Gîte Fitou
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The house
Fitou is perfect for a couple or small family as there is a sofa bed available in the living room. There is a large double bedroom and open plan dinning/kitchen living area. Access to a private garden with views across the pleine.
We bought our home, Domaine La Castagne in April 2019. It gave us the opportunity to create Nature’s Pace Holidays to help people to share in the beauty and tranquility of Domaine La Castagne and the beautiful Lauragais countryside. We felt that ‘au temps de la nature’ perfectly describes what we are trying to achieve to do, we want to give people time:
Time to connect to nature
Time to connect with the region
Time to connect with each other
It offers tranquility in this relatively undiscovered part of South West France with a small group of four gites in a converted stone built farmhouse and outbuildings only 45 minutes from Toulouse.
The gites share a heated swimming pool, a wild meadow, children’s play area and petanque court. Comfortable interiors with private gardens and terraces with BBQs to enjoy eating outside on the warm summer evenings. A place to unwind and relax. Domaine La Castagne is our home so we will be around to try to help you with your questions and to help you to make your stay what you want it to be.
Kitchens are equipped to help you to make the most of the local food. Shower rooms with fresh towels and beds made ready for your arrival. For 2020 we will also have a small on-site shop for those essential items as well as many local products including wine, cheese, beer, jam and olive oil.
There are many outdoor spaces, comfortable seating in our shaded barn area and a separate enclosed terrace for reading a book or enjoying a glass of wine.
We also have plenty of games and activities for both young and old
Jenga
Badminton
Board games
Table tennis
Petanque
Trampoline
Slides
Facilities
- Independent
- No smoking
- Local contact
- Ecological
- Washing machine
- Iron
- Fenced garden
- High chair
- Playground
- TV
- Internet
- Hair dryer
- With swimming pool
- Heated pool
Availability of 'Gîte Fitou'
Surroundings
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We are located in the small village of Montmaur in Aude just over the border with the Haute-Garonne. Surrounded by beautiful countryside in a tranquil setting where the loudest noise is the birds and the frogs!
Our great location is perfect for a rural escape from hectic lives without having to spend hours in the car to reach us. Only 45 minutes from both Toulouse and Carcassonne airports and accessible from both the A61 motorway and the main railway line between Toulouse and the Mediterranean. The cycle path ‘La Rigole de la Pleine’ stretching from the Canal du Midi to Revel and on to Lac de Saint-Ferréol lies on the other side of the village if you are travelling by bike or by boat.
You can reach us by car, bike or train. We would like to support guests who arrive by train or by bike and will pick you and your luggage up from our nearest train station at Villefranche de Lauragais on the Toulouse to Narbonne mainline. We are only half an hour from Toulouse by train and you can put your bike on the train free of charge. Please let us know when you make your booking so that we can plan around your arrival time. If travelling by car we are only 15 minutes from the Villefranche de Lauragais exit of the A61 making mountains, cities, castles and the coast accessible
Lakes
We are surrounded by lakes where you can swim, sail, paddle board canoe, walk, ride and play. Lac de Saint-Ferréol is part of the system that feeds the Canal du Midi. This is the perfect place for a day out whatever the season or weather; walk around the lake, have a picnic, swim, sail or pedalo all afternoon. There is also Lac de Ganguise which offers sailing, windsurfing, canoeing, tennis, horse riding, hiking, fishing and mountain biking. Lac de la Thesaque offers an inflatable water park in the hot summer months, pedalo and canoe hire, several cafes and restaurants and well maintained picnic areas.
Cathar history
We are in the heart of the ‘pays de cathar’, a fascinating but ultimately tragic period in French history which has left fortified chateaux dotted across the landscape and many fascinating sites to visit. From the spectacular Chateau Saissac and Les quatre chateaux de Lastours to the medieaval Abbey of Saint Papoul and the tragic stories of Les Casses right on our door step. A visit to the restored mediaeval castle of Carcassonne is a must. The walls of the castle dominate the surrounding plain.
Walking and cycling
The surrounding countryside offers both gentle and more challenging cycling and walking for all levels with many routes with views across the plain, hills and mountains. We can arrange bike hire for you.
Follow the Rigole across the Pleine and up to Lac Saint Ferreol.
Follow the Canal du Midi to Castelnaudary. Try many of the surrounding restaurants as part of a day out on the bike such as the restaurant at Lac du Lenclas, a nice cycle ride along the Rigole with a great menu.
There are many areas close by with walking trails such as Le Lac de La Ganguise and organised routes like Seuil de Naurouze which takes in the history of the Canal du Midi on a fabulous 14.5 km ride or walk. If that does not sound like you, how about hiring a small electric boat to explore the Canal du Midi on the water.
- Rural
- In or near a village
Reviews
Gîte Fitou has received 10 reviews over the past 4 years with an average of:
Seilberger from Breda,
Vriendelijk echtpaar, behulpzaam, heerlijk zwembad, technisch wat rommelig, echt Frans, zouden wat definitief aan muggen-wering kunnen doen. Wat lastig om in de omgeving restaurant te reserveren, vooral vd locals. We hebben genoten.
