Events in Lou Calen

Lou Calen invites you to enjoy our unique and fun events based within the hotel’s three hectare estate in the heart of Cotignac, whether at the Jardin Secret restaurant, Didier’s wine bar, or the microbrewery bar, La Tuf. Engage with the many aspects of true Provencal living through these fun experiences, all the while meeting local people and discovering local practices.

At the moment...

June 25 › October 21

Genesis of a Collection

Thanks to acquisitions and donations which amout to no less than 81 works by some thirty artists and their paintings, photographs, drawings, prints, sculptures, ceramics, even haute couture – the centre has a rich ‘Fonds de Dotation’ collection which is presented to the public this summer.

Lieu : Centre d’art La Falaise

Horaires : 10h-12h30 and 14h30-18h

Tarif : 4€/person

Open access

Saturday, September 23

Drawing and Collage Workshop

With her rich experience in the field of art, Sophie Anais Sanderson guides her students to develop their artistic flair through the craft of drawing. During her 2h30 workshop, Sophie will teach the basics of drawing as well as a study into how to create volume by using different forms of collage.

Location : Lou Calen 

Time : 9:30am to 12:30pm

Cost : 65€/person (materials supplied)

Reservation : Booking is mandatory

Tuesday, September 26

Dinner with Huguette Caren

Benoit Witz welcomes Huguette Caren, the previous owner of Lou Calen and valued guardian of special Provençal recipes. Huguette’s spectacular cooking contributed to the hotel’s famous reputation in the 70s, 80s and 90s. To keep this iconic legacy alive, Huguette has passed on all her secrets to our chef.

Thursday, September 14th - Lunch & Dinner

Three-course menu - 58€

Crispy bacon and organic egg with butternut squash 

Cod and calamari with pimento 

Dark chocolate tart 

Friday, September 15th - Lunch & Dinner

Three-course menu - 58€

Traditional French onion pizza with marinated shellfish 

Roasted hake fish with rosemary, anchovies, leeks and potatoes 

Locally-picked figs with a fine pastry and homemade ice cream 

Saturday, September 16th - Lunch & Dinner

Three-course menu - 58€

Traditional Provençal vegetable stew 

Pistou herb sauce

Freshly-caught fish OR Shredded pork with burnt cauliflower 

Pear and almond tart

Sunday, September 17th - Lunch

Classic In Provence - Musical Lunch

Three-course menu - 85€

Squash and quail’s egg salad

Freshly-caught fish OR Beef chuck stew with seasonal vegetables 

Rhum baba tart 

Sunday, September 17th - Dinner

Three-course menu - 58€

Squash and quail’s egg salad

Freshly-caught fish OR Beef chuck stew with seasonal vegetables 

Rhum baba tart 

Monday, September 18th - Lunch & Dinner

Three-course menu - 58€

Special seafood menu with lobster

 

Tuesday; September 19th - Lunch & Dinner

Four-courses menu - 74€

Auvergne cheeses in the spotlight - with Dominique Prugne (two times world champion of cheesemaking)

Cantal cheese puffs

Mushroom tart with fine pastry and a seasonal salad 

Roast beef and potato pie with soft St Nectaire cheese

A fine selection of cheeses

Poached pears 

We can adapt the menu for any allergy or specific diet.

Some dishes might have a lot of success : if that happens, our Chef will offer a new suggestion.

_____

Closed on Wednesdays lunch and Thursdays.

Location : Jardin Secret restaurant

Time : 7pm to 9pm

Cost : 58€ (3 courses, excluding drinks)

Reservation : Booking is mandatory

Saturday, September 30

Ceramics Workshop

A local potter based in Barjols, Cécile Etève makes homeware and decorative objects in stone. Come and discover how to make a pair of bowls, cups or mugs using various techniques (rolled, pinched, flat), and then turn your hand to decorating your work (with sgraffito, engraving, mishima, and more…)

Location : Lou Calen 

Time : 9am to 1pm

Cost : 115€/person (materials supplied)

Reservation : Booking is mandatory

Saturday, September 30

Soap Box Race

Hear ye, hear ye! There’s a huge dollop of fun on the way with the return of the soap box race. The race will barrel down the Notre-Dame de Grâces road across two timed runs, and the finish line will offer a refreshment bar with DJ and a prize giving ceremony at Le Tailleur de bière. Let your imagination run free!

