d’hôtes and spoils her guests with a gastronomic 4 course dinner. You won’t find more exquisite food anywhere else.

Does the Chateau provide hunting/Shooting equipment?

The estate will provide you with Gun hire, slips and cartridge bags as well should you need them.

Is internet and phone signal available?

There is usable phone signal and WiFi.

Are there other activities available?

There are plenty of additional activities for the non-hunting companion such as wine tasting, visiting castles and cultural sites. For the more adventurous and physical there are activities such as cycling, golf, hiking, swimming and tennis. For the children there is an amazing amusement park with attractions and animals, a climbing park and a leisure and nature park full of exciting things to explore.

How much does it cost?

We offer a complete package including all flights and transfers to view all prices & availability click the “Dates & Prices” Tab above.

Alternatively, if you wish to arrange all our own travel arrangements Sportquest Holidays can book just a hotel and shooting for you.

Reviews

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Bill

This is an exceptional experience and without doubt the best game shooting in France.

Sean

If your'e lucky enough to visit you will certainly have a memorable time.

John

Thank you for having created "A Boys Dream", not the film but the reality. This boy loves it too.
Your friend in spirit, John.

Nicky

This place is a jewel in many respects...The most memorable couple of days- Thank you!!

John

What a great hunting location. To resume in one word: Sublime!

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