Medieval house Salies de Béarn

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Townhouse |4 bedrooms |Sleeps 6

Salies de Bearn in Aquitaine/Dordogne

from £25 / night

£170–£384 / week

7 nights minimum stay

Changeover flexible

5 out of 5

2 reviews | Write a review

Key info  Beach or lakeside relaxation, air conditioning, balcony/terrace, car advised, no pets allowed

Check availability and book

About the home

Live comfortably inside a tastefully renovated house with every convenience, then open your door and step back 300 years into the tiny twisting streets of a unique Bearnaise town, a perfect location for exploring this idyllic corner of France. Although the house can sleep eight people, it works really well for smaller groups and even a couple would feel at home here.

The property: This is a 300 year old typical Béarnaise house on three floors, but completely renovated. The ground floor has a 35 m² day room, comprising fitted kitchen, dining area and seating area. Behind is a utility room with the usual machines and storage. A superb winding staircase leads to the three first floor bedrooms and shower room (with WC) and continues to the top floor 30 m² sitting room, which is light and airy and has splendid views of the Béarnaise rooftops. The fourth bedroom and bathroom (with WC) are also on this floor. Many of the rooms are decorated with the traditional toile de jouy papers and coloured Basque floor tiles and other period features abound. There is no garden but the top floor has a (narrow) balcony looking to the church and along this very special street. There is also reserved parking available for one car.

Just 45 minutes from the stunning Pyrenean mountains and the white sand beaches of the Atlantic coast, this is an area which can be enjoyed all year round. There are endless outdoor activities ranging from whitewater rafting or skiing to gentle country walks or a game of golf.

There are many beautiful medieval towns and villages nearby and during the summer months, both locals and tourists flock to the traditional fetes. You can also enjoy the bustle and chic of Biarritz’s Grand Plage or Pau’s Boulevard de Pyrenees. If this leaves you in need of relaxation, visit Salies’ thermal baths and enjoy the hot pool or a luxurious beauty treatment.

As a wine producing region with a strong gastronomic tradition, there are excellent restaurants which offer good value for money. Don’t forget to visit the local vineyards and sample the fine Jurancon, Madiran and Bearn wines.

Facilities

Further details indoors:
Unique setting
Downstairs all-in-one family room for cooking, dining and lounging
Utility room for all the services
Separate top floor sitting room with balcony and views over the Béarnais rooftops
Owners at 100 metres to answer any of your questions

Further details

Owners live close-by in case of problems or queries

Conditions

25% deposit, payable on booking
Balance due on arrival

WHEN ENQUIRING PLEASE PROVIDE A CONTACT NUMBER.

Photos

 

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Your house is the first on the right

 

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Dining in the family room

 

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Upstairs sitting room

 

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Downstairs family room

The Aquitaine / Dordogne / Pyrenees Atlantiques region

This idyllic corner of France has a warm and sunny climate, without being unbearably hot, which makes you just want to get out and about and discover the beautiful countryside and outdoor activities. It's an area of sea, mountains and rolling hills, as good for producing wines as it is for fishing for salmon. No wonder that in the past it was invaded by both the English and Spanish.

The Salies de Bearn area

PLACES TO GO

Biarritz (45 minutes) - a chic and vibrant town popular with tourists and surfers, Biarritz has some of the best beaches in Europe and its surfing is world class. Good for shops, restaurants and people watching. It’s easy to feel underdressed here!

Pau (45 minutes) - is a beautiful city and the Boulevard de Pyrenees, which stretches from the Chateau to the Parc du Beaumont, has stunning views of the mountains. Enjoy a coffee or a glass of wine in one of the many cafes on the Boulevard. A visit to the Chateau and the old town, which has a good range of restaurants in its cobbled streets, is a must.

St Jean de Luz (60 minutes) - a very pretty seaside resort based around a beautiful circular bay. It has excellent seafood restaurants, stylish shopping and a gorgeous sandy beach. Visit the picturesque fishing port of Ciboure or work off your lunch with a walk along the cliff tops to Hendaye.

Espelette (45 minutes)

A picturesque Basque town which is famous for its hot red peppers - during the summer months they are hung outside the houses and shops to dry. A good place for buying souvenirs, market day is a Wednesday. There is also a castle and a 16th century church.

Sauveterre de Bearn (10 minutes) - a pretty fortified town with an impressive castle overlooking the Gave d’Oloron. You can swim in this beautiful river or take part in a wide range of watersports, see Things to Do

San Sebastian (60 minutes) - vibrant Spanish city set around a perfect circular bay. Great for shopping, tapas and nightlife.

