The Domaine Les Pailles, well known for both its four gourmet restaurants and its international conference centre, offers breathtaking sceneries to transient visitors. In order to make the most of these landscapes, there is nothing like a train ride across the estate. A guided tour...

Nestled between the motorway and the mountain ranges, the Domaine Les Pailles is as popular with gourmets as it is with nature lovers. Located ten minutes from the capital and its hustle and bustle, the estate is a real haven of peace where one can relax. The estate which spreads over several hectares, houses four restaurants, a museum and an international conference centre. It is a place where man and nature have combined their forces to preserve the beauty of the landscapes.

Visible from the main entrance, a red sheet structure, embellished with an old stone chimney, attracts the eye. It is actually an open-air museum which goes back over the sugar cane history. The activities of the first sugar industry employees are reproduced and how the sugar was obtained. An ox, yoked to a press, turns over and over to extract cane juice that produces sugar once heated in vats.

Just opposite a few kids joyfully leap around the swimming pool of the Dolce Vita, an Italian style restaurant. The specialty of the house is obviously pizzas and pastas. Every week, the interior design, simple and elegant, attracts families who want to have a nice time whilst enjoying healthy and refined food. As one of the employees suggests, it is often rented out for birthday and private parties. "The clientele likes the setting of the restaurant," revealed one of the waiters. Indeed, wherever you look, you'll invariably see the clouds that sometimes caress the peak of the mountains. A breathtaking view.