Location : Cotignac

Time : 9am to 5:30pm

Cost : 10€ registration, 10€ license

Reservation : Booking is mandatory

Saturday, October 7

Gong & Sounds Session

Come and try an exclusive “Gong Bath” a soothing sound therapy straight from Nepal, led by Daniela, a Vinyasa and Kundalini Yoga instructor. During this session you will discover the many benefits of sound vibrations through gongs, Tibetan bowls and voice, to prove a wonderful musical experience.

Location : Lou Calen 

Time : 6pm to 7pm

Cost : 35€/person

Reservation : Booking is mandatory

Saturday, October 14

Botanical Walk

Are you interested in learning about wild plants? Vera, local to the region since birth, gives a tour of the Lou Calen gardens. Guided by her studies in phytotherapy and herboristry, Vera shares her passion for every wild plant. Join her to discover these celebrated Provençal plants and their forgotten virtues.

Location : Lou Calen 

Time : 10am to 12pm

Cost : 25€/person

Reservation : Booking is mandatory

Friday, October 20

The Fascinant Week-end

The Jardin Secret restaurant celebrates the 10th edition of the Fascinant Weekend. Every 3rd weekend in October, the vineyards of France come alive for this food and wine celebration festival. There will be a decade of delights to be shared in a menu specially designed for the occasion.

Location: Jardin Secret Restaurant

Time : 7pm to 9pm

Cost : 74€ (4 courses, excluding drinks)

Reservation : Booking is mandatory

Wednesday, November 1

Gong & Sounds Session

Come and try an exclusive “Gong Bath” a soothing sound therapy straight from Nepal, led by Daniela, a Vinyasa and Kundalini Yoga instructor. During this session you will discover the many benefits of sound vibrations through gongs, Tibetan bowls and voice, to prove a wonderful musical experience.

Location : Lou Calen 

Time : 6pm to 7pm

Cost : 35€/person

Reservation : Booking is mandatory

November 2 to 5

Yoga & Ayurveda Retreat

Autumn is the best part of the year to recharge, refresh, and restart taking care of you. This four-day three-night retreat invites you via yoga, meditation, breathing work, Ayurvedic treatments, a healthy and balanced diet, and walks in nature to find inner balance while strengthening your immune system.

Lieu : Lou Calen

Time : 4 days and 3 nights

Cost : from 1035€/pers. full board

Reservation : Booking is mandatory

Previous events

Auvergne Cheese Day

Calling all cheeselovers! This day is designed for all who celebrate good French cheese. Our chef Benoit Witz hosts Dominique Prugne – two-time world champion at the Tours International Cheese Festival – for a menu dedicated to fine Auvergne cheeses and the secrets behind the art of their cheesemaking.

Classic en Provence

The Fanny Mendelssohn Artists have prepared an innovative programme to fit the unique atmosphere of the hotel surrounded by nature and steeped in history. Be it during a musical breakfast at the Jardin Secret or a concert in the conservatrory, the five young musicians will enchant you with their talent.

Location : Lou Calen

Ceramics Workshop

A local potter based in Barjols, Cécile Etève makes homeware and decorative objects in stone. Come and discover how to make a pair of bowls, cups or mugs using various techniques (rolled, pinched, flat), and then turn your hand to decorating your work (with sgraffito, engraving, mishima, and more…)

Location : Lou Calen

Drawing & Painting Workshop

Provence is an inexhaustible source of creativity, where Gilles Dugenet invites you to dive in and find your inspiration. Using simple drawing and painting techniques, the artist will encourage you to create a series of small drawings and paintings in a sketchbook, that can be cherished long after the workshop.

Location : Lou Calen

Ceramics Workshop

A local potter based in Barjols, Cécile Etève makes homeware and decorative objects in stone.  Come and learn how to make a cup and a traditional aperitif board using various techniques (rolled, pinched, flat), and then enjoy decorating your work (with sgraffito, engraving, mishima, and more…)

Location : Lou Calen

Essential Oils Workshop

Do you know about the power of aromatherapy? Mélanie Debant, grower of aromatic plants, is here to teach you how to self-heal your minor ailments or those of your loved ones with the use of 10 essential oils, and to guide you towards the craft of a 10ml roll-on essential oil bottle.

