Tourné Cottage
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The house
A newly renovated stone cottage next to the main house in the at Tourné, Set in a peaceful forest valley next to the Artillac river in the Ariege Pyrenees national park.
Upstairs bedroom with two singles or one large double bed.(160cm) Downstairs bedroom is a mezzanine with double bed (140cm) and en suite shower room, wc and sink. Below the mezzanine area is small lounge with sofa and writing desk, there is a possibility of a fifth single bed if required. A back door gives access to the private garden, windows with a view to gardens and direct access to forest footpath.
Kitchen with original stone sink, fully equipped for cooking and food preparation with full gas hob and separate electric oven. toaster , blender. Dishwasher, microwave ,washing machine. with access to outside line for drying. iron and ironing board. fridge with freezer. cd player and radio. views over the garden.
Bathroom with bath, shower wc and sink. hairdryer. Heated towel rail.
Main living room with individual entrance. South facing window. wood burning stove. two sofas. DVD player. Book shelves, guide books and maps. coffee tables.
Wireless internet.
fully double glazed for the cooler months.
The wood burning stove feeds radiators in all the rooms. Also electric heating. In winter you will need to be able to light the wood burner - if you need help we are happy to assist.
Access to river for paddling and river walking just a few metres from your door and use of large play area with trampoline. The cottage also has a private garden with wooden garden furniture provided for outside eating and relaxing.
The location is ideal for exploring the mountains, forest and local tourist attractions.
This Gite will provide you with a peaceful and quiet base for your holiday. only 2 kilometres from the nearest village.
Facilities
- Independent
- No smoking
- Local contact
- Dishwasher
- Washing machine
- Iron
- Playground
- Internet
- Bicycles at the house
- Fireplace
- Hair dryer
- Bath
Availability of 'Tourné Cottage'
Surroundings
Click on image to open an interactive map
The cottage and main house at Tourné are situated in the forest valley of the River Artillac. The river is 20 metres from the cottage and there is access for dipping or paddling or plunging and a few swimming strokes .the local village of Castelnau Durban is 2km, it can be walked along the road that follows the river or it can be reached across an ancient footpath which gives views of the mountains and surrounding area. the village has a bakery and epicerie, a very good restaurant and a tabac as well as a local craft shop which is open in the summer months. The valley is an area of protected environment in the heart of the Parc naturel régional des Pyrénées ariégeoises. In the park there is virtually no industry (1%) , the population is sparse 1 person for every 2km and consequently traffic minimal, with very few cars passing the cottage.
The gardens adjoining the cottage are substantial. from the kitchen and lower bedroom there are views across the gardens-the vegetable garden, fruit trees and views towards the the forest. All rooms have natural views that are green in summer-these are the foothills of the pyrenees.
There are many walks of astounding beauty that can be made directly from the house. Beautiful wild flowers in spring, stunning walks in summer cooled by the forest. The voie verte is a recently opened 42km route reserved for cyclists and walkers running from St Girons and Foix accessed at Castelnau Durban and is wonderful at all times of year. In the cottage you will find guides and maps with local attractions and walks.
With no pollution the River runs clear and the nights sky bright for star gazers.
The cottage at Tourné is fully in natural beauty. The forest of Bellissance is given its name after the Vicomte de Bellissance who built the main house in 1850. It is several hundred hectares and the main house is among one of the finest maison de maitres in the area.
Many local activities and historic sites are under 3O mins drive. There is lots to see and do in the area and the cottage provides a very calm and tranquil base from which to experience the different flavours of the region.
.
- Rural
- Mountainous
- Hilly
- Meadows and woodland
- In or near a village
- Near swimming water
Restaurants, food & wine
Chez Victor is the only restaurant in the Village of Castelnau Durban, 20 minutes walk. it is very well known by locals and is usually very busy, especially at lunchtime. a four course menu is available every day [not sunday] for 13 euros. The a la carte menu [obligatory on Sunday] has a wide choice of dishes. this restaurant provides increasingly rare home cooked food. the restaurant has been in the same family for 3 generations.
There are locally grown bio wines available. The area is well know for foie gras and the local markets offer a very wide variety of fresh food, much of which is bio/organic.
The towns of Foix and St Girons have many restaurants-about 20-25 minutes drive.
Activities
Many varied activities for all ages and dispositions with in 30 minutes drive below are a few examples.
Climbing-there are many climbing schools in the area, the nearest is at St Girons, 25 minutes drive. some climbing faces within 40 minutes walk, many climbing faces can be accessed by car, usually 40 minutes drive will get you to some well used and challenging climbs. Guided Under ground river trips, swimming lake. Castles and local markets.
