General Description

 

·        Aesthetically converted from an ancient stone building associated with wine-making, this well-presented 2-bedroomed cottage is tastefully decorated and has its own terrace for al fresco dining. It shares a lovely swimming pool and south-facing garden with 2 other holiday properties and the owner's accommodation on this charming village development. The cottage is both welcoming and pleasant and the owners are convivial, and helpful, and go the extra mile to make you feel at home.

 

·         On two floors, the cottage has 2 spacious double bedrooms, the first one of which has quality twin beds which can be joined together to make a large double bed. The other bedroom has 3 single beds. Both the bedrooms have ample hanging and storage space and have bedside tables and lamps. There is a shower room with washbasin and WC. The open plan sitting room / ktichen/ dining area on the ground floor is a very attractive and pleasing living space with French doors that open out onto the terrace. Satellite English TV is provided.

 

·         Gite Hirondelle is part of a small holiday complex of 2 gites and a studio apartment in the village of Sainte Valiere, within a short drive of the lovely city of Narbonne and the Mediterranean beaches.  It is ideal for a family holiday (safe for children), or for a group of friends holidaying together, as the accommodation allows you to spend days relaxing in the garden and around the pool, or alternatively exploring this lovely region by car or bicycle. The mobile 'boulangerie' visits the village every day between 10.00 and 11.30 a.m.

 

 

The Local Area

 

·         The centre of Sainte Valiere is just a 5 minute stroll; the village is quiet and serene and nestles in the vineyards of the Minervois. In fact, the 3 gites here were originally an ancient stone-built wine-cave and it's associated out-buildings, now of course beautifully renovated.  A Vin de Pays d'Oc wine-producer 'La Visonniere' is just a few steps away - very handy for buying your wine for your barbeque! Sainte Valiere has a licensed cafe and delicateesen and a post office in the village itself, and an abundance of restaurants within 5 - 15 minutes drive. Neighbouring villages are Ginestas and Ventenac which both have restaurants, and Ventenac also has a wine-producing chateau and wine museum (free admission!).

 

·         Sports facilities: You'll find tennis courts in Sainte Valiere (remember to take tennis rackets and balls!). You can go horse-riding at the ranch in Paraza.  At Espace Liberte, a sports complex in Narbonne, there's a large swimming pool, ten-pin bowling and ice-skating as well as an excellent value for money buffet restaurant.  Cycles can be hired locally (ask Joie de Vivre for details). And - you can try canoeing and kayaking at Roquebrun - about a 40-minute drive. Walking or cycling is just great in the shade of the plane trees along the Canal du Midi with the views over the vineyards and the ancient canal-side villages to explore.

 

·         There is an abundance of attractions in this area - it's hard to know where to start.  But a visit to this area would not be complete without a trip to the medieval city of Carcassonne, the lively and attractive town of Narbonne, the Canal du Midi, the beach resorts of Gruissan and Narbonne-Plage, the vineyards of the Minervois and Corbieres, the abbeys at Fontfroide and Lagrasse and the Cathar Castles. Children and adults alike will enjoy a day at the African Nature Reserve at Sigean where you can see over 3000 species of animals in close-to-nature surroundings.

 

·         The Markets of the region are colourful, varied and full of local seasonal produce. Locally to Saint Valiere they can be found at Olonzac on a Tuesday morning, Lezignan Corbieres on a Wednesday morning and in Narbonne - outdoor markets on a Thursday and Sunday morning and a superb indoor market in Les Halles every day except Sunday until 1.00pm.

 

·         Restaurants - there is a licensed cafe in Sainte Valiere, and 2kms away in Ginestas is L'Anais, a very pleasant local bar and restaurant, and two restaurants in Ventenac, open in the summer months. In the local villages we recommend these: Les Oliviers at Cabezac (expensive, but lovely), the two open-air restaurant/bars in Ventenac (very reasonably priced and great in the summer), the Cafe du Port at Paraza (open summer months only), En Bonne Compagnie in Homps and L'Apaloosa in Bize Minervois.

 

·         Supermarket - the nearest supermarket is 7kms away at St Marcel d'Aude, or at Olonzac.  The nearest hypermarkets such as Carrefour and Geant are in Narbonne.

 

Facilities

• Living/dining room: Open plan with French doors opening to the terrace.  Cosy and comfortable with a sofa and a TV receiving French and UK satellite channels and a dining table and 6 chairs
• Kitchen: Well equipped with a cooker, a fridge and a washing machine
• Bedrooms: 2 bedrooms - the master bedroom has twin beds which can be made into a large double if your prefer.  The second bedroom has 3 single beds.  Both rooms have ample storage and hanging.
• Shower Room: One family shower room with a vanity unit washbasin and a WC
• Additional Accommodation:Also available at this location is GITE MARTINET (sleeps 6) and STUDIO MESANGE BLEU (sleeps 2-3) 
• Outisde:  This gite has its own terrace, barbecue and table and chairs for alfresco dining.  The gardens of the property as a whole are south-facing with lawns, olive trees, palm trees and pretty planting.  Sun loungers are available in the pool area.  There is plenty of parking for your car.
• Swimming Pool: The pool is a shared facility and is 10m x 5m with a paved surround - it is secured by a fence and is well kept and attractive with views over the countryside
• Internet: Sorry - there is no internet connection here
• Telelphone: Sorry, there is no landline here but mobile phone signals are generally good in this region 
• Baby Facilities: A cot and a high chair are available upon request.
• Winter Heating: Is included in the rental price 
• Gas, elecctric and water: are all included in the rental price 
• End of Stay Cleaning:  is also included in the rental price
• Bedroom and bathroom linen: is also included in the rental price.  Please take your own pool/beach towels 
• Taxe de Sejour: the French taxe de sejour is included here in the rental price. 
• Damage Deposit:  The owners request a damage deposit of £100 stering on 150 euros on arrival in cash. This will be refunded to you at the end of your stay less the replacement cost of any breakages. 
• Change Over Day: Normally Saturday, other days may be possible in Low Season
• Long weekends:  Are possible subject to availability in low season - longer terms rental may also be possible. 
• Pets: A small pet may be permitted with prior permission from the owners. 

How To Get There

·         By Car - The village of Sainte Valiere lies just south of the D5 which runs between Beziers and Carcassonne.  The nearest motorway exit is No: 38 on the A9 autoroute - the Languedocienne.

·         By Air - Carcassonne, Beziers, Montpellier and Perpignan Airports are the nearest - approximately 60 minutes drive away.  Other airports you could use would be Toulouse, Nimes and Girona (Northern Spain).

·         By Train - Please visit the link to RAIL EUROPE on our home page for details of train times and tickets to this region. 

 

Full directions etc will be sent once you make a booking

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Dates	01020304050607080910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031 JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 201220132014  to  01020304050607080910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031 JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 201220132014
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