Le Couvent

Enlarge

1 of 20

Slideshow

loading photos

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Villa |4 bedrooms |Sleeps 8

Tuchan in Languedoc-Roussillon

£114–£206 / night
£800–£1440 / week

7 nights minimum stay

Changeover flexible

4 out of 5

1 review | Write a review

Key info  Swimming pool, beach or lakeside relaxation, balcony/terrace, car advised, private garden, may take pets - please enquire

About the home

The property is located in Tuchan in the heart of Cathar Country. It was once an old Olive Farm owned by the Convent. Recently refurbished to a very high standard this old character property still maintains its original charm. Some of the property is believed to date back to the early c17th. Surrounded by vineyards yet in the heart of the village, this property is an excellent base to discover the delights this area has to offer.

The house has four large bedrooms, a huge kitchen/dining room. A large lounge/dining room. Two bathrooms and a downstairs WC. Tastefully decorated and furnished to a very high standard. The property also boasts a very large garden, rare for a central village property. There is an outside summer kitchen with wet-room and BBQ area and a large 10m x 4m pool. Tuchan has two supermarkets, two butchers a fine patisserie and bakery (50 metres away) a bank with an ATM, and a petrol station. At the back of the town lies the Mont Tauch wine 'Cave'. Here you can taste the local Fitou wines and buy local produce. It is the largest Fitou 'Cave' in the region.

Carcassonne, a Medieval city is about an hour and a half away, Narbonne about 45 minutes. There is a Cathar castle in Tuchan and another in Durban Corbieres, - about 25 minutes away and those of Queribus and Peyrepetuse about 45 minutes away. Cucugnan with its old working windmill and quaint village streets is ten minutes away. It boasts several good quality restaurants. The Corbieres and Fitou wine routes are close by. The wild life park at Sigean is about 45 minutes by car. Terra Vinea, a 19 km underground wine cellar is about 45 minutes. Lots of beautiful walks right on the doorstep. About 25km to the Mediterranean beaches. Le Franqui has a long sandy beach and it is suitable for wind-surfing. Other beaches include Leucate ,Toreille Plage and Argeles sur Mer. All beaches have cafes and restaurants nearby. There is a marina at La Barcares, an Aqualand at Port Leucate. Water skiing is also available at Port Bacares and at Leucate there is a large salt lake with a cable park and waterski club.

Collioure, with its fish restaurants, ice cream parlours, beaches, castle, fort and walks around the old picturesque harbour, makes a fine destination for a day trip. It is about an hour and a half drive from the house, through beautiful scenery.

Perpignan is the nearest large town, and has a distinctly Spanish flavour. There are many restaurants, boutiques and regular street markets.

The Pyrenees are fifty minutes away and, on a clear day Mount Canagou can be seen from the upstairs windows of the house. Just beyond lies Spain. The Salvador Dali Museum at Figueres (just over the border) is an easy day trip.

Facilities

Further details indoors:
The house is well equipped with modern appliances and tasteful ethnic and French furniture.
The double beds are large. The rooms are individually decorated, each with its own style.
The TV is a large flat screen. The house has a pleasant peaceful atmosphere, is cool in the summer and has a light airy feel.
.

Further details outdoors:
Walled private garden . Large 10 metre by 4 metre swimming pool . BBQ area. Sitting area. Sun chairs. Outside summer kitchen and wet-room. Tables and chairs and sun loungers.

Further details

Non smoking.
Property let on weekly basis.(Saturday to Saturday)
€300 refundable breakage deposit.
30% deposit secures booking.
All payments in Euros.

Photos

 

Enlarge

Pool and Summer Kitchen and Wet Room

 

Enlarge

Front of Le Couvent

 

Enlarge

Bedroom 1

 

Enlarge

Bedroom 2

The Languedoc-Roussillon / Aude region

Aude is under the influence of a Mediterranean climate.

The autumn is characterized by violent and short storms. The summer is often hot and dry, which is favourable to the culture of the vine and the olive-trees.

Festivals and traditions

The Carnival of Limoux is an Audois festival which takes place over a period of ten weeks or more. This is one of the longest carnivals in the world. It takes place in the town of Limoux on the Place de la République every weekend from mid-January to late March. It is characterized by bands in Pierrot costumes (known as 'les fécos') accompanied by musicians. In the region around Limoux, a major celebration of gastronomy, known as ‘Toques et Clochers’ (literally, ‘Hats & Steeples’) and organized by the ‘Vignerons du Sieur d'Arques’, takes place over the weekend of Palm Sunday. It permits the sale of a large quantity of wine in order to restore the local heritage.

Sport
Aude is the land of rugby league (rugby à XIII) with the teams of Limoux, Carcassonne and Lézignan among the elite. Puig-Aubert (1925–1994) was a famous rugby league player who played with AS Carcassonne. There are numerous amateur rugby league clubs dotted all over the area.

Every 15 August, in Quillan, an international cycling competition takes place. This is the oldest of such contests in France.

The Tour de l'Aude is one of the most important female cycling events in the calendar. It generally takes place in May.

Gastronomy
Cassoulet as served at Carcassonne

The fricassee of pork or ‘fréginat’ can be found throughout the department. It is made from pork and pig’s liver. On the coast, eel stew (borrida d’anguilles) is a dish of choice. Finally, the cassoulet of Castelnaudary, made from white beans and sausage, is the typical dish of the Aude.

Other specialties exist such as oysters of Gruissan and Leucate. Olive oil is also a very widespread in the Aude and is a specialty of Bize-Minervois.