Lourdes (90 minutes) Pope Benedict is expected to visit this fascinating town in September 2008 to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the shrine. Lourdes can be extremely busy in high season - it boasts more hotels than any other French city except Paris!

Dax (45 minutes) is a pleasant spa town with hot springs which maintain a constant temperature of 64 degrees. There is an excellent range of clothing boutiques and larger stores including Galeries Lafayette. There are also some excellent patisseries.

St Jean Pied de Port - an impressive hilltop fortress town and the traditional start of the Santiago de Compostella pilgrimage.

Vallee d’Aspe (60 minutes) - enjoy spectacular walking and climbing in the mountains, purchase cheese made by shepherds and visit the animal park at Borce with bears, marmots and other Pyrenean wildlife.

Holzarte (45 minutes) experience a climb up to the top of the gorge and then walk along the Himalayan style suspension bridge for breathtaking views. Not for the fainthearted!

Sorde l'Abbaye (10 minutes)

A pretty medieval village with a beautiful church and a monastery which is open to the public.

THINGS TO DO

Markets - enjoy the sights and smells of the traditional French market where you can buy eggs, milk, cheese, foie gras, honey, fruit and vegetables, breads and cakes, Basque fabrics and berets, clothes, handmade gifts, soaps. Market days: Orthez - Tuesday mornings; Peyhorade - Wednesday mornings; Salies - Thursday mornings

Vineyards - excellent Jurancon whites, both sweet and dry are produced around Pau. The Pays Basque is famous for its Irouleguy reds and Madiran is also produced nearby. Closer to home, the Lapeyre Guilhemas vineyard in Salies, only 5 minutes walk from the house, produces excellent Bearn reds. Tasting is available every day except Sunday.

Surfing & Body Boarding - Biarritz and Hossegor are less than an hour’s drive if you want to demonstrate your boarding skills alongside the best in the world.

Walking - Salies is located in beautiful rolling countryside dotted with picturesque villages. There are numerous signposted walks ranging from short strolls to challenging day walks. Further afield, the Pyrenees offer some of the best walking in the world, from day walks to the mammoth GR10 and Haute Route Pyreneen which run from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean

Alpine & Nordic Skiing, Snowboarding, Snow walking - there are multiple resorts, both French and Spanish, within a 90 minute drive from Salies. Pierre St Martin www.lapierrestmartin.com (good for beginners/intermediate); Gourette www.gourette.com; Cauterets (very pretty resort with good après ski) www.cauterets.com; Bareges La Mongie (largest ski area in the Pyrenees) www.bagneresdebigorre-lamongie.com; Somport (Nordic Skiing only), Astun www.astun.com, Formigal www.formigal.com

Sports - Base de Plein Air de Mosqueros (5 minutes). Excellent sports facilities located in a lovely wooded park including tennis courts (hard, clay and indoor), badminton courts, table tennis, a pelotte court and an outdoor swimming pool with two paddling pools and a pretty grassy sunbathing area. Tel: 05 59 38 15 53

Water Park - Oloron (45 minutes) A great day out for the whole family includes swimming pools, slides, boat rides etc. Tel: 05 59 39 20 75

Water Sports - Sauveterre - A range of water sports for all ages and abilities including kayaking, canoeing and rafting www.aboste.com

Swimming - at Mosqueros in Salies during high season and Mourenx (30 minutes) all year round - Fantastic new 30 metre pool opened December 2007, glass wall with views over the Pyrenees. Also paddling pools and large chute. www.vert-marine.com

Golf - a beautiful 12 hole course and driving range just a ten minute walk from the house. www.golf-salies.com

Casino - Biarritz’s casino is famous across Europe but you can hone your skills closer to home at Salies’ recently reopened and renovated 19th century casino

Rugby - No, not to play, to watch! There are top division clubs at Dax, Biarritz and Bayonne.

Cinema – in Salies - Brush up on your French with a movie. There is a full programme throughout the year which includes some English language films.

EATING AND DRINKING


Spoiled for choice with a restaurant either end of the street, you can choose between a delicious 12 euro three course menu on the riverside at La Terrasse or go a la carte at the recently renovated and stylish Les Voisins.

Across the square lies the l’Auberge des Fontaines Fleuries, where you can eat
al fresco under the wisteria. Alternatively enjoy the grandeur of the dining room at the Casino where you can dine under the chandeliers.

Il Capitello is a cosy Italian restaurant with wide range of pizzas, pastas and an extensive ice cream menu.

For an aperitif you can try Bar de Saleys - a stylish bar with comfortable seating which has a cocktail menu and serves snacks. The locals favour Le Tivoli - join them for a glass of red wine on Thursday mornings.