Cross country skiing-we are 1hr from Guzet ski station but there are many other local snow walking sites. If there is enough snow, there is a a beginner's level toboggan slope 5 minutes from the cottage.
Local golf course-20 minutes drive at la bastide de serou.
Unlimited walks directly from the cottage.The valley is in the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains. between 10 and 40 minutes drive you can access many splendid walks, for example to the Cathar castle at Roquefixade. The walking is particularly splendid in April/May with many wild flowers and in September when it is not too hot.
For serious cyclist's bring your own bikes, or hire from a nearby village, the terrain is perfect with many valley's and peaks popular with the tour de France. . There is a new cycle path close by that runs from St Girons to Foix for beautiful flat and safe off road . Also bike hire shops at St girons and the village of la Bastide de serou
Horse riding schools are available in the area. The valley provides many off road paths for horses. We have 2 friendly donkeys in the fields around the main house.
Mont Vallier, the tallest mountain in the Ariege Pyrenees can be accessed in under an hour by car providing a challenging 8 hour walk to the top. The whole range of mountains can be accessed either by foot [minimum 6 hours walk] or by car.
In St Girons, 20 minutes drive, there is a hand gliding/parapente school. the owner's mother lives in the local village.
Swimming lake - the lac de Mondely, about 150 hectares, is a beautiful lake suitable for swimming. it is 25 minutes drive from the house. It has a snack bar [during july and august] and has safe swimming areas with life guards for children.
There are large markets with various goods and local produce at the towns of st. Girons on Saturday and Foix on Fridays.
Many Cathar castles and historic sites are with in easy driving distance.
Guides books and maps provided
- Bicycle
- Near hiking trails
- Near ATB trails
- Near riding
- Near theme park
- Fishing
- Mountain sports
- Flying and gliding
- Yoga
- Other courses
- Cross-country skiing
Further remarks
The Cottage is most suitable for fit able bodied people and children over 6. The stairs to the bedrooms are few but steep and less able people of very young children may find them a challenge. The central heating is wood fired-there are radiators in each room. wood is supplied and if necessary we will light the fire for you if asked
There is Private parking several cars, across the bridge-only 25 metres from the cottage
Children are very welcome, over 6 years of age we find benefit most from the environment. although we have have had many younger children over the years with out problem. The river is unguarded so please be aware of this. There is a play area with trampoline in addition to the private garden.
The house has music . There is a dvd player with a library of dvd's that you may use.
the music centre can accept usb or ipod.
Additional price info and offers
In cooler times the wood for the wood burner heating is provided free of charge.
For stays longer than a week we change your towels and bed linen. ( if you wish )
Price includes
Towels, Bed linen
Price exclusive
- Cleaning fee (optional) € 30.00
Do you have questions?
Reviews
Tourné Cottage has not received any reviews over the last 4 years.
Joost from Geertruidenberg,
Hele knusse gite met alles erop en eraan. Hele lieve gastvrouw en haar partner. Wij hebben hier genoten na 2weken Spaanse costa was dit een heerlijke afsluiting. Top!
Comment from paula chatlani
Hartelijk dank!
Alexandra Campbell from Hathersage,
I booked a long weekend at Tourne Cottage for me, my husband and my father, with my brother and his wife staying in the B&B in the main house. Hands down one of the best short breaks each of us has ever been on. We were met with a beautiful cottage, very clean, perfect size and most importantly, a bottle of wine on the table. Paula and her husband Ram are fantastic hosts. You're left to your own devices if preferred but they're always happy to pop by and give you information and tips of visiting the local area. We loved meeting the other inhabitants which included two gorgeous donkeys in the paddock across the road! The cottage is situated in the perfect spot for exploring and the drive from Toulouse was straightforward. There are walks directly from the house, the adjacent villages are rustic and beautiful, and we recommend a visit to the one restaurant in Castlenau Durban, "Chez Victor." We also recommend visiting a local market one morning, if only for the cheese - nearly every day there's a market easily accessible in a nearby town. The only downside of our holiday is we didn't want to come home - we're all looking forward to our next visit already.
Comment from paula chatlani
Great - thank you it was good to meet you !
Patrick from Gorinchem,
Het voelt echt als thuiskomen. Tourné is een geschikte plek om helemaal bij te tanken. Het huisje ligt tussen de groene uitlopers van de Pyreneeën en heeft een mooie grote tuin met een leuk riviertje. De gastvrijheid van Paula en Ram is uitzonderlijk. Wij en onze kinderen hadden alle ruimte om gebruik te maken van alle faciliteiten die de locatie biedt. De omgeving is schitterend en er is veel te doen binnen een half uurtje rijden.
Comment from paula chatlani
geweldig, dank je. altijd leuk om jou en je familie elke zomer te zien!