Château de Berne

The estate was originally granted to Saint Bernard in the 12th century, and belonged to the Marquis de Villeneuve for five centuries. Roman-era vineyard plantings from the 2nd century BC have been found on the grounds, and winemaking has been a way of life on the estate since 1750. British entrepreneur Mark Dixon acquired the property in 1995 and led a visionary restoration into today's luxury destination, honoring both its monastic and aristocratic legacy.

Today the estate offers 34 rooms and suites in total, plus 7 private stone villas with dedicated butler service (an eighth under construction). Within the 18th-century château itself (over 1,000 sqm, sleeping up to 20) are 7 double rooms with individual bathrooms, each named after an emblematic Provençal village.

The estate's documented chain from a 12th-century monastic grant to five centuries under the Marquis de Villeneuve, followed by 1995 acquisition by a British entrepreneur, ties Berne to both religious and aristocratic French history before its modern luxury transformation.

The presence of Roman-era 2nd-century BC vineyard plantings on the grounds gives the estate a documented winemaking history stretching back over two millennia, far older than the current 18th-century château building.

The fact that only 7 of the 34 total rooms sit within the château itself, with the remainder spread across other estate buildings and private villas, means most guests here are not staying inside the historic building despite the property's château branding.

The estate's position between Lorgues and Flayosc, near the Gorges du Verdon, gives guests staying at Berne easy access to one of Provence's most dramatic natural landscapes.