Camp Chateau in Béduer is more in demand than Taylor Swift tickets right now. Here’s why.
“ I stay put at a women - only summertime camp at a chateau in theFrench countryside , and yes , it was as dreamy as it vocalise , ” says change of location influencer Allison Wolf — nonchalantly — inan Instagram Reel that has reached over 22.3 million viewssince its posting last calendar month . The clips that result — horseback ridesin a primeval woods , two women carrying polar ends of a baguet - filled field day basket , collective dinners within a luxurious dining elbow room — be the current lunar time period of TikTok conversations centre around thepersistence of girlhoodand embracing thenostalgia of summers past .
AtCamp Chateau , place in the town of Béduer , in the southwestern Quercy region of France , campers awaken in their shared bunks ( “ feed bunk ” might be an undersell , considering they are put up within a medieval brow castle ) . The fair sex begin their mean solar day with first light yoga on the terrace , or head straight to breakfast . After savor some pastries and yield , they ’ll join in on a pre - selected bodily function : jammaking , watercolour painting , foraging , silent hiking , kayaking , the list goes on . Or they might settle — and are , in fact , encourage — to do dead nothing .
At tiffin time , each rot room gets a picnic basket filled with items like Gallic bread , cheeseflower , pâté , quiche — and rosé , of course — to eat wherever they ’d care on the ground . After the choose good afternoon activity , it ’s time for aperitif in the courtyard , where there might be some live music , followed by a family - mode dinner party in the grand salle . At this point , in dependable camp fashion , the director , Tegwen , will pass on out badge . “ Who made hole today ? , ” they ’ll require , and a blaring of “ Me , me , me ! ” will follow . After dinner party , campers might choose to sit outside for a while , amass for a movie or biz night , or go straight to bed .
Photo courtesy of Camp Chateau
“ We try out to make it so that there ’s nothing stressful bechance at any time , ” say Philippa Girling , an apt surname for the Centennial State - laminitis and CEO of Camp Chateau . “ you could just opt in or opt out . That will be your selection . ”
Before establish Camp Chateau , Girling spent nearly 30 old age working in the banking sphere , “ which is basically a patriarchal industry , ” she says . “ What I ’ve found over the years is that what manufacture like that say to woman , or to any nonage , is , ‘ We are so happy you are here . And we really want you to be successful . And we ’ve built these DE&I programs to help you be successful . And here ’s a mentor . Now , if you could just be less you and more like me , then you could do well here . ’ ” The CEO had always been passionate about creating systems that cater to individual , rather than asking them to fit an already survive mold .
Quercy has long adjudge a special situation in Girling ’s marrow . She pass childhood summer visit the neighborhood with her family unit , during which everyone would engage in an privileged trick of pointing out where the cabins or vigour lines would go at their imaginary summertime camp . Now based in California , Girling had never let go of her lovemaking forFrance . On Sunday mornings , she ’d scroll throughFrench-Property.comwith her java , daydreaming of castles . When an alerting for Chateau de Béduer popped up , she recognized it aright away . Propelled by an intuitive notion , though certainly not in the business organisation of buy a chateau , Girling and her family booked a flight to France to take a tightlipped spirit .
Photo courtesy of Camp Chateau
“ So there we were standing in front of this beautiful chateau , and I was opine , ‘ What if we could make this something that char could derive to where they do n’t have to work on themselves , they do n’t have to modernize higher level leaders skills , or get to another level of magnate — they can justbefor multiple 24-hour interval at a time ’ ? ”
So she took to Facebook to essay the waters , take which of her protagonist would be interested in the idea of a summer camp for women at a chateau in France—“Come as you are , do whatever you want , ” as she described it . This was 2021 , and the horizontal surface of exuberance embolden Girling to make a bidding , which was , to her astonishment , miraculously take .
She adopted a financial support structure that would range the possession in the hands of women , with 140 founding members and six fairness investors . Founders invest money , get a 5 % return , and are capable to come to the camp for free each year . fairness investor check fond possession of the company , and in return , they get a portion of the winnings . Since 2023 , Camp Chateau has been a certified Triple SHE Mark Company , with 100 % women and/or grammatical gender diverse soul in management , originative , ownership , and board of manager . The camp officially opened its marble social lion - guarded doors last class .
Photo courtesy of Camp Chateau
For Girling , it ’s very important that Camp Chateau feel like a summertime cantonment , rather than an all - inclusive resort — or even bad , a corporate offsite . That think no cheesy bonding exercises . “ We just allow it to be completely organic , and it really happen very naturally that people find each other and become friendly , ” she say . “ We have a lot of campers from last year who now meet on a regular basis . ” Though the camp holds an 18 - plus - chaperon policy , Girling recall a week in which an 18 - class - sure-enough camping bus became effective friend with the firstborn guest , a adult female in her late seventies .
This class ’s camp time of year will begin on July 2 , running for 12 academic term , each six twenty-four hours long , with 50 campers per session . It ’s a step up from last year ’s 30 , and to accommodate the growth , the camp has more than doubled its staff . A session next yr will be $ 2,250 euros per person , which include adjustment , action , food for thought , and wine . you may taste your luck snag a fleck after someone delete , but Girling admits it ’s a bit likegetting Taylor Swift ticket . “ We ’ve had a twosome of cancellation for the end of the summer this class , ” Girling explains . “ So we cancel it , we post it , and it ’s gone in five proceedings . There must be people lurking with their refresh clit . ”
When Girling opened the camp last year , she was convinced visitors would have a good metre , but she did not expect everyone to at once connect with the experience so profoundly . “ My own winner criterion was , I desire to walk through the grounds and get a line adult female laughing , not raucous , ‘ I ’m in a comedy show laughing , ’ just joyful , happy , relaxed , laughing , ” she enjoin , and to her surprisal , it occurred on the very first night .
Photo courtesy of Camp Chateau
She recalls a time , on the last night of a session , when a char was gaze up at the walls of the chateau , trying to imprint the image of it in her head . When Girling need her why she thought this experience had work so well ( her own theory was that it pull in many fearless char , who had n’t even seen a characterization of the camp before signing up ) the fair sex responded , " I intend we all hoped it was substantial . ”
Girling believes the chateau but provides a low - stakes environment for womanhood to be their bona fide selves , guilt feelings - free . It ’s not a detox hideaway , not designed for woman in STEM , or open to family . It ’s subversive precisely because it look for to do nothing .
“ A few men have contacted me to say , ‘ Is there anything like this for hands ? , ’ Girling aver .
“ I ’m like , ‘ Yeah , it ’s called the world . ’ ”
