The property lies midway between Toulouse and Carcassonne, amid the rolling hills of the Lauragais, the Pays de Cocagne (the land of plenty!). We live on the edge of Aguts, a quiet little village, with its beautiful church, 12th century castle, magnificent calvary and shady footpaths. The rolling hillsides hereabouts, with stone farm houses and their "pigeonniers", old windmills and country lanes lined with plane trees and cypresses, illustrate why the area is known as “Little Tuscany”.

Chante-Colline offers everything one could need for a restful and fulfilling holiday, in a beautiful region of the South-West of France. An entirely new gîte, finished in June 2008 in the west wing of the owner's house, but fully independent and private; surrounded by fields of wheat and sunflowers, with magnificent views of the surrounding countryside. It is the only gîte on the property, which is a former post-house dating from 1790, built in pale stone on a very quiet country road. Two bedrooms (one large double, the other with two single beds) - both have en-suite bathrooms.

A fully equipped kitchen/dining area plus flexible lounge space (with sofa bed) complete the internal arrangements. Outside there is a covered patio with good quality metal table and chairs plus a big garden (more furniture, plenty of shade and full-sized boule court) with fantastic views and sunsets. The large pool is on the left, in front of the main house - you will usually have it all to yourselves!

Further details

4 seasons and 4 different tariff-bands - Very High, High, Medium and Low (see tables). A deposit of 20% is required to confirm your booking (non-refundable); the balance is due two weeks before arrival. All charges (heating, lighting, water, bed linen, towels, taxe de séjour etc) are included.

Arrival after 4pm and departure before 10am on Saturdays. Final cleaning can be arranged for a fee of 40€. We do not normally ask for a damage deposit.

Further details outdoors

There is a large private car park with double metal electric gates. The extensive lawn starts under the trees and continues 150 metres to the end of the garden. Everywhere there is the choice of sun or shade with garden furniture and sunbeds. Large boules court (14m x 4m), table-tennis table and badminton. Large swimming pool (12m x 7m), shared with the owners. As there is only one gîte on site, you will often be the sole users of the pool. The garden, courtyard and poolside are full of flowers.Special features WiFi internet access is available at no extra cost. We feel that we offer a real “French” experience, so do not have English satellite TV but we do have a number of classic French films on DVD with English sub-titles. If you wish we can also offer French conversation lessons (at a small extra cost) – Chantal is a highly experienced and qualified language teacher.The area is a paradise for hikers and cyclists - we have maps and details of over 40 walks (of all standards) within 30 minutes drive of the gîte, many from the doorstep.We are also blessed to have three UNESCO World Heritage sites in our region - the Canal du Midi, Albi, with its breath-taking pink brick cathedral and Carcassonne, with its enormous medieval fortress.The long, hot summer often starts in May and extends to October. Autumn is particularly special - sunny and warm, ideal for sight-seeing, hiking, cycling or just lazing around!Local activities Apart from the outstanding circuits for walkers+cyclists all around, there are many other activities for all ages. Only 15 minutes away there is "Cri de Tarzan", a spectacular tree top adventure park for all ages. Revel has one of the best markets in the region (in the top 100 in the whole of France), every Saturday morning under its medieval “beffroi”. Lac St Ferréol, with its beaches and water sports, is a 20 minute drive from the gîte. The Canal du Midi is half an hour away, with miles of shady bridlepaths to cycle or stroll, picnicking as the boats go by at a leisurely pace. In Toulouse (45 mins) you will find the Cité de l'Espace, an outer-space adventure park. The city centre is absolutely beautiful, old+new combined with shops, museums, restaurants and open spaces. Less than an hour's drive to Albi, Carcassonne, Cordes-sur-Ciel, the vineyards of Gaillac, Corbières and Minervois. A little further are Mediterranean beaches which are all but deserted outside July and August.