As a guest at Château d'Orion, you can not only sleep in style and eat delicious food, you can also, if you like, be challenged to discuss and philosophize about the pressing issues of the present. The two Germans, Elke Jeanrond-Premauer and Tobias Premauer (see picture above), who bought the house and its inventory in 2003 and lovingly restored it, have set themselves the task of creating a model for the pleasurable symbiosis of spirit and enjoyment . And so the events of the think tank Château d'Orion combine the rational with the sensual, inspiration and relaxation complement each other.

Knowledge and nutrition

"Thinking weeks" take place regularly in the historic country castle, during which a small group of participants in community intensively deals with a topic for five days. Despite all the programmatic and perspective diversity, a central aspect is always the search for a successful life. At Château Orion, this extends to the area of ​​nutrition, among other things. Mainly goods and products are used that come from the company's own permaculture garden or regional sustainable agriculture, as well as projects that focus on an agro-ecological cultivation method. As part of a week of thought, the spontaneous vegetation in forests and meadows will now also be examined: Steffen Fleischhauer and Claudia Gassner are designing one creative journey of discovery under the title "Edible Wild Plants" from April 22nd to 28th, 2018.

For the operators of Château d'Orion, holism is a central requirement - in nutrition as well as in thinking and acting. The aim is the connection of heart and mind, the balance between ecological, economic and social responsibility. The question of how we want to live in the future also affects the field of work and the organization of human coexistence. So after the wild plants seminar there will be a Thinking week with change manager Jutta Eckstein on the subject of agile work organization (April 29 to May 05, 2018).

A fulfilling time

Those who are more in the mood for contemplative relaxation will certainly enjoy one of the deckchairs in the shade of the 200-year-old plane tree with a view of the distant mountain range or an excursion into the surrounding area. The Way of St. James "Voie de Vezelay" leads past the house just under 300 meters away. A visit to the very special Basque local history museum "Chemins/Bideak" or the village of "Sorde l'Abbaye", which has been declared a World Heritage Site, is also worthwhile. The sea is also just under an hour's drive away, as are the majestic Pyrenees.

Anyone who embarks on a stay at the Château d'Orion will not experience an off-the-peg vacation. Each room tells its own story, you don't move anonymously, you are moved personally, never intrusively. Instead of an international, profile-less food buffet, people cook appreciatively and individually with whatever the garden has to offer, depending on the season. It is not a pastime, but an enjoyment of the time that frees the head and creates space for new things.