Holiday Village House in Arnave, Nr. Tarascon-sur-Ariege, Midi Pyrenees
In Beautiful Setting, Village has Won Several Equivalent 'Village in Bloom' Awards
5km from Tarascon/Mercus, Delightful Location in Charming Traditional French Village
Sleeps up to 6 people in 3 Bedrooms
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This lovely bright and spacious 3 bedroom traditional Ariegeoise village house sleeps up to 6 comfortably. 1½ hours drive south from either Toulouse or Carcassonne airports and offers great all year round accommodation. The house benefits from traditional wooden floors, a tranquil location, surrounded by stunning scenery, rivers, hilltop farms and yet only 5 minutes drive from the busy and attractive riverside town of Tarascon-sur-Ariege and equidistant to Mercus with its own bakers, cafe, etc. The small picturesque mountain village of Arnave nestles in a small valley with its own tributary of the Ariege River, the River Arnave. The village is easily accessible and is ideal for family holidays, walkers, cyclists, house-hunters or for winter ski-ing in the Pyrenees. The gentle flow of the River Arnave can be heard as it runs across the pebbled riverbed from the front bedrooms and the dining room of this traditional house. River beach and swimming pools are within 5/10 mins drive.
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| Rental periods | House with 1-6 occupants | Special couple offer 2 people only |
| April - June 2009 | £375 | £325 |
| July / August 2009 | £525 | £475 |
| September 2009 | £425 | £375 |
Notes on prices
Prices above are for a weekly rental and includes, electricity, gas (for central heating), wood for wood burner (if required) bed linen and bath towels. Special offers for 2 people only. Nightly rates available - whatever the size of your party!
Special discount September 2008.
Changeover day
Changeover day is flexible. There are daily rates – available on request. Check out is at 10.00 am.
Accommodation
| Bedrooms: | Bedroom 1 - double bedroom with king-size French style bed Views of river & village. Bedroom 2 - twin bedroom with adult sized single beds views of river & village. Bedroom 3 - twin bedroom with adult sized single beds views of hills & village. |
| Bathrooms: | Downstairs toilet. Upstairs, clean and modern bathroom with shower, wash basin and toilet with views over the balcony and hills beyond. |
| Kitchen: | A charming kitchen leading directly off the dining room which has a table and chairs for 6 people. It has a cooker, oven, microwave, washing machine and has crockery, glasses and cutlery for 6 people. |
| Living Rooms: | On entering the house, you enter sitting/dining room with original stone built wall and woodburner. There is plenty of wood for burning in the barn. This bright room overlooks the river at the front of the house. There is also a TV, DVD player and books. |
| Other: | From the upstairs landing, one is able to access a large south facing balcony which extends the full width of the back of the house and has views over the mountains and fields behind, plus the River Arnave which runs from the side of the village. |
| Cleaning/towels/ linen/maid service: |
Clean towels, bedlinen are provided. A change of linen and towels is provided at the end of each week if it our guests are staying for 2 weeks or more. |
Notes on accommodation
This is a quiet, peaceful and beautiful village. The river is only 15m away from the front of the house so small children may need to be supervised. However, the river is generally very shallow and therefore it doesn't represent any realistic danger. There is gas central heating (for the cooler months), plus a large woodburning fireplace (with safety screen) and hot water. There is a collection of DVDs and books (including those for children) as well as games/radio/CD and MP3 Player.
This bright spacious house has a warm and cosy feel in the winter but very cool & airy in the hot summer months. The sound of the river running through the village has a calming effect on those who stay there. A place to unwind and to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
There is ample space for parking opposite the house.
- hob/stove,
- oven,
- fridge/freezer,
- microwave,
- washing machine,
- iron/ironing board,
- tv,
- central heating,
- pets accepted
Outside
At the back of the house is a pretty private south facing courtyard garden which is ideal for breakfast, al fresco dining, barbeques, or apéritifs. Our guests will benefit from the outside table and chairs. Guests can also store their bicycles in the closed barn at the back of the house. There is access to the river nearby via a few steps where it is possible to walk along the walled riverbank. A glass of wine by the waters edge on a calm summers evening is perfectly feasible.
A gentle walk through the picturesque village to look the stunning floral displays is also a delight as well as the charming village houses situated alongside the river bank up through the village. Just outisde the village and up into the mountains are fabulous mountain roads where one can either walk, cycle or drive and take in the breath-taking views over the surrounding area.
