In one of the sunniest regions of France, amongst endless vineyards and wineries, and sat between the sea and mountains, this village house has been lovingly renovated in line with the romantic character and rustic charm of its natural old stone walls and timber beams.
Natural sunlight filters year-round into the airy open plan ground floor, three double bedrooms, and a private walled courtyard. It's ideal for all seasons - cosy in the Winter and cool in the Summer.
The open plan ground floor provides the ideal sociable holiday living and is reached by balustraded steps from the sunny walled courtyard equipped with BBQ, large parasol, patio chairs and four small tables (which can be put together to form one larger one).
There are delightful views over the river from all bedrooms as well as the dining and kitchen areas. The glass fronted raised fireplace provides a focal point in the living room (also glimpsed from the dining area) and is linked to under floor ducts to bring warm air into the kitchen and dining areas in the Winter. We've got fully stocked book shelves from which you can borrow a book during your stay, as well as board/card games, and a TV with both English cable and French channels.
You'll find a fully equipped kitchen in rustic oak with reclaimed tile surfaces, which includes an island induction hob, oven, microwave, dishwasher and fridge/freezer. It's also well stocked with automatic coffee maker and 'French Press'. pots, pans, crockery and cutlery to make your stay as convenient as possible. In the kitchen you'll find an old English dining table with seats for two people to enjoy an intimate meal, or you can sit there and talk to the 'chef' as we often like to do.
The dining room has a large farmhouse-style table that seats eight comfortably, and provides views onto the living room.
On the first floor there are two large double bedrooms with views over the river and skylights with remote control blackout blinds. The main bedroom has an en-suite bathroom with a dressing area, shower, and WC. And in the hallway you'll find a further bathroom with traditional claw-foot bath tub and WC.
On the second floor there is a third large bedroom with two single beds, which can also serve as a 2nd living area as the beds can be folded into arm chairs.
The medieval village is a genuinely friendly rural community. People live here all year round and enjoy chatting to each other. Every now and then you'll hear authentic "Allo Allo" announcements though loud speakers announcing that a fish seller or chimney sweep will be in town that afternoon, for example. There are the usual small shops a tiny epicerie for essentials, a fantastic boulangerie with bread made throughout the day, a pharmacy, and cafe as well as a mobile pizza van that sets up shop in the middle of the village square twice a week.
Larger supermarkets and wonderful local restaurants are all within 10 minutes drive.
We recommend renting a car during your stay as you'll want to take advantage of your location to explore the area. Surrounded by a scenic river and hillside walking, vineyards, markets, medieval villages and other historic buildings, there are also Mediterranean beaches and stunning mountains trails within 20 minutes drive. Just 15-minutes drive is Pezenas described in the Rough Guide as “one of the singularly most beautiful towns in the French south west, endowed with an almost overwhelming concentration of grand architecture”. You'll be hard pressed to find anywhere as stunning for walks as the "Gorges d'Heric", or a village as distinct with magnificent gorge views as the medieval Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert. And if you're a cyclist you'll be in for a treat with the views and well maintained roads, you'll be sure to challenge yourself and discover unique corners. Ahead of your trip we'll send you a welcome pack with information about the house and ideas of places to visit locally, and we're also happy to make recommendations if you'd like something specific.
There is easy access to airports within a 45 minute-2 hr drive served primarily by Ryanair, Air France, EasyJet, and British Airways including Montpellier, Beziers, Toulouse, Perpignan, and Carcassonne. Barcelona is 4-hours away by car and has regular flights if you want to enjoy Spain and France.
The fast train from Paris to Montpellier is only 3.5 hours and rental cars are available at the train station in addition to the airport.