Castelnou - Gite médiéval

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Gite |3 bedrooms |Sleeps 5

Castelnou in Ille sur Tet

From £315 per week |  From £65 per night

3 nights minimum stay

Changeover flexible

4 out of 5

1 review | Write a review

Key info  Balcony/terrace, car advised, private garden, may take pets - please enquire

About the home

It’s like stepping back in time when you enter the village of Castelnou through it’s 14th Century archway, with numerous artisan’s shops and restaurant’s and wander through and on to the 10th Century castle.

During the sympathetic renovation of the gite, there have been numerous architectural features retained which date back to the 13th Century. These include pillars, arches and a font, reputably taken from the castle when it was badly destroyed in the 16th Century!

The property houses 5 comfortably within 3 bedrooms and benefits from a beautiful courtyard / terrace to the front which overlooks the village rooftops and countryside below. It’s just a great place to sit, dine or relax and watch the world go by.

Facilities

Further details indoors:
Accommodation in the house is arranged over three floors with the ground floor containing the wooden floored open-plan main living area, with large leather sofa, TV, DVD player and a large log-fire (for those winter evenings). The kitchen area is raised slightly above the sitting area, and has been designed so that meals can be prepared and not miss out on the lively discussion with the rest of the group in the sitting area.

Stairs from the living area lead up to the first floor level, where the bedrooms are arranged. The first double bedroom with exposed wood floors, stone walls and views over the valley, comes complete with it’s own dressing room and bathroom (with w.c). It is arranged over two levels so that the dressing room and bathroom are on the first floor and a set of stairs lead to the mezzanine where the double bedroom can be found.

The other two bedrooms are located towards the front of the property and share a nicely proportioned and centrally located shower room (with w.c.). The second double room is spacious and has wide ranging views over the village through it’s arched window. The single room is small but well planned. It should be noted that as is typical for village houses, this room does not have a window, but lighting has been designed to create a cozy place to sleep or rest during the hot summer days.

Suitable for both winter and summer breaks, the gite has electric heating in all rooms when required and is ideally located near to the market town of Thuir which is one of the wine-making centres of the region, and well worth a visit during your stay to sample the wines on offer.

Further details outdoors:
The beautiful courtyard / terrace to the front overlooks the village rooftops and the countryside below. It is fully equipped with table, chairs, sun loungers and a Barbecue. It’s just a great place to sit, dine or relax and watch the world go by.

This is an ancient village with no cars in the centre of the village. However this house has 2 parking places in front of the house (available for anyone to use). If the spaces are not available you can drop, luggage and shopping and park free in the Castle car park (150m).

Further details

Prices include all utilities (gas, electric, oil and water), and the use of bedding and towels during your stay, there is nothing else to pay.

Conditions

All our prices include all utilities (gas, electric and water), bed linen and towels.

Reductions are available for longer term bookings of two weeks or more outside of the high season and short breaks are pro-rated on the weekly price but there is an additional charge to cover change-out and laundry costs.

Visitors should normally arrive after 1600hrs. Departures should normally be before 1100hrs. These times can be modified by prior arrangement.

Midweek arrivals and short stays are available all through the year. Please check our website for short-stay prices (Click on owners website link at bottom of page).

Bookings must be confirmed by payment of a 25% non-refundable deposit. The remainder of the payment must be paid one month prior to arrival. Payments can be made by direct to our UK or French accounts in Sterling or Euros. Alternatively you can by pay by PayPal using credit/debit card, or by cheque or cash (small admin charge applies).

Photos

 

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Courtyard dining in the evening

 

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Views across rooftops and countryside below

 

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Spacious sitting room shares split level open plan area with Kitchen on

 

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Mezzanine bedroom has it's own dressing room and bathroom

The Languedoc-Roussillon / Pyrenees-Orientales region

Languedoc-Roussillon is perfectly positioned between the Mediterranean to the east where the beautiful sandy beaches provide long days by the sea, and the Pyrenees to the west, which offer a wealth of walking and cycling opportunities, not to mention skiing in the winter!

This region is a delight; lush green scenery with Mount Canigou dominating the skyline and the Pyrenees visible in the distance. You can be swimming in the sea in the morning, and hiking in the mountains in the afternoon. There are even thermal hot springs, so if you would like to combine the two activities we can suggest a hike AND a swim in the mountains! It really does offer you everything!