Coast/Beach
There is a river beach at the Basse Nautique at Mercus, a 5 minute drive. The water here is safe for swimming. There are public swimming pools at Tarascon, Les Cabannes, Varilhes & Pamiers. The beaches of the Mediterranean, Gruisson or Narbonne Plage are approx 2.5 hours away. The Atlantic coast with the coastal resorts of Biarritz and Hossegor are approx 4 hours away by car. Either coast has lovely long sandy beaches and wonderful seafood restaurants.
Golf
A 40 minute drive will take you to the very picturesque and beautiful golf course at La Bastide de Serou. There is a clubhouse; small restaurant and equipment hire is possible for visitors of the club.
Skiing
The ski resorts of Ax Bonascre, Les Monts D’Olmes & Ascou Pailhes are approximately 25, 40 & 45 minutes drive away respectively. Bonascre is the largest resort in the area and has approximately 75 kms of piste for all levels of downhill ski-ing. Plateau de Beille near Les Cabannes has kilometres of fine cross-country ski-ing for all levels of skier too. All the resorts mentioned have bars and restaurants. Bonascre can also be reached via train from Tarascon train station (a 5 minute drive). At Ax-Les-Thermes a free cable car can take skiers to the resort but it is also possible by car with 4 wheel drive or chains. See www.ax-ski.com for further information.
Special interest holidays
The owner of the house is a keen and avid cyclist and is offering cycling holidays during the weeks of the Tour de France. (see owner’s website below for further details on these holidays).
Travel
A car, motorbike or bicycle is essential to get to the village of Arnave. Storage for motorbikes & bicycles is behind the courtyard in a closed barn at the back of the house. Arnave is a 5km drive from Tarascon-sur-Ariege and about 90 minutes south of either Toulouse or Carcassonne airports. Full directions can be given on booking.
Distances
Mercus is a small village 5km away and has a baker, bar and tabac. Equidistant is the large and attractive bustling town of Tarascon. Here there are many bars, restaurants and good local amenities and an open air market each Wednesday morning. Foix the administrative capital of the Ariege is about 20kms away. Pamiers, the commercial capital of the Ariege is about 30km away. The beautiful medieval town of Mirepoix is also about 30km away.
Further details
Arnave has the oldest Romanic chapel of the region - Chapelle St Paul. According to legend the curious black stone in the step is believed to cure epileptics should they sleep on it. A mobile baker delivers delicious fresh bread, croissants, pain au chocolate every morning to the village except on Mondays. There is also a mobile grocer who delivers groceries to the village every Wednesday. Nearby the house, just outside Tarascon is the interesting ‘Parc Prehistoric’ and ‘Les Caves de Niaux’, which show some prehistoric history of the area. For those guests who enjoy watersports, about 5 mins drive is ‘Base Nautique ’ where there are canoeing facilities. At Mercus (a 5 minute drive) there is a river beach for bathing, canoeing, water ski-ing, pedal & sail boats. Tarascon, Les Cabannes & Foix all have municipal pools. The area around Tarascon runs deep with Cathar history and boasts wonderful mountainous scenery, rivers, lakes, waterfalls and gorges, most of which are within an hour’s drive from the house. This is ideal terrain for walkers, joggers, keen cyclists or anyone who enjoys the outdoor life and clean fresh mountain air. Kayaking is possible at Ussat Les Bains on the Ariege River and is ideal for children & adults alike. There are a number of Cathar castles, notably the nearest being Montsegur and Foix. The views from the top of Montsegur are breathtaking.
Booking notes
A 30% deposit if payable at the time of booking and the 70% balance is payable 6 weeks prior to the rental. A separate Security Deposit (towards any damage/cleaning necessary) of £150 is also payable at this time.
Guest comments
"Beautiful house, great company, fantastic scenery, best time ever. Thank you very much."
"Enjoyed everything about the house, the local area, the ski-ing, a fantastic place for getting away from it all. Thank you."
"Loved the house, home from home, locals very friendly and had a superb time. Would love to come again. Thank you."
For booking and further information
Jin Heer
Tel: (UK) +44 (0)1273 550819
Mobile: (UK) +44 (0)786 2239834
Email: Click here
Owners Website: Click here
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This advertiser joined Owners Direct in September 2006,
and has advertised this property with us since September 2006.
Property Ref FR1475
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