Long term lets (over 1 month) Short-breaks (4 days or less)
Changeover day:
Flexible
Access:
Car advised Nearest amenities: 0.7 km
Notes:
Sorry - no pets allowed Not suitable for children under 5 Not suitable for elderly or infirm No smoking at this property Self-catering
Home description
Deep in the South of France, nestling in the foothills of the French Pyrenees this stone cottage offers spectacular views over the surrounding countryside by day, with the twinkling lights down in the valley to remind you of your elevated position by night. The recent renovation, with exposed beams, expert stone work and tastefull decor contribute to the charm & atmosphere of this village cottage.
Maison de Vigne - character stone cottage with fantastic views.
The lounge with wood burner, through the stone arch to the fully equipped kitchen.
The view from Maison de Vigne looking toward the Pyrenees,
One of our double rooms - they all have stunning views.
To see more photos please visit http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/6485
The Languedoc-Roussillon / Aude region
The cottage is at the centre of the Cathar region with hill top castles and the medieval city of Carcassonne to remind you of the fascinating and often tragic history for which this region is renowned. Just across the valley from the cottage is Rennes le Chateau, centre of a mystery still very much alive with many books written & films made on the subject. The mystery is one of sudden wealth, secret codes and a search for treasure in the latter part of the 19thC. The link with the village is very strong - in 1852 Bérenger Saunière, the priest at the centre of the mystery was born in Montazels. (Just type Montazels into any search engine and take your pick of the many web sites if you wish to delve deeper).
The medieval city of Carcassonne is 40 minutes drive, or why not take the train - a 10 minute walk to the stop from the cottage. Buy your ticket on the train & travel to the heart of the city without the bother of parking. The recent best selling novel Labyrinth, by Kate Mosse features Carcassonne as its setting and her follow up Sepulchre, the nearby Spa village Rennes les Baines.
The town of Mirepoix is also worth a days visit with its medieval marketplace surrounded by bars & restaurants under buildings of great character & beauty. Market Day is Monday. The Spanish border is just 90 minutes away with Barcelona another hour, drive just across the border and take the train from Figares, birthplace and home to a fascinating museum dedicated to Salvador Dali. You can also drive across to Andorra for fantastic scenery, skiing & duty free shopping.
The weather in the Languedoc is very mediterranean with 300 days of sunshine a year claimed. The local rivers, lakes and natural spas provide bathing opportunities plus the coast is just 90minutes away. If skiing is your thing, the nearest resort at 40kms away is Camurac, with 15 slopes, two of which are green, 8 blues, 2 red and 3 black. With 7 ski lifts, 13 snow canons and 14 km of cross-country ski tracks. Buses leave twice a day from Quillan (7kms) during the season. The Languedoc is a land of spectacular scenery, deep gorges, quite villages and vinyards, - as featured in Channel 4 's 'Chateau Monty' now showing on UK TV. Take any road to elevated ground and you will be stunned when you get to the top by the views of the Pyrennees rolling on and on into the distance.
Carcassonne / Montazels area
We have 2 very good restaurants within 15 minutes walk over the river bridge in Couiza. Montazels is also home to La Cave Des Haute d'Aldae, where the excellent local wines can be tasted and bought. Aude en Pyrénées is the crossroads of the Corbieres and the Pyrenees, an ideal location to go hiking with 190km of waymarked trails. For anglers the aude is a Grade 1 trout river just 10 minutes walk from the door, where you can also find mediterranean barbel. While rafters, white water swimmers, and kayakers of all levels of ability are offered the most exceptional water sports in the gorges of the Aude Valley. The mediterranean coast is just an hours drive with interesting villages en route and long stretches of golden sand.Our local spa villages Rennes les Bains and Alet le Bain also offer bathing in hot spa waters containing natural minerals renowned for their curative properties. There are several local freshwater lakes complete with beaches for bathing, the nearest is Arque (7mins. drive). The local markets with vegetables, fruit, regional products & tasty food stalls produce a convivial atmosphere.
How to get there
Fly Ryanair from Stansted, East midlands, Dublin or Liverpool to Carcassonne - from there its just 40 minutes drive to Montazels. Hertz & Eurocar have offices at the airport plus a shuttle bus is provided to the station for a train to Couiza/Montazels (10 minutes walk to the house).New Ryanair routes have been announced from Stansted, Bristol & Luton to Beziers (1¾ hour drive) and Birmingham to Perpignan ( 1 hour drive). Fly Easyjet from Gatwick to Toulouse - 90 minutes drive to the cottage. Other options are Manchester / Stansted to Perpignan (1 hours drive).Gerona in Spain (2,5 hours drive) from Luton/ Bournemouth/ Blackpool/Bristol/Newcastle/ Liverpool,/Stansted/Dublin/Glasgow or East Midlands with either Easyjet or Ryanair.
Ferry/Drive - It takes roughly 12 hours to drive from Boulogne. We have found Speedferries to be the cheapest option with plenty of sailings available and bookable via the intenet.
By Train: From Waterloo to Couiza/Montazels via Paris, Toulouse & Carcassonne by SNCF. There is a taxi service in Couiza.
