Chateau de Balsac

I attended an event here and was absolutely charmed by the building and surroundings. A great base to discover Belcastel, Rodez, the Marcillac wine region and so many other areas.

Lovely time and stay at the Château de Balsac. Roland and Malana are incredible hosts. We also were able to host a dinner there and I highly recommend not just staying there but also hosting your event there.
Can't wait to be back!

I attended a cooking workshop at Chateau de Balsac with my sister and another friend in May. It was an exceptional and memorable experience.
The itinerary was both gastronomically over-the-top and culturally immersive. Local, renowned chefs worked with us in the chateau’s large, modern kitchen and in restaurant kitchens, as well. We even shopped at the Rodez Farmers Market with a chef before joining him in his kitchen for a class and lunch from our creation.
To say that Malana and Roland were good hosts is an understatement. They took us to local villages, historical sites, museums, a sheep farm, and a Michelin star restaurant, where we dined on 11 courses over 4 hours! From picnicking at a local winery, to afternoon tea in a woodland/stream setting, to shopping for local wines, we truly experienced Aveyron with their knowledgeable guidance and language skills.
The chateau is an impressive structure and comfortable. The bedrooms are spacious and the bathrooms modernized. I especially enjoyed the wildflower lawn grazed by their roaming sheep, goats, chickens, and rabbits.
I plan to go back!

A stellar property in a beautiful area, with generous hosts. The Chateau has remodeled into a very comfortable B&B while maintaining its historical charm.

My trip to Chateau Balsac was absolutely lovely. It was so relaxing knowing everything was so well planned — we’d be seeing the most interesting spots in the region, benefitting from great local knowledge and enjoying amazing food at every meal.
From the moment our group was picked up at the train station, we were treated to Malana and Roland’s outstanding hospitality. Each day was carefully choreographed so that we had plenty of time to visit chateaux, villages, museums and relax a bit too. Ours was a group of photographers and the beauty of Aveyron was a perfect place to take the time to get great photos. Some memorable experiences were guided tours through the Soulange museum, the Abbey in Conques the Chateau Bournzel as well as private visits to Chateau Belcastel and tea by the river Dordou.
I really enjoyed myself and hope to be back soon!

We stayed at Chateau de Balsac in Aveyron, France from April 28 — May 4, 2023. I loved gazing up into the inner architecture of this enchanting chateau, with its winding staircases, secret doors, and towering beams. It was fun to imagine its previous inhabitants, the lords and ladies, the builders, the royal guests, and the invaders. Echoes of history touch each of the large, tastefully restored rooms. Roland and Malana, proprietors, enthusiastically and knowledgeably indulge your curiosity if you want to know more about the story behind this historic monument. This is our second visit to the chateau. The first visit used it more as a comfortable retreat and the hub of a wheel, with each of the spokes leading to a cultural and historical foray into exceptional nearby French villages. Roland and Malana are well-connected and can help with setting up museum tours and dining reservations. During this stay, we focussed on the workings of the chateau, the emerging herb and vegetable gardens, foraging in the environs for local greens to make soup, collecting (with permission) fresh eggs in the hen house, watching their gentle border collie Maya herd the personality-laden brood of goats and sheep, spying on the baby bunnies and searching for wild orchids on the estate. It was a lovely, calm place to relax, read, draw, or just think.

We stayed a week because we wanted a place that served as a retreat in the country (it's actually in a tiny village) with access to surrounding sites. Meals were on offer, lunches could be arranged. Tours could be arranged. Favorite part was the animals.

When we were collected from the airport we were delighted to meet our most generous and amiable hosts. Their château was delightful with many beautiful original features and our rooms were spacious with an extra living room with a kitchen. Melania and Roland went above and beyond to make us feel welcome, we didn’t rent a car and they were very accommodating of this; we ate together and they were full of advice and help for our stay. They were good company and couldn’t do enough for us, even taking us out to dinner with them and their friends on the Saturday night. They organised a bus to take us into Rodez on the market day where we found a thriving country town full of history and charm. The chateau was very well maintained with an above ground pool to enjoy in the grounds amping their animals including goats, chickens and a lovely kitten Henri, as well as the beautiful collie Maya who we had the pleasure of walking on the Sunday morning. We went out for a lovely lunch on the Monday before Melania and Roland took us back to the airport to catch our flight home. We would highly recommend staying and will definitely be back!

Incredible château, completely restored, with very large and elegant rooms. The hosts, Roland and Malana, sometimes offer meals in the main chateau, or you can rent the entire donjon with its own kitchen, living room, and 4 big bedrooms. The region has excellent local wines and is known for “boeuf d’Aubrac”. The local Rodez airport is a 5 minute drive or taxi ride. The chateau has rabbits, goats and sheep in the large and beautiful gardens, and there are many nice walks you can do without a car. Highly recommended!

The best part is the owner Roland who is charming and hysterical. It’s stunning, with international standards for cleanliness and ambiance. Having visited from California, I can say this absolutely satisfied my dream of staying in a castle in the French countryside.

Roland did an incredible job putting this together. The accommodations have international standards. They put together some very delicious food. Fantastic place to have a wedding. Beautiful scenery. Very hung goats. Perfect for a place called balsac.