For swimming, there are the coastal beaches, but if you fancy somewhere quieter and more scenic, the lakes are a great choice. One of the favourites is a lake in the local town of Vinca (15 minutes drive), with beaches, from which you can swim, sail or wind-surf.

Weather: We benefit from being in the sunniest region of France, and enjoy warm, sunny weather from March all the way through to October. November and December are cooler but still with sunshine. January, February and March are great skiing months (70 minute drive to the ski resorts).

The Ille sur Tet / Castelnou area

Castelnou is a lovely little village, in a beautiful setting of rolling hills in the eastern Pyrenees. The village, sitting in the shadow of the castle that towers above, and also that of the famous Mount Canigou, dates from the 10th century.

The village is entered through a large stone arch / gate, dating from the 14th century, and is part of the fortifications that were at that time erected around the village. The narrow cobbled streets in the village are impossible to walk along without having a sense of the thousands who have already passed the same way - a real step back in time.

The castle itself, high on a rock above the village, dates in part from the 10th century although the original building was largely destroyed in the 16th century. Renovated at the beginning of the 20th century, the castle was then again destroyed, this time by a fire. In recent years it has been again restored.

There is also a fine - simple and understated - Romanesque style church to visit in the village.

Like other villages among the 'most beautiful villages of France' Castelnou has attracted an array of artists and artisans. Happily there is still little to spoil the feeling that you have entered another time and place.

The village gives walkers and cyclists a great starting off point for some fantastic tours. It's a great place to just relax and forget about the car for a few days, relax and unwind. It also has easy access to the main road between Perpignan and Andorra which allows the surrounding area to be explored very easily.

The nearest main market town, just a few kilometres away, is Thuir. It has many great shops and restaurants as well as a lively market on Saturday mornings, where you can buy local produce such as the peaches and cherries that are grown in abundance here, fresh vegetables, wonderful cheeses…. and of course the excellent wine!

There are events and festivals throughout the year. Spanish cellist Pablo Casals fled to nearby Prades during the Spanish civil war, stayed and established the festival that now bears his name. The Catalan summer school takes over the town for two weeks in August, and there is dancing in the square every night during this period.

Just a few of the sites of interest within easy driving (or walking) distance are listed below:

* Museum of modern art at Ceret (20 minutes drive)
* Dali museum at Figueres (40 minutes drive)
* Villefranche de Conflent, a fine example of a medieval walled town and recently nominated as a UNESCO world heritage site. (32km)
* Little Yellow Train, catch this train from Villefranche-de-Conflent and enjoy the specatular mountain views right into the Pyrenees. (32 km)
* Grottes de Canalettes, magnificent renowned caves with an incredible light and sound show (33 km)
* St Martin du Canigou, 9th century abbey perched impressively high on the hillside with fantastic scenery and walks. (34 km)
* St Michel de Cuxa, 6th century abbey that hosts concerts during the Pablo Casals festival but is also open for viewing most of the year. (25 km)
* St Thomas les Bains, outstanding natural thermal hot springs in wonderful outdoor mountain setting. (40 km)

How to get there

Castelnou - Gite médiéval What's nearby: Attractions Restaurants Click map icons for more information

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Fly to Perpignan via the low-cost airlines - Ryanair, Flybe, BMIbaby or Air France - Castelnou is is just 30 minutes from the airport.

Alternatively fly to (in order of closeness) Girona (Spain), Carcassonne, Montpellier, Nimes, Barcelona or Toulouse using airlines Ryanair, Easyjet, FlyBe, British Airways or Air France.

All major car rental agencies have a desk at all the airports.

Drive from Perpignan, head for Thuir (D612) and when you arrive take the road for Castelnou.

There is a low cost bus service from Perpignan airport to the city rail station and from there the closest rail station is Millas. A taxi ride to the village is in the region of 15-20 Euros.

Activities near Ille sur Tet

Reviews

Review: 1 to 1 of 1

13 Aug 2011

“Beautiful house, lots of character, stunning mountain views, close to beaches” Castelnou was really a very pretty mountain village with stunning views and very close to local town and beaches near perpignon, which were great, white sands and blue sea ! The house really has a luxury finish to it, the bathrooms were amazing, power jets in the main shower and all rooms really big , including the beds ! It was lovely to relax on the terrace in the evening, have a bbq and stare at the mountains, even the cd collection was spot on ! A real rare find and we will definately consider going back again next year, hopefully by then the dvd player will work, just to keep the kids amused, we were too busy with the view to care !!

