Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / France / Flayosc / Château de Berne
Château de Berne
Flayosc, Var, France · Independent · High Luxury
Spanning 1,235 acres, the property features a forest, olive groves, and 175 hectares of certified organic vines. The estate was donated to the Cistercian Order by Raymond V, Count of Toulouse, in the 12th century and today operates as an organic wine estate and five-star hotel. Château de Berne has a history dating back to Roman times, but the current 18th-century château was significantly developed in the 19th century by Marius Estellon and transformed into a luxury wine tourism destination in the late 20th century.
- 34 rooms
- Opened 1750
About Château de Berne
- The estate's Roman-era vines grew along a branch of the Via Aurelia, with an ancient amphora oven discovered in the vineyard.
- In the 12th century, Raymond V, Count of Toulouse, donated the estate to Bernard de Clairvaux, founder of the Cistercian monastic order.
- A British businessman who patented the contact lens bought the estate in 1995 and introduced its signature square wine bottle in 2007.
- The estate spans up to 1,600 acres with 175 hectares of vines certified organic since 2021, producing around 500,000 bottles of wine a year.
History
Vines grew here when this was a branch of the Via Aurelia; an amphora oven still turned up in the vineyard. In the twelfth century Raymond V, Count of Toulouse, gave the estate to Bernard de Clairvaux and the Cistercians. King Philip IV later seized the monastic holding. The standing château is eighteenth-century, the 1750 house later pushed forward in the nineteenth century by Marius Estellon, a frigate captain and patron of the arts.
A British owner who had patented the contact lens bought the domaine in 1995, replanted, rebuilt a gravity-fed cellar, and in 2007 put Berne wine in a square bottle. The five-star hotel reopened in July 2015. The vines, 175 hectares, have been certified organic since February 2021.
Thirty-four rooms sit in a thousand-plus acres of forest, olives, and Relais & Châteaux wine country, with Le Jardin de Berne cooking under a Michelin star. You sleep in a 1750 Provençal house that still makes its own wine.
The setting
17 km from medieval Le Thoronet Abbey. 10 km from Troglodyte Caves of Villecroze.
Restaurants and bars
- Le Bistrot du Château de Berne — Restaurant · French
Experiences
- Wine Escape — Autumn stay combining wine cellars and local terroir, with buffet breakfast, estate wine tasting and a 'Coffret Vigneron' gift set.
- Cellar visit — Guests can book a visit to the estate's wine cellars.
- Treatments at the spa — Guests can book a treatment at the spa.
Amenities
- 1 Michelin star and 1 green star restaurant Le Jardin de Berne
- 800m2 Cinq Mondes Spa with indoor and outdoor pools
- Organic 175-hectare vineyard with wine tasting and tours
- Outdoor activities including tennis, padel, pickleball, and 100km of trails
- Cooking school and workshops
- Fitness room and yoga/pilates classes
- Sauna
- Hot tub
- Kids' club
- Pet-friendly
Awards
- Forbes Travel Guide Recommended (2026)
- MICHELIN One Key (2026)
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