The Occitan language

The Occitan language is spoken in the Aude in its Languedoc variant. The Occitan language emerged during the High Middle Ages from the Latin used in the south of Gaul. The name of the department is Aude in Occitan.

Carcassonne has been restored to much of its medieval glory. Narbonne attracts many tourists to its Roman ruins. Other towns and villages worth visiting include Limoux, Quillan, Lézignan-Corbières, Lagrasse, Sigean and Leucate. Limoux lies in the upper Aude valley, 24 km south of Carcassonne. It is particularly noted for its local wine, Blanquette, a sparkling white wine which is said to have been the forerunner of Champagne. Limoux hosts an extensive and varied market each Friday. Quillan lies 27 km further south in the upper Aude valley and is at the head of the branch railway from Carcassonne. Lezignan-Corbières lies on the main road between Carcassonne and Narbonne. It is called the capital of the Corbières and has an excellent Wednesday morning market. Lagrasse is listed as one of the most attractive villages in France. It stands on the River Orbieu and has an 8th century abbey, two very attractive bridges and an unchanged and very compact and delightful medieval stone village centre. Sigean, 18 km south of Narbonne, lies between the A9 Autoroute and the coast and has an African Reserve. Leucate is an attractive hilltop village, about 30 km south of Narbonne, which has spread down to the coast where Leucate Plage is a popular beach resort.

The Corbières Hills form the central part of the department. This is an area of dissected plateaux and escarpments which form an effective barrier to direct road communication. It is a very attractive and sometimes wild area of steep hills, hidden valleys, woodland and vines, and contains some of the most memorable Cathar sites including Quéribus, Peyrepertuse and Villerouge-Termenès.

Wine production is extensive across Aude, and local chateaux and domaines provide free tastings as well as sales of wine and other local produce.
Architectural heritage

The department has many castles that have been developed by the General Council of the Aude to stimulate tourism. The fortresses are often located on rocky peaks, like the castles of Quéribus and Lastours, giving them a strategic position. The city of Carcassonne was the logistical hub of the country at the time of conflict with the Kingdom of Aragon.

Many abbeys exist throughout the department of Aude. The best known are Fontfroide Abbey, the abbey of Sainte-Marie Lagrasse, the abbey of Sainte-Marie Villelongue-d'Aude or the Abbey of Saint-Hilaire.

The Cathedral of Saint-Just-et-Saint-Pasteur at Narbonne is a remarkable Gothic cathedral and remains unfinished. It is a symbol of the French presence in the land of Languedoc in the Middle Ages.

The Tuchan area

Tuchan has the atmosphere of a border town. The old border between France and Aragon, and Spain, guarded by the Châteaux of Queribus and Peyrepertuse is only a few kilometres away. The town and its surrounding area has been lived in and fought over for a very long time. In the nearby village of Tauteval, a skeleton of 400,000 years old was found. At Château Nouvelles, 2 kilometres, to the north (where very good Fitou wine can be bought) an old roman road, the via Mercadaria, passes close by. The Romans were here mining the iron, gold, silver and lead. Narbonne, a major Roman port on the Mediterranean coast, now the sous-prefecture for the Aude, is 45 kilometres away.

How to get there

Le Couvent What's nearby: Attractions Restaurants Click map icons for more information

Reset Map

Carcassone is about 1 1/2 hour's drive away and Perpignan 40 minutes. Ryan Air fly to both and car-hire is available at the airports. Girona (Spain) (Easyjet and Ryanair) is about 2 hours away as is Montpellier (Ryanair). Train to Narbonne or Perpignan is another possibility and car hire is available at both stations. From Calais, you can drive on motorways almost all the way. It is 1130 kms of which 1051 are on motorways.
You will need a car at the property.

Activities near Tuchan

Reviews

Review: 1 to 1 of 1

27 Nov 2011

“The best holiday I have had, love every minute” I have visited this villa for the last 3 years in the summerand spent the last 4 years in Tuchan. Relaxing place, completely takes you away from yourself and you do not want to... more

Review: 1 to 1 of 1

Reviews powered by

Rental prices

Prices for group size 8
Period	From	To	Weekly	Nightly rate		Minimum  stay
				Weekday	Weekend
Low season	2 Oct 11	18 Dec 11	1000€ 1000	-	-	1 Week
Chrsitmas & New Year	18 Dec 11	7 Jan 12	1400€ 1400	-	-	1 Week
Low season	7 Jan 12	31 Mar 12	1000€ 1000	-	-	1 Week
Easter /Spring Bank Hol	31 Mar 12	7 Apr 12	1400€ 1400	-	-	1 Week
Mid	7 Apr 12	30 Jun 12	1400€ 1400	-	-	1 Week
High	30 Jun 12	1 Sep 12	1800€ 1800	-	-	1 Week
Mid	1 Sep 12	29 Sep 12	1400€ 1400	-	-	1 Week
Low	29 Sep 12	29 Dec 12	1000€ 1000	-	-	1 Week

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

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

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 * Email me special offers and holiday ideas

2 years listed You are contacting Ian George Landline 44 1491 835209 Mobile 44 77809 03845 Languages spoken The owner is based in the United Kingdom and has advertised with Holiday Lettings since 2009. This villa has received 1 review from previous guests.

This advert is created and maintained by the advertiser; we can only publish adverts in good faith as we don't own, manage or inspect any of the properties. We advise you to familiarise yourself with our terms of use and FAQs.

Selected other homes from this advertiser

Villa Les hauts in Durban Corbieres, France

You may also be interested in...

Beauregard D'Avalon

Tuchan in Languedoc-Roussillon

4 bedrooms

From £650/week