Review: 1 to 1 of 1

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Guestbook for Castelnou - Gite médiéval

A Peaceful getaway - sylvia j - Esher, Surrey - June 2008
Maggie and I stayed in this beautifully decorated house for 1 week in June. The house is an easy drive from the airport but is a world away from 21st century living. Castelnou is a wonderful 12th century village with no traffic, making it a wonderful getaway from busy lives. Good restaurants are nearby with village markets every Saturday and Tuesday and good scenic walks within the foothills of the Pyrenees. Castelnou is centrally located for the beaches at Canet and Collioure.
I'd have no hesitation in reccomending this house to those people looking for a relaxing break.

Nous avons été ravis de la location, la maison a beaucoup de caractère, elle est très bien équipée & le village est magnifique.
Nous avons passé d'excellentes vacances dans un site magnifique.
Nous vous remercions pour ce séjour.
Bonne continuation à vous.
Beatrice, Domptin France, August 2010

Nous avons effectivement passé un excellent séjour à Castelnou. Le village est très pittoresque et la maison tout à fait agréable. Nous avons particuièrement apprécié l'état de propreté dans lequelle nous l'avons trouvée. La décoration est réussie et de très bon goût. C'est vraiment une maison agréable à vivre.
C'est une location que nous recommandons volontiers à tous ceux qui souhaitent louer une très jolie maison, dans un cadre magnifique et qui est idéalement située lorsque l'on souhaite rayonner pour visiter cette belle région. Mme Guillou - Aug 2010 - PISCOP

We had a fabulous time - what a wonder location and village. Our Australian friend just couldn't get over how beautiful it was, we'll definitely be recommending it. K Jack - W Sussex - Sept 2010

Rental prices

Prices for group size 5
Period	From	To	Weekly	Nightly rate		Minimum  stay
				Weekday	Weekend
Low	10 Nov 11	17 Dec 11	315£ 315	6565	6565	3 Nights
Christmas/New Year	17 Dec 11	7 Jan 12	575£ 575	102102	102102	3 Nights
Low	7 Jan 12	31 Mar 12	315£ 315	6565	6565	3 Nights
Easter	31 Mar 12	14 Apr 12	575£ 575	102102	102102	3 Nights
Spring/Early Summer	14 Apr 12	16 Jun 12	475£ 475	8888	8888	3 Nights
High Summer	16 Jun 12	8 Sep 12	575£ 575	102102	102102	3 Nights
Late summer/Autumn	8 Sep 12	27 Oct 12	475£ 475	8888	8888	3 Nights
Low	27 Oct 12	22 Dec 12	315£ 315	6565	6565	3 Nights
Christmas/New Year	22 Dec 12	5 Jan 13	575£ 575	102102	102102	3 Nights

The property's weekend rates apply to: Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights

NB: Prices may be subject to change at the advertiser's discretion.

Bookings must be confirmed by payment of a 25% non-refundable deposit. The remainder of the payment should be paid four weeks prior to arrival.

Payments can be made direct to our English or French accounts in Euros or Sterling. We also accept Paypal which allows secure payment by credit or debit card. Other payment methods can be accepted.

For information about short stays at this property, please contact us by using the link to the owner’s web-site below. Midweek arrivals are possible and reductions are available for longer term stays of greater than 2 weeks. Why not take advantage of the Budget Airlines inexpensive mid week flights?

Availability

See below for next 9 months' availability - to see the next 24 months click here

Contact the manager

* Required fields Please check the following errors: First name * Last name * Email *   Did you mean ""? Yes / No Phone number Arrival date Departure date   Ignore calendar - enquire anway No. of adults No. of children Message * Email me special offers and holiday ideas T&Cs

5 years listed You are contacting Julie Waldren Lets Holiday France (property manager) Landline +33 (0)468 96 08 01 Mobile n/a Web Visit site Payment accepted Credit cards accepted PayPal accepted Languages spoken The property manager is based in France and has advertised with Holiday Lettings since 2006. This gite has received 1 review from previous guests.

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