Cultural Trips
Cultural Trips
Culture is our forté. French children come here for séjours linguistiques but for our English schools we also provide a range of cultural experiences and activities to nearby areas of interest.
Popular destinations include our partner French schools, local markets, local producers and local museums – but we can also create a bespoke experience based on any specific requirements you have!
The Chateau is perfectly situated on the border between Normandy, Brittany and the Loire Valley. Each trip offers a unique glimpse into French life.
Read all about the most popular French day trip activities below.
French Schools
Exchanges with French schools are no longer impossible because when you visit us you can choose to meet a French school (if your visit coincides with local school term times). This can be done in one of three ways: going on excursion to their school, helping welcome them to the Château, or staying at a time when a French school is actually staying with us!
All of the above options mean your pupils will get to interact both formally and informally with French children of their own age, through activities, sport and cultural “animations.” Why is this important? We think it’s because it makes French immediately relevant: it stops being simply a school subject and suddenly becomes a useful tool for making new friends and having fun.
Many of our schools who choose this option have been able to build relationships with our local French schools that have lasted beyond the trip itself.
Overall, we’d say this is our most enriching excursion / activity option, and both primary and secondary schools are keen to meet our English visitors!
Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët Market
The picturesque town of St Hilaire holds a large and diverse market every Wednesday and is home to some of the finest and most interesting local products found in the region.
Clothes, accessories and the legendary “galette-saucisse” are just some of the delights on offer at this authentic French market, with lots of eco-friendly products and fresh food and vegetables also available for school students to purchase.
Visiting St Hilaire market en route to le Mont St Michel works brilliantly as a full day excursion for students. This option is another opportunity to explore typical French culture first-hand, as well as visiting one of the most fascinating landmarks and pieces of architecture in the world in the form of le Mont St Michel.
Find out more about these truly unforgettable experiences by getting in touch below.
Cider Farm
A visit to the cider farm is a fascinating insight into a famous regional export. Apple farms are part and parcel of life in North Western France, and it’s no secret that some of the best cider in Europe comes from this part of the world.
This tour explores expert cider-making techniques and machinery that has been used for hundreds of years all the way up to the present day. Here, students are given the chance to learn about this classic French industry as well as the methods used for cultivating and producing apple juice, cider and calvados.
What’s more, when the tour is finished, you are able to sample the produce! Although for obvious reasons, this would be limited to apple juice for the students.
Please note that the guided tour of the Cider Farm and museum is in French, which our group leaders can translate to English if required. Find out more about these activities by getting in touch today.
Oyster Farm
France is famous for its cuisine and this excursion offers students the chance to see how oysters are cultivated and provides the opportunity to explore the coastal traditions of northern Brittany.
This visit is best combined with a trip to the ancient, walled city of Saint Malo which features tall, French buildings and cobbled streets to provide one of the most quintessentially quaint French experiences.
The tour is delivered entirely in French and is therefore an excellent opportunity for some intense exposure to the French language for UK students.
You can book a visit to the oyster farm and the walled city of Saint Malo with Château Beaumont, get in touch for more details.
The Goat Cheese Farm
Deep in the Normandy countryside, a trip to the goat cheese farm is a brilliant chance to discover the process behind how some of the country’s finest cheese is made.
Most of the products from the farm are sold in the local markets, so this is a perfect opportunity to find out more about the process that goes into making one of France’s finest delicacies first-hand from the experts who make it.
At the goat cheese farm, students can not only learn about the process of cheese making, meet and interact with the goats, but of course, there are also samples to try at the end of each visit!
Get in touch and book your place today.
Animal Refuge
The Refuge De L’Arche has a huge variety of animals rescued by various agencies across the globe.
It’s important to note that this is NOT a zoo, and all animals that reside in the refuge have been rescued from Europe and elsewhere around the world for their own safety and preservation.
A visit to the refuge is a real eye-opener, and the expert, guided tours that offer tales of how each animal came to be a resident are absolutely fascinating.
This trip not only provides new learning experiences about at-risk groups of rare animals, but also offers great opportunities to practise French language, vocabulary and translation, engaging younger children in the French language in a fun, interactive way.
Find out more here: