Sorry - no pets allowed Suitable for children Not suitable for elderly or infirm No smoking at this property Self-catering
Home description
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.
Courtyard dining in the evening
Views across rooftops and countryside below
Spacious sitting room shares split level open plan area with Kitchen on
Mezzanine bedroom has it's own dressing room and bathroom
To see more photos please visit http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/67910
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).
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
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.
Nearest Travel Links
Airport:
Perpignan: 27 km
Railway:
Millas: 14 km
Ferry:
Santander: 758 km
Activities near Ille sur Tet
Walking holidays Rural / countryside retreats A winter sun break Cycling holidays
Single beds (1), Double beds (2), Dining seating for 5, Lounge seating for 5, Sleeps maximum of 5
Other:
Linen and towels provided.
Outdoors:
Balcony / Terrace, Private garden, BBQ
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 Barbeque. It’s just a great place to sit, dine or relax and watch the world go by.
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 1500hrs. 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 three weeks prior to arrival. Payments can be made by bank transfer (to a sterling or Euro account), or by credit card (3% charge applies)
Rental rates
Rental prices originally quoted in: Euros €
Convert to:
Period
From
To
Weekly
Nightly rate
Minimum stay
Weekday
Weekend
16 Aug 08
23 Aug 08
785£660
0-
0-
1 Week
23 Aug 08
30 Aug 08
745£626
0-
0-
1 Week
30 Aug 08
13 Sep 08
680£571
0-
0-
1 Week
13 Sep 08
20 Sep 08
630£529
0-
0-
1 Week
20 Sep 08
27 Sep 08
575£483
0-
0-
1 Week
27 Sep 08
4 Oct 08
505£424
0-
0-
1 Week
4 Oct 08
11 Oct 08
480£403
0-
0-
1 Week
11 Oct 08
25 Oct 08
460£387
0-
0-
1 Week
25 Oct 08
1 Nov 08
570£479
0-
0-
1 Week
1 Nov 08
8 Nov 08
440£370
0-
0-
1 Week
8 Nov 08
15 Nov 08
415£349
0-
0-
1 Week
15 Nov 08
22 Nov 08
390£328
0-
0-
1 Week
22 Nov 08
6 Dec 08
395£332
0-
0-
1 Week
6 Dec 08
20 Dec 08
400£336
0-
0-
1 Week
20 Dec 08
27 Dec 08
615£517
0-
0-
1 Week
27 Dec 08
3 Jan 09
615£517
0-
0-
1 Week
3 Jan 09
7 Feb 09
405£340
0-
0-
1 Week
7 Feb 09
14 Feb 09
400£336
0-
0-
1 Week
14 Feb 09
28 Feb 09
475£399
0-
0-
1 Week
28 Feb 09
7 Mar 09
445£374
0-
0-
1 Week
7 Mar 09
14 Mar 09
460£387
0-
0-
1 Week
14 Mar 09
21 Mar 09
525£441
0-
0-
1 Week
21 Mar 09
28 Mar 09
465£391
0-
0-
1 Week
28 Mar 09
4 Apr 09
490£412
0-
0-
1 Week
4 Apr 09
18 Apr 09
615£517
0-
0-
1 Week
18 Apr 09
2 May 09
540£454
0-
0-
1 Week
2 May 09
9 May 09
615£517
0-
0-
1 Week
9 May 09
16 May 09
590£496
0-
0-
1 Week
16 May 09
23 May 09
655£550
0-
0-
1 Week
23 May 09
30 May 09
705£592
0-
0-
1 Week
30 May 09
6 Jun 09
605£508
0-
0-
1 Week
6 Jun 09
20 Jun 09
550£462
0-
0-
1 Week
20 Jun 09
27 Jun 09
600£504
0-
0-
1 Week
27 Jun 09
4 Jul 09
630£529
0-
0-
1 Week
4 Jul 09
11 Jul 09
655£550
0-
0-
1 Week
11 Jul 09
18 Jul 09
680£571
0-
0-
1 Week
18 Jul 09
25 Jul 09
745£626
0-
0-
1 Week
25 Jul 09
15 Aug 09
800£672
0-
0-
1 Week
15 Aug 09
22 Aug 09
785£660
0-
0-
1 Week
22 Aug 09
29 Aug 09
745£626
0-
0-
1 Week
29 Aug 09
12 Sep 09
680£571
0-
0-
1 Week
12 Sep 09
19 Sep 09
630£529
0-
0-
1 Week
19 Sep 09
26 Sep 09
575£483
0-
0-
1 Week
26 Sep 09
3 Oct 09
505£424
0-
0-
1 Week
3 Oct 09
10 Oct 09
480£403
0-
0-
1 Week
10 Oct 09
24 Oct 09
460£387
0-
0-
1 Week
24 Oct 09
31 Oct 09
570£479
0-
0-
1 Week
31 Oct 09
7 Nov 09
440£370
0-
0-
1 Week
7 Nov 09
14 Nov 09
415£349
0-
0-
1 Week
14 Nov 09
21 Nov 09
390£328
0-
0-
1 Week
21 Nov 09
5 Dec 09
395£332
0-
0-
1 Week
5 Dec 09
19 Dec 09
400£336
0-
0-
1 Week
19 Dec 09
2 Jan 10
615£517
0-
0-
1 Week
521
NB: Prices may be subject to change at the owner's discretion.
Please check our website for short-stay prices: (Click on owners website link at bottom of page)
Availability
See below for next 6 months' availability - to see the next 24 months click here
Key:
11
12
Booked
11
12
Available
11
12
Unknown
11
12
Arrival/Departure dates
Contact owner
To contact this owner please visit: http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/67910
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