COUNTRYSIDE

Château de Sibra

Lagarde - France

A restored château in the foothills of the Pyrenees, with five rooms in the main house and a whole park of follies, old trees and hidden corners around it.

Countryside

Restaurant

Pool

Cooking Lessons

Billiards

Bike Rental

THE SETTING

Château de Sibra sits in Lagarde, a quiet part of Occitanie between Toulouse, Carcassonne and the first foothills of the Pyrenees. Mirepoix is only a short drive away, but the estate feels set apart: a château, farm buildings, a hamlet, a lake, a park, and views that open towards the mountains.

The place has been many things before becoming a guesthouse. It was once linked to the Abbey of Camon, then passed through several local families before being bought in 1878 by Joseph Villary de Fajac, a Parisian railway entrepreneur, and his wife Pauline. They are the reason Sibra looks the way it does today. They took an older fortified property and turned it into something much more unusual: part château, part model farm, part romantic landscape. The farm buildings, stables, granary, courtyard, lake, park and small architectural follies were all part of that same idea.

When Swiss architect Sibylle Thomke first saw Sibra in 2017, the park had become wild, the lakes were dry, and owls were living in the roof. But much of the original house was still there: old floors, painted walls, wallpapers, door handles, tiled stoves, woodwork, strange details from another century. She began the restoration in 2018 and opened the estate to guests in 2021. The work is careful, but not museum-like. Old wallpapers have been reproduced, damaged elements repaired, and new bathrooms added as light, removable structures. The result keeps the château’s oddness intact — and that is the best thing about it.

THE ROOMS

There are several ways to stay at Sibra. The main château has five guest rooms. The former outbuilding holds three apartments. Maison Lampre adds four smaller gîtes beside the château. Maison du Métayer, once home to the caretaker and gardener, can be rented as a full holiday house for a larger group.

The château rooms are the most atmospheric. High ceilings, stucco, old wooden floors, painted walls, park views, tiled stoves, wardrobes, tapestries and contemporary furniture all sit together. Some rooms feel grander, others quieter, but all keep the feeling of sleeping inside the house itself.

The apartments are a good option for guests who want more independence. They are set in the old farm buildings, with kitchens, living spaces and a calmer rhythm. Maison Lampre feels more private again, with small homes looking onto the park or the hamlet. Maison du Métayer is the one for families or friends travelling together: kitchen, dining room, salon, terrace, garden, and enough bedrooms for a full house gathering.

What links all of them is the same renovation approach: old structures left visible, new pieces added lightly, enough comfort, and no attempt to make everything look the same.

THE FOOD

Breakfast is included for guests staying in the château rooms. For the apartments and gîtes, breakfast at the château can be booked in advance, or fresh bread and croissants can be delivered to the door.

Dinner depends on the period and should be checked before arrival. When the table d’hôtes is running, it gives guests a reason to stay on the estate in the evening rather than drive out again. The cooking leans local, seasonal and thoughtful, with vegetarian options often part of the offer.

There is a strong pleasure in eating here because of where you are. A table in the château, a terrace in the courtyard, a picnic in the park, a simple meal after a long walk — Sibra does not need a formal restaurant experience to make food feel part of the stay.

THE STAY

The park is the centre of Sibra. It covers around 15 hectares and was created as an English-style landscape garden, with a lake, old trees, planted views, small buildings, grottoes, ruins and places that appear slowly as you walk. The château is reflected in the lake. The Pyrenees appear in the distance when the weather is clear. Paths move through trees from different parts of the world. A chapel sits in a grotto, with roses leading towards it.

There is also a seasonal outdoor pool, bicycles, spaces for reading or working, a courtyard, terraces, a seminar room, and a large former granary used in summer for workshops, retreats, family gatherings and weddings.

The important thing is not to overplan every hour. The estate itself needs time: walk, swim, read, sit outside, look at the old walls, follow the paths, return to the lake.

AROUND CHÂTEAU DE SIBRA

Mirepoix is the first place to visit. It is only about 8 km away and has one of the most beautiful medieval squares in southern France, with timber-framed arcades, cafés, a cathedral and an easy market-town atmosphere.

Lagarde is close, with the ruins of its château on the hill. The wider area belongs to the Pyrénées Cathares, a landscape of small villages, ruined castles, rivers, forests and old routes between Ariège and Aude. Camon is also nearby, one of the most beautiful villages in the region, with stone houses, roses and a former abbey. Montségur, Roquefixade, the Fontestorbes spring and the first mountain roads towards the Pyrenees all make good outings. Carcassonne is within reach for a bigger day trip, especially for travellers arriving or leaving through the airport. Toulouse is also possible, but Sibra is better understood through the smaller places around it: Mirepoix, Camon, Lagarde, country roads, local markets, forest walks and mountain views.

This is a good stay for travellers who want southern France without the obvious crowd. Less Provence, more Ariège. Less performance, more space.

THE OWNERS

Château de Sibra is the project of Sibylle Thomke, a Swiss architect from Biel. She first saw the property in 2017 while looking for something much smaller. Sibra changed the plan. She worked with local artisans and landscape architect Thilo Folkerts to slowly bring the house and grounds back. The story often feels larger than hospitality: part architecture project, part landscape recovery, part personal obsession. That is why the estate feels different. Sibra is not polished into neutrality. It still has character, risk and humour. It feels like someone cared enough to keep the difficult parts.

Day-to-day, Sibylle and the team make the place usable for guests: rooms, breakfast, dinners when available, local advice, workshops, events, and the kind of welcome that lets people feel at ease in a very unusual house.

GOOD TO KNOW

There are five guest rooms in the château, three apartments in the former outbuilding, four gîtes at Maison Lampre, and Maison du Métayer, which can be rented as a full holiday house for 10 to 14 guests. The estate is family-friendly, with extra beds and baby equipment available on request. Pets are not accepted.

Breakfast is included for château rooms. For apartments and gîtes, breakfast at the château can be booked in advance, or bread and croissants can be delivered in the morning. Dinner and table d’hôtes options should be checked before arrival, as opening days can vary.

The château usually closes for part of the winter, with the main season starting again around March.

Prices start at €120 per night for the smaller gîtes at Maison Lampre. Apartments in the outbuildings start at €200 per night, château rooms from around €210, and Maison du Métayer from around €600.