The Château came into existence in 1826, under the initiative of a wealthy diplomat who was passionate about gardens and enchanted by this little green corner. He had experimental greenhouses built, housing numerous tropical plants: the estate transformed into a true jungle!
Several years later, the Domaine du Château Vert takes on a different appearance: we are in the midst of World War I, and the place serves as a storage facility for goods (a hangar was built for this purpose). The premises are subsequently abandoned, without any owner.
It would take until 1951 for the estate to come back to life. Emile and Thérèse Mullier decide to purchase the domain for their daughter Thérèse and her young husband, André Lanthiez. The newlyweds then decide to engage in agriculture on the land in order to repay the loan. The first years are difficult as the crops do not yield well. Thérèse then decides to start raising animals, which will allow her 7 children to attend school.
In the 1970s, the family discovered that the land was very rich in stone. This represented a tremendous opportunity as quarries were being excavated everywhere to build roads, including the famous Charles de Gaulle Airport. Thanks to this new source of income, the Lanthiez family installed heating for the first time in the house!
To Emile and Thérèse’s surprise, beautiful ponds emerged during the stone extraction! They didn’t know it yet, but these magnificent expanses would add to the beauty of the estate. Seeing this new landscape, neighbors began asking for permission to set up their caravans and motorhomes, and that’s how Thérèse decided to create the Camping du Château Vert.
Beyond business, there is also family life and the children who make it up. While all of them settled in the region, Éric decides to embark on a great journey at the age of 20. For two years, he travels the world, experiencing agricultural culture in Canada, tobacco picking in the United States, and hitchhiking through South America…
As a little anecdote, Éric used to send photos he took during his travels to his family through locals he met on his journey. He would ask them to bring the rolls of film back to France for development by his parents. It was during this process that he met Selma in Brazil, who would later introduce him to his future wife, Cristina!
They both meet in France but decide to move and settle in Brazil, on a farm located near Rio de Janeiro, surrounded by nature. Isolated from roads and telephone networks, the place has a touch of a lost paradise. The couple starts a dairy production: Éric takes care of the livestock, and Cristina handles the manufacturing. Little did they know, they would become pioneers in organic production. During this time, they have three children: Maria, Paola, and Rodrigo, all enrolled in the French school in Rio de Janeiro (a way to maintain their ties to their French roots).
After 25 years of dedicated service on the farm, Éric and Cristina decide to return to France due to homesickness. They revamp the somewhat neglected camping area and simultaneously reinvest in the family home. Two years later, their daughter Paola takes the reins to continue the family tradition.
Today, charming bungalows and luxury chalets have been added to the scenery, along with a guesthouse within the castle! Paola and her team will be delighted to welcome you to this place steeped in history, offering a chance to disconnect in the heart of nature.
Paola was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and grew up alongside her younger sister Maria and her older brother Rodrigo. If you meet her, you will surely notice her lovely sun-kissed accent. She spent her childhood at the foot of the mountains in Rio de Janeiro, on an isolated farm in the heart of the Brazilian countryside. Getting there was an adventure: no paved roads, no internet, and no telephone network, in other words, a little lost paradise.
At the age of 10, Paola left her native farm for the big city, Rio de Janeiro. Since her father is of French origin, she enrolled in a French-speaking school and reconnected with her roots. Eight years later, in 2005, her parents, Éric and Cristina, decided to return to France, while Paola pursued her dreams!
With her high school diploma in hand, she chose to follow her brother to Tahiti. The sea, the warm sand, the palm trees… She lived a dream come true and met many travel enthusiasts. Among them, a group of seasonal workers invited her to discover the mountains of Savoie and work in a ski resort.
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