Sixteenth Century House, Carcassonne, South France

Description from the owner

Situated just fifteen minutes from the medieval city of Carcassonne, the second most popular tourist and UNESCO heritage site in France. Also near the Mediterranean and its beaches, and thirty minutes from the Pyranees for walking in the summer and skiing in the winter. The Languedoc is a land of vineyards, castles, wine and festivals...all year round.

The house is in the village of Saint Hilaire where the first sparkling wine in the world was invented in the 15th Century. The largest private vineyard in the village produces Gold award-winning sparkling 'Blanquette' which you can buy in the local shop. The village has an excellent rest...aurant, a boulangerie (bread shop), small supermarket, a pharmacy, a butcher, and a lively cafe. It is surrounded by hills and vineyards and is extremely pretty. There is also a very ancient 10th century Abbey with a cloister and sixteenth century fountain.

The house itself is a house and two barns, one which has been converted and one which is still used for wood and bicycles. Everything you need is there to start your holiday as you walk in the door. The beds are made up, linen and towels are laid out, just open a bottle of wine and relax. There are two double bedrooms,and two single bedrooms. On the ground floor there is a large open living/dining/kitchen with a wood-burning stove. A comfortable chaiselongue, a sofa, and two easy chairs. The kitchen is extremely well-equipped with an electric stove, gas hob, a microwave and a large fridge-freezer. A washroom, bathroom and scullery (with a clothes washer-dryer) is also on the ground floor. Upstairs - as well as the two double bedrooms and two single bedrooms - there is a second bathroom with a walk-in shower. There are heaters and fans in all the bedroom, closets, chest of drawers and bedside tables.

Outside is a small but very pretty garden and a barn where there is a good stock of wood! A barbecue is provided as is a large table and chairs with a parasol for eating outside. The house is cool in the summer as it has shutters which can be kept closed to regulate the heat, and there are also fans in every room. In the winter the woodburning stove and electric heaters keep visitors cosy.

There is high speed wireless internet, a telephone, DVD, TV, Video-player with a library of classic films, games, and a library of books. There are also maps of the area and extensive information on the area. Guest are met by a welcomer who knows the area well, she can give advice on trips and what festivals are coming up. There is a carnival every weekend, every year, from January to March in Limoux, the small town twenty minutes to the south of the village, which has been in existence since the Middle Ages. There is also a large Chardonnay festival at the end of March, music festivals in June and July (all kinds of music) and food and wine festivals in September and October. Summer is an excellent time for white water rafting! The winter is for skiing, both downhill and cross-country.

Getting here:

There are flights into Toulouse International airport which is just one hour away or you can fly into Barcelona and drive up the motorway in three hours. These are the direct trans-Atlantic flights. There are also smaller airports nearby, Carcassonne airport is fifteen minutes away, and flights into Paris and London can connect with flights to this local and extremely convenient airport.

The train from Paris takes around five hours and it's a very pleasant and easy journey.

It's easy to hire a car when you get here, and not expensive. There are many hire car companies at the airport and at the main train station.

Weather:

There is a mixture of climates, from Mediterranean heat in the summer and mild winters to a cooler climate towards the Pyrenees. It can reach 40 centigrade in summer and can go down to -5 in the winter. There is often a cooling breeze from the sea during the summer months which makes this an excellent year-round climate. This area of France has the most sunshine of all France and the lowest rainfall.

Scenery:

Rolling hills and vineyards to the north, gentle hills all around the village, and higher hills and gorges towards the Pyrenees. The UNESCO heritage site the Canal du Midi is fifteen minutes to the north. This seventeenth century canal runs from the Atlantic in the west to the Mediterranean in the east. You can hire boats by the day or the week and sail along it, or just walk along the towpath. Medieval circular villages pepper the hillsides, build of cream stone, with vines and pretty blue shutters. This is the real France and the locals still speak 'Occitan', the ancient language of southern France. The Cathars lived here, and all races and creeds were tolerated by the Ducs of Toulouse. The Troubadours were also from here, famous throughout Europe for their music, poetry, and song.Read more

