Brioude holiday cottage rental, Vals le Chastel with walking, log fire, rural retreat, DVD

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Forest edge gite (cottage)

Home description

The cottage is of typical Auvergnat construction, with thick walls to keep it cool in the summer. Outside, the garden offers a wonderful view over the castle, and from here it is only a very short walk to the banks of the Doulon river, a beautiful spot where you can paddle and picnic. Better swimming is available in Vielle Brioude at La Bageasse or in Paulhaguet, at the "beach" along the river Senouire at La Fridiere.

The cottage	Partial view of the kitchen
The lounge and dining area	Master bedroom

To see more photos please visit http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/12124

The Limousin / Auvergne / Haute-Loire region

The Auvergne, which encompasses much of the Massif Central, is perhaps the least known region of France. With two large national parks - the dramatic Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne and its tamer neighbour the Parc Naturel Régional des Livradois-Forez - it is almost entirely unspoiled and is the largest environmentally protected area of France. The many extinct volcanoes that dimple the landscape make the region a strange, but enigmatically beautiful place. There are also spectacular gorges, lakes, streams, rivers and vast forests.

The Haute-Loire has a continental climate, with hot summers and cold winters. Spring and Autumn are also very pleasant times to visit with reasonably warm and sunny weather, starting in late April and lasting through to mid-October (although do be prepared for some rain during these periods!).

Brioude / Vals le Chastel area

Very exciting for us and for the region, our nearby town of Brioude has the enormous honour of hosting the departure of Stage 7 of the Tour de France 2008. Not only that, 3 other stage Departs and Finishes of the Tour are within a 2 hour drive of the house; Super Besse, Aurillac and Saint Etienne. Another at Figeac is approximately 3 hours away.

Cycling, both road and off road (or ‘VTT’ in France) is excellent, with many existing trails close by. Similarly to rambling, off road cycling means almost anywhere within reason as long as it’s done sensibly and with consideration to other people’s property. Road racing is of course very popular in France and the local winding roads which climb high into the hills are ideal for this. Needless to say the descents are pretty exhilerating too!

The area also provides wonderful walking country – the general rule is that you can ramble anywhere that isn’t specifically signposted as private. There are scores of walk leaflets and books on the shelves in the house, with suggested routes varying in distance and difficulty, and for the most part ‘balisage’ (waymarking) is pretty good. The PR 410 (Petite Randonée) - Robe de Bure et Cotte du Maille - goes through the village.

For the less active, there are many places close by to visit, such as Lavaudieu (officially classified as one of France’s most beautiful villages) with it’s Abbey and museum, the moving Museum of French Resistance and the magnificent ruins of Domeyrat castle which each summer holds jousting festivals. In the village itself are feudal ruins and 15th century secular frescoes in its chapel (although not generally open the key is available from the house next door to the chapel!).

The ancestral château and birthplace of the Marquis de Lafayette, (who fought with George Washington for American independence, and was a key figure in the early phases of the French Revolution) is within 20 minutes of cottage and 2007 marked the 250th anniversary of the birth of the Marquis.

Slightly further afield are Chaise-Dieu with it’s summer music festival, and the old city of Le Puy en Velay with it’s buildings set atop the lava cores of ancient volcanoes. Clermont Ferrand and of course all the surrounding Puys, the thermal spa town of Chatel-Guyon and the source of Volvic are all about an hour away.

The Gorges d’Allier is within a very short drive, with rock-climbing and white-water canoeing on offer. For the less adventurous, the tourist train from Langeac takes the scenic route along the gorge.

How to get there

Vals le Chastel is an easy 2½ hour drive from the airports at both Rodez and Lyon. Most major hire car companies serve both airports but must be booked in advance. Other airports within closer reach (although currently not with direct UK flights) are Clermont Ferrand and St Etienne

It is approximately an 8 hour drive from the English Channel, mostly on autoroutes. This makes it driveable in a day from anywhere in south-east England. Alternatively, there are very many pleasant areas en route in which to stopover should you prefer to break the journey

Activities near Brioude

Facilities

Further details indoors:
On the ground floor of the house is a large living dining area with DVD and video, a hi-fi, comfortable sofa and chairs, and a wood burning stove built into the stone fireplace. There is a well equipped kitchen with dual-fuel cooker, fridge and freezer. Off the kitchen is a bathroom with shower cubicle, and a washing machine, and also a separate toilet.

On the first floor are two very large bedrooms. The main room has a king size bed; the other room has 2 small double beds with plenty of room for another roll-away single bed to be added if needed.

Further details outdoors:
Outside, the L-shaped garden is south-west facing and gets the sun almost all day. Sun loungers and table and chairs are provided, along with a barbecue for guests to use.

Further details

Cycles are available to hire, payable locally - please advise when booking

A small welcome pack is available on arrival, and an English speaking representative is close by.

Please note: if you are looking to rent the house during the winter and early spring months, although the house does have a woodburning stove and portable heaters, it is not centrally heated and therefore may not be as warm in the house at this time as some people may be used to!

Conditions

Although smokers are welcome to stay at the house, we do ask that you smoke outside !

Rental rates

Period	From	To	Weekly	Nightly rate		Minimum  stay
				Weekday	Weekend
1 Jan 08 - 19 April 08	19 Mar 08	20 Apr 08	275£  217	0-	0-	1 Week
20 Apr 08 - 04 Jul 07	20 Apr 08	4 Jul 08	400£  315	0-	0-	1 Week
05 Jul - 29 Aug 08	9 Jul 08	23 Aug 08	475£  374	0-	0-	1 Week
23 Aug - 24 Oct 08	23 Aug 08	25 Oct 08	375£  295	0-	0-	1 Week
25 Oct - 31 Dec 08	25 Oct 08	1 Jan 09	275£  217	0-	0-	1 Week

NB: Prices may be subject to change at the owner's discretion.
Linen and towels provided for first 2 persons, and at 7,50€ per additional person per week

A non-refundable deposit of 25% of the total cost is to be paid on acceptance of the booking, with the remainder to be paid at least 6 weeks prior to the commencement of the holiday. We accept payments by Sterling cheque or bank transfer in Euros

Guestbook

Mr & Mrs A Jones - Jul 06

Availability notes

To see availability please visit http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/12124

Contact owner

To contact this owner please visit: http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/12124

Contact details for home 12124 Please mention Holiday Lettings
Name:	Julia & Danny Corr
Languages:
Contact Notes: By enquiry from this site
Advertiser joined: 18 Sep 2006 This property added: 18 Sep 2006

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