Time-travel back for a weekend in pre-revolutionary France

The 45,000-sq-ft Château du Grand Lucé is one of the most beautiful country estates in France’s Loire Valley. It was built by a courtier who was a close confidant of Louis XV, a monarch who inherited the opulent court established by his great-grandfather, Louis XIV, the Sun King himself. The estate’s gardens are a nod to those at that royal’s masterpiece, Versailles, and some of the statuaries were a housewarming gift from Louis XV.

The chateau has been converted into a luxury hotel and is exclusively offering Robb Report readers the chance to time-warp back to that prerevolutionary era of cake-eating aristocrats and Enlightenment-minded intellectuals. This total buyout of 12 rooms (the other five are undergoing refurbishment) will transport up to 24 people for one weekend via a series of events, including a scavenger hunt around the 32-hectare grounds and a private, Marie Antoinette–inspired ball, complete with costumes, hair and make-up.

As host of the bash, commandeer the best room for yourself: the Baron’s Suite, with its own private entrance from the garden and a library of classic French literature; completists should curl up there with a little Rousseau or Voltaire.

US$200,000 for a three-night buyout, meals, cocktails and all activities; Ludovic Poirier, ludovic@chateaugrandluce.com