Additional Location Information

The house is in the village of Saint Hilaire, fifteen minutes south of the medieval city of Carcassonne. The village has around 900 inhabitants and it's famous as being where the first sparkling wine in the world was invented. The medieval village is surrounded by the hills of the Corbieres. To the north is the valley of the Minnervois which is also well known for its wine and good food. To the east (a thirty minute drive on the Deux Mers highway are the sandy beaches of the Mediterranean. The motorway also leads to Barcelona which is only a three hour drive away. Spain is around 1.5 hours drive south. To the south are the Pyrenees which are good for walking, hiking, climbing, kyaking, and white water rafting. To the east is the city of Toulouse, one of the larges and liveliest cities in France. Further north is the Black Mountain and the nature reserve of the Languedoc. This is very beautiful country. On the tops of many of the hills and mountains are the ancient castles of the Cathars.

What Past Guests Are Saying

Overall Rating

• CAROL R
  Toowoon Bay, Australia

  Gorgeous

  Left on 10/25/2012 for a stay in September 2012
  
  

  We had the pleasure of staying in Lizzie's cute home for only 1 week but during our stay we were extremely comfortable and the area is very central to everything we wanted to visit. The village has everything you may require and great for early morning strolls.
  Thank you Lizzie hope to return one day and all your assistance in our enquiries before we arrived.

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  Would you recommend this vacation rental to a friend? Yes

  Recommended for: Friends

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  Response from Lizzie Jackson - 11/29/2012

  

  Lizzie Jackson

  Owner

  
  Thanks so much for leaving this review. Really glad you had such a good time.
  
  
  

• Joan and the Spotty dogs
  Bedale

  Lovely area

  Left on 08/01/2011 for a stay in October 2010
  
  

  Lovely village near the beautiful city of Carcassonne. The area the restaurants and the weather were all wonderful. The house was very well cared for and full of charm. Everything was clean and in working order. The local caretaker was charming and helpful although I did not need to contact her after my initial check in.
  Loved having a log burner and WiFi. Only slight disappointment was the very small outdoor garden area. Would stay there again. My 2 dogs who were with me had a fantastic time walking in in the hills around St. Hilaire

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• Linda
  Lewes

  Great for a reunion

  Left on 05/16/2011 for a stay in February 2011
  
  

  A group of old friends met up in this lovely house and spent happy hours around the woodburner and the dining table, walking along the river, visiting Carcassonne and admiring stunning scenery, drinking lots of blanquette, putting the world to rights and sleeping it off in comfortable beds. Highly recommended!

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  Would you recommend this vacation rental to a friend? Yes

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• Teresa
  London

  A French Idyll

  Left on 04/23/2011 for a stay in February 2011
  
  

  I really enjoyed my stay in this pretty house in St Hilaire. The property was full of rustic character, in a sleepy village, not far from exciting historical places to visit and bathe. I went out of season and was enchanted by everything I experienced both in St Hilaire and in the surrounding area.
  
  The bedrooms in the house were comfortable and pretty, decorated with thought and care. The little walled garden was just perfect for outdoor meals or just sitting in the sun. The wood burning stufa in the sitting room, made the house warm and inviting - a place where you could sit and enjoy the company of friends, in the charming Medieval sitting room, with its winding staircase and shuttered windows.
  
  St Hilarie itself is a piece of forgotten France with winding cobbled streets and little shops tucked away where you can buy delicious French produce. The people are friendly and kind and always happy to point me in the right direction or pass the time of day.
  
  There is even a beautiful restaurant in the village, situated in an old Georgian house, with chandeliers and starched white table cloths - where you can sample the delights of real French cooking.
  
  Not far away is Carcassonne with its castle and spectacular markets. The fascinating town of Limoux is also nearby with is wonderful markets and haunting masked carnival.
  
  I cannot recommend this property enough and thoroughly enjoyed my visit!
  
  

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  Detailed ratings for this rental

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  Would you recommend this vacation rental to a friend? Yes

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  Was this review helpful? Yes