It started as a dream: a place of leisure and pleasure in the hills between Provence and the Côte d'Azur, close enough to be accessible but otherwise a world away. Terre Blanche has been, at various times, a noble family's redoubt and a movie star's vacation retreat. Today, Terre Blanche Hotel Spa Golf Resort is a tribute to the vision and perseverance of Dietmar Hopp, a German entrepreneur and golf enthusiast who fell in love with the property in the 1990s and developed it into an all-inclusive luxury experience, where nature and nurture combine. In the words of Dietmar, "Terre Blanche is like an oasis, and a stay here is soothing to the soul."
There is, in fact, a mystical quality to Terre Blanche. Facing the perched village of Tourrettes at the far southeastern edge of Provence, the 750-acre site looks and feels like a private evergreen forest. Low buildings of pale stucco and local terracotta tiles blend into the landscape. All accommodation is on a human scale, in villas or suites connected by walkways planted with rosemary, sage and thyme. Spread out above and below are places to play, relax, eat and mingle—all with generous outdoor areas to take advantage of the south of France's near-perfect weather, and all with stunning views of the surrounding countryside and the foothills of the Alps on the horizon.
Terre Blanche is like an oasis, and a stay here is soothing to the soul.
Whatever their reasons for coming to Terre Blanche in the first place, guests invariably leave having found something more. Sports enthusiasts who were attracted primarily by Terre Blanche's two championship courses and state-of-the-art training center find that the resort is also the perfect base from which to explore the artisanal and sensual beauties of the land in which it lies. Beckoning guests to discover "undiscovered Provence," Terre Blanche offers a rich menu of bespoke experiences, from visits to the perfume town of Grasse and the porcelain capital of Fayence, just a few minutes away, to tastings at wine cellars, olive-oil mills and restaurants known only to local insiders.
Seekers of well-being and refreshment who are lured by Terre Blanche's standalone, two-story spa cannot help but be equally tempted by the resort's gastronomic offerings, from the Michelin-starred Le Faventia to the grill, Le Tousco, next to the infinity pool. And children, who often arrive as the junior partners in a family vacation planned by the adults, find that Terre Blanche is a place they can spread their wings and call their own. The resort's extensive Kids' Club and teen programs make full use of Terre Blanche's facilities and also give kids their own spaces, including their own poolside restaurant, Le Pitchoun, where the menu is Mediterranean and the choice is all theirs.