Château de Couffour

En un regard

Le château en bref

The Château du Couffour, at Chaudes-Aigues in the Cantal, dates from the 15th century and originally had seven towers with conical roofs, a testament to the site's strategic importance during the Hundred Years' War. Sold to a local owner in the 18th century, the building deteriorated badly during the Revolution and then in the early 19th century, for lack of maintenance. Owned by the commune of Chaudes-Aigues and protected as a historic monument, it has operated since 2009 as a hotel-restaurant run by chef Serge Vieira, winner of the Bocuse d'Or. The main tower, circular in plan, is joined on its west side to a smaller tower housing the spiral staircase; the square ground floor is vaulted, while the three upper floors retain adjoining circular rooms, decorated with 17th-century paintings (female portraits and landscapes in rectangular frames) and an 18th-century painted wooden fireplace.