Carcassonne, with its mediaeval citadel and battlements, is one of France’s major tourist attractions. Visitors either stay in hotels or B&Bs in the bustling (and cramped) town or opt to combine their historic tourism with a relaxing holiday in the surrounding countryside. This property caters for this latter category, offering them spacious gites or guest rooms, 2 swimming pools, a spa with jacuzzi and sauna … and the run of a beautiful wooded estate. The local village where they can enjoy the real (non-tourist) France is a five minute stroll.
The property is a massive stone-built farmstead in the form of an ‘L’. Located on the south-facing slopes of the Montagne Noire which overlooks Carcassonne the estate affords spectacular views of the snow-capped Pyrenees further to the south. At 650m altitude the weather is never too hot in summer and delightfully mild in winter.
There are four gites – at either end of the ‘L’ – ranging from a two-bedroomed duplex for 4 guests to a big two-storey affair of 128m² sleeping 8 to 10 guests. This gite has its own indoor private pool. The other gite guests have access to the outdoor pool. All guests can avail of the spa centre: gym, Jacuzzi and sauna with top quality equipment.
The rest of the farmhouse is where the owners live: two bedrooms, bathroom, farm kitchen, office/study is the minimum layout. One of the guest suites is just next door and can be used for family of guests, as required. Also on this level is the meeting room: used as a dining-room for large groups it also doubles as a meeting room, ballroom and wedding reception area!
Outdoors as well as the pool are fields (with four horse-boxes), extensive veg garden and orchard and woodland. There’s a spring and a well and a number of outhouses.
Our opinion
This is a professionally-run business with both gites and B&B. The whole property has been totally renovated and finished to a very high standard by French artisans. Underfloor heating, exposed beams, terracotta tiling, double-glazing … it has the lot. The decoration is simple but stylish; the kitchens sopisticated yet practical. It would suit a number of operations: as is with upmarket gites and B&B; only gite accommodation with the guest rooms incorporated into a luxury ‘main gite’; as a horse-riding centre with accommodation for 40-50 guests … Whatever your project note these three facts: there is no further work to be done, it’s ready to roll on day 1…. and there’s an 18-hole golf course under construction just up the road…