A historic château wedding venue in Southwest France — for 150 to 200 guests
Domaine Array Dou Sou — Château des Évêques de Dax (1304), listed Monument Historique — Saint-Pandelon, Landes, France
Between Bordeaux and Biarritz, in the Landes countryside of Southwest France, the Domaine Array Dou Sou is a genuine medieval château, built from 1304 and listed as a French Monument Historique — not a 19th-century manor dressed up as one. For your wedding, the entire estate is exclusively yours for the whole weekend: the château, the air-conditioned Orangerie, the main courtyard, the heated pool and 4.5 hectares of listed parkland.
Everything international couples ask for, in one place
| What couples look for | Domaine Array Dou Sou |
|---|---|
| A real historic château with character | ✅ Listed Monument Historique, built from 1304 |
| Outdoor ceremony setting | ✅ 4.5-hectare listed park, lakeside or courtyard |
| Swimming pool | ✅ 14 × 4 m, heated May to mid-October |
| Air-conditioned reception room | ✅ The Orangerie — up to 300 seated, 550 cocktail |
| A real rain plan (not a tent) | ✅ Listed period salons inside the château |
| Beds on site | ✅ 43 beds in 14 rooms |
| Hotels nearby for all guests | ✅ 2,100+ rooms 5 minutes away in Dax, €55-120/night |
Capacity: 150 to 200 guests — and up to 300 seated
Most of our weddings gather 150 to 200 guests. The air-conditioned Orangerie seats up to 300 guests for dinner (550 for cocktails), and the illuminated main courtyard welcomes up to 876 guests outdoors — with no curfew on the party. Formats of 100, 150, 200, 250 or 300 guests all work beautifully here.
Getting here from abroad
From Paris: 3h20 by direct TGV to Dax station, then 10 minutes to the estate. From Bordeaux: 1h11 by direct train. Biarritz Pays Basque airport (BIQ) is 45 minutes away, with direct flights from London, Paris and other European cities; Bordeaux-Mérignac is 1h30. Your guests can enjoy the Basque coast, Hossegor's beaches and the Landes forest by day, and the château by night.
A recognised, family-restored landmark
The former palace of the Bishops of Dax, built from 1304 on a Roman oppidum, has been restored by the Devena family since 2021 in partnership with the French Ministry of Culture, and was featured on French national television (TF1, « Grands Reportages »). The estate holds a 5.0/5 average rating across 150+ Google reviews and is currently working towards Clef Verte (Green Key) certification, the international label for sustainable tourism.
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Frequently asked questions
How many wedding guests can the château accommodate?
The venue is ideal for weddings of 150 to 200 guests, and can go well beyond: the air-conditioned Orangerie (300 m²) seats up to 300 guests for dinner or 550 for a cocktail reception, and the Cour d'honneur (main courtyard, 1,000 m²) holds up to 876 guests outdoors. Very few venues in Southwest France can seat 300 guests in a single air-conditioned room inside a listed historic monument.
Is there a real rain plan — not just a tent?
Yes, a real indoor plan B. In case of rain, the cocktail reception for up to 300 guests moves into the château's listed period salons and the Salle du Chapitre, leaving the 300 m² Orangerie fully set for dinner and the evening party. The ceremony can also be moved indoors. No marquee, no backup tent — the château itself is the rain plan.
Can guests stay at the château, and where do the other guests sleep?
The château has 14 bedrooms sleeping 43 guests (including 2 accessible rooms) for the couple and their closest family. All other guests stay 5 minutes away in Dax, which offers more than 2,100 hotel rooms from about €55 to €120 per night — from the Grand Hôtel to the Splendid, one of France's largest Art Déco hotels. Shuttles between the hotels and the estate can be arranged.
How do international guests get to the venue?
The estate is 10 minutes from Dax TGV station — 3h20 from Paris by direct high-speed train, 1h11 from Bordeaux. Biarritz Pays Basque airport (BIQ) is 45 minutes away, Bordeaux-Mérignac (BOD) 1h30. On site: 83 parking spaces including 4 EV charging points.
Is the venue exclusively yours for the wedding weekend?
Yes. The estate is fully privatised from Friday 4pm to Sunday 4:30pm: the château, the Orangerie, the main courtyard and the 4.5-hectare listed park are reserved for your wedding only, with no curfew on the party in the Orangerie. You are free to choose your own caterer and suppliers.
Verified reviews : 153 Google reviews, 5.0/5 · Follow the estate on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
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