The Chateau De Labourdonnais Tour

The Château de Labourdonnais
The Château de Labourdonnais is a family home that has welcomed more than three generations of the Wiehe family. Added to 150 years of weathering, the tropical climate and insects, among other factors, had begun to cause a marked deterioration to the house, particularly to the structure and decorative elements.

In 2006, the Board of Directors of the Compagnie Agricole de Labourdonnais entrusted Jacques Wiehe, a professional architect, to the task of restoring the château to its original state. The compagny conceptualizes, alongside the restoration work, a reflection on the cultural significance of the château and the estate. Claude Fauque and Alexander Fruh, respectively a museologist and a renowned French designer, were contacted. Their brief was to present the Château de Labourdonnais as a cultural place following the concept of "a château in a natural setting" where its history, flora, orchards, cuisine and Mauritian expertise would be highlighted.

The Château de Labourdonnais
Enjoy a visit of “a château in a natural setting” where the history is beautifully merged with architecture, flora, orchards, cuisine and Mauritian expertise.
Situated in the North part of Mauritius, in the heart of a fertile orchard and splendid garden lies The Château de Labourdonnais, where endemic plants and large varieties of exotic trees grow in harmony.

As part of the Tour, you will enjoy the following:
• Visit of the “Château”
• Visit of the Gardens & Orchards
• Visit to the “Rhumerie des Mascareignes”
• Tasting Bar

About the Château de Labourdonnais:
The Château de Labourdonnais was owned by Christian Wiehe, an influential figure of nineteenth century Mauritius. The construction started in 1856 and three years later, the Wiehe family moved into one of the most beautiful colonial houses of the island.
Inspired by Italian neo-classical architecture, the residence stretches out on two levels. The house was built mainly from teak wood and has a double colonnaded gallery. The layout of the house follows that of the private mansions of the nineteenth century, with a central hallway leading on one side to the dining room and on the other to the main lounge. The bedrooms are situated upstairs.

Guided Tour of the Château de Labourdonnais:
You will be welcomed in the magnificent avenue of intendance trees which leads to the main entrance. You will enter a typical colonial hallway, with its double opening, connecting the courtyard to the side garden.
You will have the opportunity to marvel at the vast dining room and the house pantry, revealing the world of the governess, with vintage dinnerware and silverware.

Moreover, you will also visit the large living room and master bedroom, beautifully decorated in Victorian style.
As part of the visit of the “Château”, you can watch a short film on the Château and learn more about the Château and Rhumerie in our uniquely designed Exhibitions hall.

Visit of the Château de Labourdonnais Gardens and Orchards
After visiting the château, you can stroll through the lush gardens and old orchards where large fairways invite you for a promenade, displaying the horticultural wealth of the region.

As part of the tour of the gardens you will get to see hundred-year-old mango trees, spice trees such as nutmeg and clove, as well as several exotic fruit trees such as the pomme jacot, the sapote, the jamalac and the Kythira plum.

Furthermore, the large orchards used for fruit cultivation such as papayas, mangoes, guavas or passion fruit are used in the manufacture of the Labourdonnais product range preserving the traditional flavors without the use of any colorings or artificial flavors.
Also, during the walk in the gardens, you will come across giant Aldabra tortoises grazing peacefully.

“Rhumerie des Mascareignes" distillery
The Rhumerie des Mascareignes was built in 2006. A new industry on the domain which exemplifies the diversification of the sugarcane industry. The distillery operates during the sugarcane harvest.

As part of the visit of the distillery you will learn about the old techniques of agricultural rum and the production of this treasured spirit.
Two different rum labels, Rhumeur and La Bourdonnais, produced by the distillery are available at the tasting bar and the boutique at the château.

The tasting bar
The tour ends delightfully with the fantastic opportunity to taste the products from the distillery or the orchards at the Tasting Bar. The local products include jams, fruit jellies, fruit juices and sorbets.

In addition to the visit of the Château de Labourdonnais, you can also enjoy visiting:

include transfers and degustation