Nearest Travel Links
Airport:
Carcassonne: 42 km
Railway:
Couiza/Montazels: 0.7 km
Ferry:
St Marlo: 800 km
Activities near Carcassonne
Sports: Tennis in town Watersports Waterpark Horse Riding Golf within 30 mins drive Fishing
Great for: Walking holidays Rural / countryside retreats A winter sun break Cycling holidays
Facilities
Luxuries:
Log fire, Internet access
General:
Central heating, CD player, Telephone, Wi-fi available
Single beds (2), Double beds (2), Cots (1), Dining seating for 6, Lounge seating for 6, Sleeps maximum of 6
Other:
Linen and towels provided. Highchair available.
Outdoors:
Balcony / Terrace
Further details indoors: The cottage sleeps up to 6, with 2 double bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor and a twin room on the top floor, all with spectacular views of the surrounding countryside. A high chair, travel cot & stair gate are provided for the younger visitor. The ground floor kitchen with fridge/freezer, cooker, microwave, toaster, kettle and dishwasher has all you need for a comfortable stay. The large dining room seats 6, and the lounge, which opens onto the terrace, is equipped with a CD player, radio, Ipod docking station and charger, and a library of books & games.
Further details outdoors: Sitting on the south facing terrace with swifts wheeling overhead, enjoying the last rays of the days sun while sipping a glass of wine is an ideal way to end the day. With views to Renne-le-Chateau and Coustaussa Castle on the other side of the valley and, in the distance, the snow topped Pyrenees just visible. We are 10 minutes walk to the river Aude and the neighbouring village of Couiza with bars, hotel, restaurants, supermarket, beauty salon, chemist, organic produce store, bank , post office & of course, estate agents.
Conditions
Enjoy the special welcome that awaits all our guests at Maison de Vigne with a free complimentary bottle of Blanquette de Limoux , the regions very own Champagne.
Rental rates
Rental prices originally quoted in: British £
Convert to:
Period
From
To
Weekly
Nightly rate
Minimum stay
Weekday
Weekend
September
30 Aug 08
27 Sep 08
395£ 395
6060
6060
5 Nights
October
27 Sep 08
1 Nov 08
350£ 350
5555
5555
5 Nights
November/December
1 Nov 08
20 Dec 08
295£ 295
4545
4545
5 Nights
Christmas/New Year
20 Dec 08
4 Jan 09
425£ 425
6565
6565
5 Nights
4 Jan 09
11 Jan 09
195£ 195
0-
0-
1 Week
Jan/Feb
11 Jan 09
15 Feb 09
280£ 280
4040
4040
3 Nights
Feb/March
15 Feb 09
23 Feb 09
420£ 420
6060
6060
6 Nights
23 Feb 09
5 Apr 09
375£ 375
5555
5555
3 Nights
Easter
5 Apr 09
19 Apr 09
420£ 420
7070
7070
5 Nights
April/May
19 Apr 09
31 May 09
375£ 375
5555
5555
5 Nights
June
31 May 09
28 Jun 09
420£ 420
7070
7070
5 Nights
July
28 Jun 09
2 Aug 09
525£ 525
0-
0-
1 Week
August
2 Aug 09
30 Aug 09
560£ 560
0-
0-
1 Week
September
30 Aug 09
4 Oct 09
420£ 420
7070
7070
5 Nights
October
4 Oct 09
1 Nov 09
375£ 375
5555
5555
5 Nights
141
The owner's weekend rates apply to: Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights
NB: Prices may be subject to change at the owner's discretion.
Payment can be made by either Bank Transfer, Sterling cheque, Euro cheque or Paypal.
The rental price is for up to 6 people.
Electricity and Gas are included in the summer months May - October. We charge at cost price by meter reading from the beginning of November to the end of April.
There is a charge of £45 for cleaning and laundry.
The rent plus a £150 breakage deposit, is payable 8 weeks before the booking commences. The deposit will be refunded, within 2 weeks of departure.
For bookings shorter than a week please ask for rates.
Changeover days are flexible. To allow time for change over, the earliest arrival time is 3:00 pm and the house should be vacated by 11:00 am on day of departure.
Guestbook
I can safely say the house was the nicest place we have stayed in. The decor, excellent renovation, comfort, location, welcome champagne, maps and information, wood burning stove, library, friendly neighbours, tranquillity, and friendly cat all added greatly to our holiday.Thank you.Rob & Michelle
Just back from Montazels - had a great time, fantastic weather - cold but sunny great for climbing up every castle there was!! Managed to do some tobogganing and caving - all in one week. House great and had good New Years meal in Le Carnotzet. Nina.
First, our thanks for a great week, we loved the house. It was the first time in SW France for both of us, but we'll definitely be back. And it's certainly the first time we've rented a house that had a double CD of Memphis Minnie as well as 'Kind of Blue'. Ged & Bigid
Five wonderful days, beautiful scenery, wonderful area and a privilege to stay in such a lovely house. The neighbours (and their cat) made it a break to remember. Sarah & Richard.
Want to stay forever - thank you for letting us stay in your lovely welcoming house. We came to find the treasure and realised that it was here, within! Steve & Debbie.
We had a wonderful time in your lovely cottage and will definitely recommend it. The cottage is actually bigger than it appears on the web site, and prettier too! - Lydia & Alun
Availability notes
To see availability please visit http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/6485
Click to view availability for this property.
Contact owner
To contact this owner please visit: http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/6485
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