Why our volunteers wanted to escape to the chateau!
Château de Riolas welcomes volunteers from around the world through the largest and safest online community for cultural work-exchange called Workaway. I am Sophie, and I’m happy to introduce you to some of my team.
As volunteers, we stay from two weeks to several months and work 5 hours a day, 5 days a week in exchange for accommodation (in a beautiful setting) with meals included. It is an authentic cultural experience, where we are included in the community and regularly invited to community events in surrounding hamlets and towns, night and day markets, and all kinds of exciting events — meaning, as Workaway volunteers, we are fully immersed in French country life and its traditions. Spending the weekdays around the château and on the grounds, as well as the weekends exploring the region and neighboring countries is unique and a great way to travel.
There is so much to do in a 19th century home and the projects are endless! Transforming this historic property into a luxurious retreat, and a bed and breakfast, is a significant undertaking. Alongside the factotum, Serge, and groundskeeper, Michel, the Workaway team has made a real difference to the restoration journey. As volunteers we contribute to various tasks such as wallpapering, plastering and painting rooms, building storage systems, restoring old iron gates, garden maintenance, laundry organization, cooking and housekeeping, drafting architectural plans, designing interior spaces, photography, and creating inspired content for social media. We do it all.
Volunteers come from all over the world and are a range of ages, from 21 to a whole lot more, making for great conversation at the dinner table. This exchange has fostered a unique experience of mutual support and friendship, as volunteers help restore the chateau and the owners open their home to the world. Château de Riolas, built by many hands over centuries, continues to thrive through the efforts and care of many. It is a place rich with stories, offering peace and a sense of home to all who visit.
Here are some Workaway volunteers & their stories!
Meet Liska
Liska, originally from Paris, then, after graduate studies in Grenoble (French Alps), joined the team in March 2024 and is still here as of this writing! Liska not only brings energy and laughter to the château, but an exquisite horse, Ébène, who lives in the château’s Stables with local horse Lungo, who belongs to our neighboring château. Liska brings equine expertise to the team along with meal planning, laundry organization, innovative up-cycling hacks and agricultural maintenance.
What drew you to the château? After leaving my previous marketing role, I was looking for an alternative lifestyle where I could have new life experiences with Ébène, my horse. I came across the Château de Riolas’ profile on Workaway after searching with a few horse and location filters. The owners were very excited for me to come with Ébène, and I knew it was the right opportunity.
What is your favorite thing about being here? I love the management style of the château’s owners. They always make sure you feel useful and are so grateful for the work that you do. They help you to see your potential and worth. They want you to feel valued.
Meet Kye
Kye, from Australia, joined the team in July and is here for 5 weeks. Kye is a skilled conversationalist, a jack of all trades, and up for anything. You’ll probably find him sanding down the rusty gates, organizing tools in the garage, jet washing the pool cover or helping Liska wash the horses. Ready for anything and a true free spirit, Kye brings a ray of Aussie sunshine to the château.
What drew you to the château? I’ve done many Workaway stays but I hadn’t previously done one in France. When researching, the château stood out to me as a social work exchange in a unique location which I knew from previous workaways was my favorite formula for a great trip.
What is your favorite thing about being here? My favorite thing is getting to be part of a new and unique community, making your mark on this incredible historical structure, and in turn helping the château’s owners with their journey.
Meet Sinéad
Sinéad is from County Donegal in Ireland. Sinéad arrived in early July and is here for 6 weeks. Our unsung hero, Sinéad is always hard at work making sure all of our guests and workaway volunteers have clean sheets and towels, their rooms are sparkling, and they enjoy some good craic (Irish for a good time) at the dinner table!
What drew you to the château? I wanted to experience château life in rural France and when I went looking on Workaway, the Château de Riolas came up, their profile, what they were doing and their excellent reviews from other Workaway volunteers drew me towards them.
What is your favorite thing about being here? The atmosphere, the culture in the château and meeting the locals. I love getting to know their friends and the workaway volunteers that come from all over the world. We have a very diverse and multi-cultural Workaway community and it’s good craic like. I love having a good laugh and playing games (like pétanque!) with the group.
Meet Gunay & Francesco
Gunay is a social media phenom, originally from Azerbaijan, and her partner, Francesco, is a doctor (MD) from Italy. They now live in Rome. Life and souls of the party, they are always around for a laugh and great conversation about food. They both get are the first to volunteer with outdoor work in the garden (weeding, jet washing, sanding the gates…), while making exceptional social media videos of our volunteers and what we get up to.
What drew you both to the château? Firstly, we were drawn to the Château de Riolas because it is a French château and we were so intrigued! Then we saw the reviews from other Workaway volunteers that were amazing, so we knew it would be a great experience.
What is your favorite thing about being here? The people are amazing. Having breakfast, lunch and dinner together, it feels like a big family. We also like being in the countryside, away from busy towns and taking a break from technology.
I’m Sophie
I’m from South London, and here for 3.5 weeks. I have loved French Châteaux since watching the UK TV show “Escape to the Chateau” and being able to volunteer at Château de Riolas is a dream come true. You’ll find me helping out with odd jobs in the garden, laundry room and kitchen, but I spending most of my time helping with the website.
Why was I drawn to the château? Having always loved French Châteaux, it has been a dream of mine to live the château life! Château de Riolas is in a part of France I’d never been to before and looked idyllic, so I knew I had to take the opportunity.
What is my favorite thing about being here? My favorite thing is the lifestyle. Getting involved with projects that provide my team, and me, with so much satisfaction, and then all sitting round the table at lunch under the willow tree for a delicious lunch of local produce. Just perfection.
Meet Ruby & Zac
Ruby and Zac have come all the way from Perth in Western Australia to volunteer at Château de Riolas. Ruby has green fingers and will always be found in the garden weeding or looking after the flowers, she is also helping out Sinead with the mountain of château cleaning and laundry. Zac is a lover of all things history, food, gardening, and how to make the most of what you’ve got. He is helping use horse manure for keeping the roses fresh & using our homemade compost to enrich the grounds of the château.
What drew you both to the château? We were initially seeking an authentic French experience and the images of the château hooked us, the beautiful landscapes and architecture was unmatched. The Château de Riolas offered a chance to experience a day in its social, busy and fun life, and the opportunity to demonstrate our unique skills and learn new ones.
What is your favorite thing about being here? Getting to share this experience with all the other amazing Workaway volunteers, the walking trails, the social experiences outside of work and of course, the FOOD!
Meet Charlotte
Charlotte is from Amsterdam, in The Netherlands, and joined Workaway after being inspired by her son (she has now done over 20 Workaway projects)! She has many talents but the one which brought her to Château de Riolas is her sewing skills. Over a two week period, Charlotte will be making curtains for some of the château rooms. Charlotte brings a creative energy to the team and we are very lucky to have such a talented Workaway volunteer among us.
What drew you to the château? One of the owners found me on Workaway because I made curtains for a 12th century castle nearby and had a review about my work. The owner wrote to me and invited me to come out to make some curtains for her château!
What is your favorite thing about being here? It is a lovely crowd and everyone is really welcoming. It’s nice to do it with a group of workawayer volunteers, as a team, as my previous experiences have been solitary or with a very small group (1 or 2) of people.
There are of course so many more volunteer stories from previous months, so take a look at our Instagram for lots of amazing content and château experiences about everyone who has spent time at Château de Riolas. The owners have opened up their home to so many people, and we can speak for everyone when we say we are so appreciative to have had this opportunity. Not only is the château one of outstanding beauty but the community it has created makes it one of the best châteaux in France.
-Sophie
