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Château de la Gaude
Aix-en-Provence, France · Independent · High Luxury
The estate's 15 organic vineyard hectares and its garden classified as a historic monument place it squarely within Cézanne country, with his final atelier on Lauves Hill a short drive away. It carries MICHELIN Two Keys 2025 recognition. Château de la Gaude occupies an 18th-century bastide on the Route des Pinchinats on the hillside northern edge of Aix-en-Provence, a quarter long favoured by the Provençal gentry for its shelter from the mistral and.
- 14 rooms
- Opened 2019
- Neighborhood: Les Pinchinats
- Rooms from 151 sq ft (14 m²)
About Château de la Gaude
- The 18th-century Provencal bastide's last private owners were the Barons de Vitrolles before Allopneus tyre-retailer founder Didier Blaise bought it in 2016 and spent three years restoring it.
- The 14-room estate spans roughly 30 hectares near Aix-en-Provence and operates as a Relais and Chateaux member focused on wine tourism.
- Entry-level rooms start at 151 sq ft (14 m²).
History
Chateau de la Gaude is an eighteenth-century bastide on the Route des Pinchinats, the hillside north of Aix-en-Provence where the gentry hid from the mistral and stared at Montagne Sainte-Victoire. About thirty hectares, fifteen of them organic vines, and a garden classed as a historic monument. The last private owners were the Barons de Vitrolles.
Didier Blaise, the Allopneus founder who would rather talk wine, bought the estate in 2016 and spent three years putting the house back together. Around 2019 it opened as a Relais & Chateaux hotel: fourteen rooms, a cellar, and a table in Cezanne country. Michelin gave it Two Keys in 2025.
You sleep in a bastide that waited two and a half centuries for a hotelier who also wanted a vineyard.
The setting
Château de la Gaude occupies an 18th-century bastide on the Route des Pinchinats on the hillside northern edge of Aix-en-Provence, a quarter long favoured by the Provençal gentry for its shelter from the mistral and commanding views of Montagne Sainte-Victoire — the massif that obsessed Paul Cézanne throughout his career. The estate's 15 organic vineyard hectares and its garden classified as a historic monument place it squarely within Cézanne country, with his final atelier on Lauves Hill a short drive away. The Pavillon Vendôme and Musée Granet are reachable in under 45 minutes by transit, and the property itself has appeared on screen in a Marcel Pagnol film adaptation, deepening its cultural pedigree.
Restaurants and bars
- Le Art — Restaurant · Chef Matthieu Dupuis Baumal · One MICHELIN Star
- La Source — Restaurant
Experiences
- Festival de la Gastronomie — A gastronomy festival held at the hotel, with several editions listed in the press headlines; no details given.
- Cuisine ouverte — An open-kitchen dining format at the hotel, per a press headline; no details given.
- Dîner Ikejime — A tuna-focused Ikejime dinner evening ('Le thon comme à Tokyo'), per a press headline; no details given.
- Wine cellar — Headlines say the hotel opened its cave and promote a rosé and wine selection; no details given.
Amenities
- Spa
- Indoor pool
- Fitness center
- Pet-friendly
Awards
- MICHELIN Two Keys (2026)
Open Château de la Gaude in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.
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