And if you’re feeling homesick , there’s always McGuires – an Irish pub which serves Guinness and shows major sporting events. Closed Sundays and Mondays.

Further afield

Beyond Salies there is an enormous variety of restaurant s, too many to list here. A couple of our favourites are:

Tea rooms - Sauveterre de Bearn

Set in an idyllic location beside the river, this open air English tea room serves sandwiches, cream teas and knickerbocker glories. Toys and games are provided for children while you relax on the sun loungers.

Belle Auberge - Castagnede - fantastic value and excellent food, 12 euro lunch menu, in a beautiful setting

How to get there

Medieval house Salies de Béarn What's nearby: Attractions Restaurants Click map icons for more information

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The area is well served by daily Ryanair flights into Pau and Biarritz.

Activities near Salies de Bearn

Reviews

Review: 1 to 2 of 2

24 Feb 2012

“Wonderful House - Very Good Location” My wife and I spent 4 weeks in this house this past August and we were thoroughly pleased with the accommodation and the location. The owners, Mel and Anne lived in the house for 2 years before moving into another house nearby and they apparently left everything behind, because the house is fully equipped, including a large bookcase full of English language books. The house is very comfortable and the arrangement would be ideal for two families sharing because the top floor has another living/dining room, bedroom and full bath. We spent most our down time on the top floor which is very bright, looks out over the neighboring rooftops and has a balcony. We felt as though we were staying in a comfortable home, rather than a vacation rental property. The house is on a quiet pedestrian street, but has access for loading and unloading at the front door. As noted on the website, parking for one car is provided about 100 meters away. Mel and Anne were always available and helpful – they even provided us with beach towels, a beach umbrella and thermos (flask) at our request. The WiFi is reliable, has a strong signal and is secured by password. The weekly markets in Salies and neighboring towns are enjoyable and a good source of local produce, sausages, strawberries (the Mara des Bois strawberries are a must), French soaps, houseware, clothing, etc. The Salies market on Thursday has a stall with excellent rotisserie chickens and there is a great carry-out pizza shop around the corner. We were in town for the annual espadrille festival that was well attended and great fun, especially the international espadrille “throwing” contest (see photo). The town of Salies-de-Béarn has everything you could want including a refurbished and operating casino, a health spa and movie theater (French only). There are many shops, including the all-important boulangeries, just a short walk from the house. Most importantly for self-catering, there is a Carrefour supermarket at the edge of town, in addition the closer small grocery stores. The town location provides access by car for day trips to Biarritz to the West (less than an hour by toll highway or longer by country roads through pretty villages and towns) and to the Pyrenees to the South, both well worth multiple visits. For a shorter trip, there is a wonderful riverside outdoor café in Sauveterre-de-Béarn, within 10 km from Salies, with lots of comfortable chairs, including chaise lounges, and tables with umbrellas. Have lunch and then wade or even swim in the river or walk around an island with views of beautiful old buildings and the Pont de la Légende (see photo)

21 Jan 2012

“A perfect house in a perfect location” The medieval house on rue Loume is a beautiful place to stay, and Salies is a very pretty town, perfectly situated for trips to the coast, the Pyrenean mountains and the rest of the Pyrenees-Atlantique. The house is everything you could want. It has four bedrooms, but didn't feel too big for just the two of us. It's beautifully decorated, Anne and Mel restored it themselves and have added so many lovely touches that it really is a home from home. We particularly loved having breakfast on the balcony in the sunshine. We'd also recommend the excellent market (Thursdays) and all of the boulangeries! We'll definitely be back soon.

Review: 1 to 2 of 2

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Rental prices

Prices for group size 6
Period	From	To	Weekly	Nightly rate		Minimum  stay
				Weekday	Weekend
June 2011	28 May 11	2 Jul 11	400€ 400	-	-	1 Week
July/Aug 2011	2 Jul 11	3 Sep 11	650€ 650	-	-	1 Week
Sept 2011/May 2012	3 Sep 11	1 Jun 12	190€ 190	-	-	1 Month
Nov-May	1 Nov 13	1 Jun 14	200€ 200	-	-	1 Month
June	1 Jun 14	1 Jul 14	450€ 450	-	-	1 Month

The property does not have weekend tariffs.

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

For monthly bookings and longer, the laundry and electricity are down to you.

WHEN ENQUIRING PLEASE PROVIDE A CONTACT NUMBER.

Availability

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

Contact the owner

* 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 anyway No. of adults No. of children Message * Send me ideas on where to stay

5 years listed You are contacting Mel Sladdin Landline 33 0559 382119 Mobile n/a Web Visit site Languages spoken The owner is based in France and has advertised with Holiday Lettings since 2008. This townhouse has received 2 reviews from previous guests.

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