Join us on our next "classic" adventure in Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire, France

a french Chateau vol 2

4 nights accommodation in a beautiful French Castle 14-18th May
Full programme of teachings & photo masterclasses
Build connections with like-minded souls
Endless, round the clock flow of shooting to enhance your portfolio
Fun exercises and meaningful inputs to guide you
Full board of delicious food made by our Parisian Chef Anna

Connect, learn and create!

We are excited to announce that we will be hosting our next photography retreat in Cose-Cours-sur-Loire, France 14th - 18th May 2026.

We have been absolutely IN LOVE with everything about our last "Chateau retreat", so we couldn't resist to re-create this fabulous recipe for pure joy:

We will be hosting this classic retreat in another beautiful 17th century French Chateau, hidden within four hectares of beautiful countryside. The castle is bursting with character — dreamy rooms, high ceilings and huge windows which will be the most interesting canvas for our photography. In addition to the charming interiors, the house has a huge garden and a swimming pool. We have our wonderful private chef Anna cooking up some classic French dishes to keep us feeling energised and nourished throughout our stay.

We can’t wait to welcome you!

Our beautiful French chateau is located near a small commune called Cose-Cours-sur-Loire, in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in France. Paris Charles De Gaulle is around 2 hours by car.

What to expect

In an increasingly digital world, our retreats offer creatives the opportunity to actually work together face to face, to collaborate creatively, challenge each other in new ways and create a ton of new work. The retreats offer a fully immersive experience from morning to night.

Over the course of four nights and five days Chantal and Lena invite you to a communal creative space where you can learn, share knowledge and experience, eat homemade meals and come away with new ideas and a fresh approach to your photography. The retreat involves three masterclasses, shooting demonstrations and lots of activities and exercises that aim to teach you about the technical and the artistic side.

For those who want to learn more about shooting film we have a dedicated Fundamentals of Film session, where we teach you everything to get started. Shooting Portraits and Self-Portraits on Film are the main focus in both our body of work and will be central in our other masterclasses. Aside from hopefully inspiring and motivating inputs, there will be plenty of time to relax and have a beautiful conversation, explore the surrounding nature or try out the tennis court or the swimming pool.

These get-togethers are designed for any level of photographer, film or digital - whether you are a complete beginner looking to learn the basics, or an advanced photographer looking to find new inspiration and meet new people. Our retreats offer time spent away from one’s normal life, to take refuge, to ignite that creative spark.

Included in the cost of your retreat ticket:

A full programme of planned activities, masterclass teaching sessions and shoot demonstrations
Full board accommodation in our beautiful chateau (mainly shared rooms and plenty of shared bathrooms)
All food and drink for the duration of your stay cooked by our private chef — this includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and some alcoholic drinks.
Special gifts from Chantal and Lena
Discounted film development by Southsun Film Lab

Dates & Timings

We will officially start our adventure on Thursday 14th May at 2pm but you are welcome to arrive anytime between 12 and 2pm to get relaxed and unpacked in the house or explore the grounds and get shooting! The first day we’ll start with some gentle introductions to get us into the shooting mode and we’ll then start with our first masterclass session later in the afternoon. The official end of the retreat is Monday 18th May when we are all required to check out in the morning by 10am.

Food

All food and drink is included with your ticket price. We have our private chef, Anna, cooking for us so expect a delicious, French inspired menu. For breakfast we will prepare a help yourself style continental style brunch of cereals, fruits, bread and local meats and cheeses. We will provide lots of vegetarian options and some meat dishes to ensure all needs are catered for. We supply a small amount of alcohol for each evening meal but we usually suggest that those who would like can bring a bottle of their choice for the group and we all share. Please let us know of any allergies or dietary requirements you may have in advance so that we can plan the menu accordingly.

Cost and how to buy your ticket..

The cost of the retreat is CHF 1750 per person and includes everything that is listed above.

If you are ready to book you will need to make a deposit of 750CHF (with the remaining 1000CHF to be paid 4 weeks prior to the retreat). Of course you can pay the full ticket already if you wish.

To do this please send an email to sayhi@closerhearts.co telling us a bit about yourself, your photography journey and why you would like to join us on the retreat.

If we feel you're at the right place with us we will send you an invoice to pay your ticket through CHF bank transfer. For UK people it's possible to pay in £.

Once we have received your deposit or full ticket you will get a confirmation email from us and your place is confirmed!

There is also the option to pay in instalments, just let us know, we are happy to accommodate your needs.

Please bear in mind that the deposit is non-refundable (full Ts&Cs here).

contact us!

any more questions that you didn't find in our FAQ's? don't hesitate to send an email to sayhi@closerhearts.co !