This is a quiet 200 year old two-storey village house situated in the centre of Azille with a shady and private courtyard facing the 14th century church of St Julien and St Basilisse and there are shops and a cafe 200m from the property. Azille is five minutes from Le Redorte, Homps, Pepieux, Rieux and 10 minutes from Olonzac. It is also 30 minutes from Carcassone airport from where you can catch a Ryanair plane for an hour's flight to Stansted.
The accommodation (which would comfortably sleep 6) is on three floors and comprises three double bedrooms, two bathrooms (with shower cubicles, not baths) dining room, sitting room, breafkasting room, kitchen and cloakroom. The kitchen and sitting room open onto the court which makes for a pleasant summer dining area with table and six chairs. There is ample parking in a square outside the house.
Azille is built on a hill with views over vineyards and olive groves to the Black Mountain, the Canal du Midi and the foothills of the Pyrenees. It is equidistant between the town of Narbonne on the Roman Via Domitia and Carcassone with its imposing medieaval walled Cite.
Languedoc is one of the least expensive areas of France with the hottest and driest climate. The region is renowned for its fine wines and grastonomy and is steeped in a rich historical culture stretching back over 2000 years. The welcoming market town of Narbonne is brimming with shops, cafes and restaurants, and historical interest.
The wines of the Minervois and Languedoc are now well respected and free tastings are always available. Vineyards and Caves are the village's main livelihood of which there are three within five minutes walk, one of which is always winning gold medals for their wines (Chateau Guery). More wine is produced in Languedoc-Roussillon than any other place in the world. The vineyards, started in the Roman era and producing red, white and rosé wine, begin in the Narbonne area, run past Béziers (the wine marketing centre for the region) and on to Montpellier.
The Canal du Midi which meanders along the southern boundary of the Village is a tranquil waterway, largely abandoned by commerce, which connects the Atlantic with the Mediterranean. It runs through the sleepy village of Castelnaudary, famous for its cassoulet, past the citadel of Carcassonne and on through Montpellier.
Great seafood is to be had along the coast, particularly at Sete and Port Vendres. There are numerous good and local restaurants within 15 minutes of the house.
A trip into the Pyrenees takes you into the heart of 'Cathar Country' with its dramatic scenery of mountains, gorges and castles, made famous by the novels The Da Vinci Code and Labyrinth. In winter there is also skiing - the best local resort is Bonascre at Ax-les-Thermes - just over an hour away. Or, you could head east for an hour to the coast of the Mediterranean and the beaches of Valras-Plage or La Franqui.
Attractions in the area:
• Sample local aperitifs e.g. Nolly Pratt in Marseillan, Cathagena in Puicheric and Byrrh in Thuir (near Perpignan).
• Wine tastings at numerous estates.
• The Black Mountain forms the southern tip of the Massif Central which is great walking country and there are some
20,000 km trails in the Haute Languedoc regional park alone
• Canoeing (in Puicheric), along the crystal clear waters of the rivers Orb, Cesse and Aude
• Splashing under the waterfall at the ancient village of Roquebrun
• A working roman amphora factory has been execavated at Salleles
• Hire a canal barge at Trebes which is only 20 minutes away
• Lac de Jouarres is only 10 minutes away by cycle.
• The long sandy Mediterranean beaches are half an hours' drive away.
• The medieval fortified city of Carcassonne
• Cathar castles of Queribus and Peyrepertuse.
• Roman remains in Nimes,
• the famous Pont du Gard; stunning gorges, grottoes, canyons
• Gruissan, a beautifully landscaped resort full of flowers, palm trees and laurier rose bushes, with a chic new marina, old
port, and pink flamingos.
• The Yellow Train will give you wonderful scenery