Katri from Southampton,
Beautiful place and very peaceful, we had great holiday and Peter and Liz could not have been any more helpful. We found excellent places, restaurants and fates that we would never have found without their help and knowledge. We loved the swimming pool and it was a relaxing environment. Our gite had everything we need. We would truly recommend Nature's Pace Holidays to everyone! Thank you Peter and Liz
Dave Esseveld from Zoetermeer,
We hebben een heerlijke tijd gehad. Het is er heerlijk rustig. de omgeving is mooi. veel kleine dorpjes. Peter en Liz zijn erg behulpzaam en willen zorgen voor een fijne vakantie iedereen. De tent had alle voorzieningen. Het bijgebouw waar de douche en wc zich bevinden was ook erg netjes. Ook de keuken had alles wat we nodig hadden.
Ook kregen we genoeg informatie om dingen te doen in de omgeving.
AQUAPARC Lauragais was erg leuk om te bezoeken.
Al met al zijn we lekker tot rust gekomen en hebben we een fijne tijd gehad.
Restaurants, food & wine
One of the best things about this region for us, is the rich food and wine heritage. We are surrounded by producers and restaurants which offer a rich food culture. The famous local dish cassoulet is claimed by our nearest town Castelnaudary. You will have the opportunity to taste in one of the many restaurants in Castelnaudary or buy a ready made cassoulet, or see what a local variation tastes like at Relais de Riquet, on the Canal du Midi, with their wide ranging wine selection or the more modern menu of Le Pas de Narouze located by the Bassin de Naurouze on the Canal du Midi offering very reasonably priced set menus serving high quality modern French food.
For a more special gourmet experience there is L’ Auberge du Poids Public in the historic village of Saint Felix de Lauragais. The dining room boasts fabulous views across the Pleine de Lauragais and outstanding food including a vegetarian menu and is mentioned in the Michelin Guide.
The restaurant at Lac d’Enclas offers a good quality family friendly French dining experience with easy parking and a lovely walk around the lake and a children’s playground.
On of our passions if food and we are lucky to be surrounded by small artisan producers that we have discovered in order stock our on site shop. Many of these are available for visits, so taste the cheese, meet the producer. We even have an olive oil producer in our village!
We also have many wine regions nearby with interesting appellations that combine Mediterranean and Atlantic grapes such as Malpere, Minervois and Cabardes delivering complex reds and fabulous roses. We also have Gaillac to the North with brilliant whites as well as their bold reds. The area is also a centre for development of organic wine making, with many organic vineyards as well as our friends at Brequet, the organic brewery nearby.
Markets
We are located at the heart of the Lauragais agricultural landscape which gives us access to local food and a fascinating range of markets. The most famous are Revel and Mirepoix which are both held in medieval market places with a large range of both local and organic producers. Our nearest market is at Villefranche de Lauragais every Friday where you can buy anything you need, and many things you did not know you needed. We found the best strawberries we have ever tasted! In all there are nearly 20 markets in and around the Lauragais.
Other amenities
Our nearest boulangerie, pharmacy, doctors and small supermarket are in the village of Labastide-d’Anjou 6km away. There are several other villages nearby with boulangeries and other amenities. Our nearest town is Villefranche-de-Lauragais which has a range of independent shops, boulangeries, boucheries, bars and restaurants and a large Hyper-U supermarche. Castelnaudary is only 20 minutes in the car.
Activities
Domaine La Castagne is a large site with many different features for young and old to enjoy and explore throughout the year.
• Heated outdoor swimming pool (11 x 5m)
• Outdoor play area with slides, sunken trampoline, swings, badminton, goal and seating
• A shaded barn with space to dine, drink, sit or play table tennis, table football or Jenga
• Pétanque terrain with boules supplied in each gite
• Meadow for adventures or to enjoy nature
• Secluded seating throughout with hammock, sun loungers, tables and chairs in lots of different spots to enjoy all the views and beautiful spaces
Our gites provide a great location for a rural escape from hectic lives without having to spend hours in the car to reach us. Only 45 minutes from both Toulouse and Carcassonne airports with very good road links with the A61 motorway only 15 minutes away that. We are a great base to explore the Lauragaise and beyond:
• Swim, walk or sail at Lac de Saint-Ferréol, Lac le Lac de la Ganguise
• Explore Cathar castles
• Experience Carcassonne
• A day out in Toulouse
• Sample the local markets such as Revel and come back to cook the perfect supper
• Cycle and walk through the undulating surrounding country side
• Take a tour of an organic vineyard or brewery
• Hire a bike and cycle to Castelnaudary along the Canal du Midi and try the real Cassoulet
• Visit some of local producers who grow and make the products we sell in our on site shop
• A day out at the beach by the Mediterranean
- Near hiking trails
- Near ATB trails
- Fishing
Further remarks
Domaine La Castagne enjoys a beautiful setting in the heart of the Lauragais countryside, surrounded by history, culture and many great things to do. Lauragais is a region in the French department of Occitanie that sits between Toulouse and Carcassonne. For more information see the Lauragaise Tourisme website.
Additional price info and offers
Price includes
Cleaning fee, Towels, Bed linen
Price exclusive
- Safety deposit € 150.00