Musical Stay at the Château de la Vérie

An intimate encounter between music and heritage

The Séjour Musical au Château de la Vérie is a unique experience: an immersive chamber music festival, where professional musicians and the public share the same roof for an entire weekend. Organized by the association Vendée Art et Musique, this event takes place every year in the heart of the Château de la Vérie, a 16th-century seigneurial residence listed as a Historic Monument since 1964, nestled in a seventeen-hectare park in Challans.

An exceptional setting

Built at the end of the 16th century for André Bouhier, treasurer to King Henri IV, the Château de la Vérie is an architectural gem of the Vendée bocage. Its origins date back to the 9th century, when a first fortification was erected to protect the territory from Norman invasions. Today transformed into a charming hotel, the castle offers a remarkable acoustic setting for chamber music: lounges with antique wood paneling, terraces overlooking the park, and the hushed atmosphere of a bygone era.

Five concerts, two lectures, an exceptional weekend

The program revolves around five concerts spread over three days, complemented by two musical lectures led by passionate speakers. From string trios to piano quartets, including original ensembles, the programming explores the great works of the chamber repertoire: Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Debussy, Ravel, and many others. The originality of the festival lies in its "stay" formula: participants are accommodated at the castle, share meals with the musicians, and experience music in rare proximity.

A human-sized festival

Far from large, impersonal halls, the Séjour Musical de la Vérie cultivates the art of meeting. Each edition brings together around a hundred participants in a warm and friendly atmosphere. The exchanges between artists and the public, facilitated by shared meals and moments of relaxation in the park, make this festival an incomparable musical and human experience, on the edge of the Vendée Breton Marsh and the island of Noirmoutier.