On Monday 16 March 2026, the Château de la Ballue was honoured and proud to receive the Culture and Heritage Award at the 3rd edition of the Ille-et-Vilaine Tourism Stars. The awards ceremony took place during a splendid event in the new reception venue at Domaines des Ormes, in Dol-de-Bretagne.
Launched two years ago by six leading figures in the department’s economy (Crédit Agricole, Cerfrance Brocéliande, the Ille-et-Vilaine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Gîtes de France association in Brittany, UMIH 35 and UMIH Côte d’Emeraude), this initiative aims to recognise tourism stakeholders in the Ille-et-Vilaine region who make a significant contribution to the area’s attractiveness.
Indeed, the tourism sector, which is particularly well-developed in the department, attracts 26 million visitors a year. Creating an award to recognise innovative and promising projects by local tourism stakeholders was therefore a logical step.
Following the review of 70 applications, Château de la Ballue was awarded the Culture and Heritage prize, recognising the twenty-one years of work by its owners towards the preservation and restoration of this historic monument, an emblematic part of Brittany’s heritage.
This award recognises an establishment that is firmly committed to providing a high-quality service and constantly striving to improve its tourism offering. It celebrates the excellence of the experience offered to visitors – both in its guest rooms and its ‘Jardins Remarquables’ – to a clientele from both France and abroad.
Four other projects representative of the richness and diversity of the tourism sector were also recognised: the Young Enterprise Award was presented to the inn ‘Les filles en bottes’ in Saint-Georges-de-Reintembault, the Life Journey Award went to the Fougères Watchmaking Workshop and Museum, the Regional Influence Award went to the company “Les craquelins de Saint-Malo”, and the Favourite Award was presented to the Cherrueix marine train.