Location : Lou Calen

Lavender Spindle Workshop

Come and learn about the Provençal tradition of lavender spindle-crafting. Get stuck in to this charming craft that encloses the pretty lavender flowers inside their stems to preserve their wonderful scent. Discover how to gather them, how to sort them, and how to weave it all together with a beautiful ribbon.

Location : Lou Calen

Plant Painting Workshop

Did you know that you can make ink from vegetables and their tinctorial plants? Anna Piquardt is here to show you how. Come and learn how to transform well-known plants into watercolour paints, and then decorate your very own postcard with them. A wonderfully creative and personalised gift for a loved one!

Location : Lou Calen

Lebanese Cuisine

Venture on a culinary journey into the heart of the Middle East. Chef Benoit Witz invites Mirna Cortas into his kitchen to explore the many rich and varied flavours of Lebanon. Mirna, of Greek-Lebanese origin, looks forward to celebrating her inherited know-how of traditional cuisine from Zahlé, her hometown in the Lebanon mountains.

Japanese Cuisine

Susana Iwase was born in Tokyo, the sushi capital, and brings her experience of traditional Japanese cooking blended with her years of working in Californian restaurants. She will collaborate with Benoit Witz to bring an evening of Japanese cuisine.

Open House Day

Lou Calen opens its doors to you! Our team is happy to welcome you once again to make you discover the establishment and to share together a convivial moment during which we will be able to exchange around the various projects related to the domain.

Location : Lou Calen

The Truffle Harvest

For over 25 years, the Canut family has been growing black truffles on their farm in Aups. Every winter Patrick and his daughter Lisa roam their oak plantation, guided by their dogs, to harvest the precious black diamond that is the truffle. Join them for an hour, participate in truffle hunting, and treat yourself to tasting your finds!

Location : Aups

The Olive Harvest

Récolte des olives
For a total immersion in the Provencal tradition, Lou Calen’s gardeners invite you to participate in the olive harvest each morning at the estate. Matured olives may be used in cooking but can also be transformed into so-called “fruity black oil|. Discover the secrets behind this emblematic culture of Provence.

Location : Lou Calen

Cooking Root Vegetables

Cours de cuisine avec Benoit Witz

Lou Calen now offers a cooking class with our fantastic chef! Benoit Witz now invites you into his Jardin Secret restaurant kitchen to learn how to cook these hearty root vegetables. You will leave full of culinary ideas, as well as a hands-on three-course menu for two people… and more precious cooking advice than you could hope for!

Cooking Truffle

Cooking in the hearty company of a great chef is now on offer at Lou Calen! Take an afternoon off and at 3pm venture out truffle hunting in Aups on a dig and demonstration, before returning to Lou Calen to meet chef Benoit Witz in the kitchens of the Jardin Secret restaurant to learn how to make the very best of your delicious black truffles.

Location : Aups, Cotignac

Gathering Saffron

Nestled in the midst of the restanques a unique spice grows naturally. In our region, flowering begins in October and lasts for a month while the harvest reaps rich rewards. Sabine and Jean will guide you and explore more herbs to ensure you fully understand the culture and nature of organic saffron growing.

World food : menu Louisiana

Benoit Witz welcomes guest chef Patrick Périé for a themed evening with a four course menu. With 40 years’ experience across the world, ten of which were spent at the Méridien in New Orléans, this celebrated French chef is back in his homeland and ready to serve a spectacular meal full of delicious discoveries.

Patrick Périé's come back

Exceptional opening of the Jardin Secret restaurant where we will welcome the chef Patrick Périé. With 40 years’ experience across the world, ten of which were spent at the Méridien in New Orléans, this celebrated French chef is back in his homeland and ready to serve a spectacular meal full of delicious discoveries.

Wine & Dine Evening

Get stuck in to the 9th edition of the “Fascinating Week-End” at the Jardin Secret! Our chef Benoit Witz has created an inspired and generous menu made from local and seasonal products, accompanied by the best selection of Provençal wines.

Sunday Brunch

Our chef Benoit Witz and his team welcome you to a sumptuous brunch inspired by the rich tastes of autumn. Be tempted by our delicious dishes crafted from local produce, offering both sweet and savoury. Our idyllic setting is the ideal place to relax with friends or family on an easy autumnal Sunday.