La Placette - Enjoy an authentic French atmosphere in this house in a winegrowers village
Sitting room + kitchen, 2 bedrooms, bathroom, sep. toilet, roof terrace
'La Placette' is a traditional stone house in the heart of a peaceful medieval village in the Cathar country near Narbonne. It is about 250 years old and is situated in a quiet lane in the oldest part of Bizanet opposite of a 'placette' with benches and a mulberry tree. We restored it recently with loving care to the last detail keeping the charm of the passed centuries. We kept all the typical elements of the architecture of rural Languedoc (exposed stones, ancient stone sink, terra-cotta floors, ancient fireplaces, wooden beamed ceilings).
Our village has a grocery shop, a small supermarket, a baker and a butcher. On three days a week, there are market stalls on the church square selling fish, oysters, poultry and cheese.
Here you can enjoy true French 'joie de vivre' in the Corbières, far from tourist centers. There is much to discover here and we are happy to help you finding out the best markets, restaurants, wine cellars etc. and practising your French, if you want to..
Bizanet, Narbonne area, Aude, Languedoc-Roussillon, France, Europe
marks the location of the property.
Nearest airport:
Carcassonne or Perpignan at (54 miles)
distance from the nearest beach
(24 kilometres)
Nearest train station:
Narbonne at (12 kilometres)
Nearest motorway:
Narbonne sud or Lézignan at (12 kilometres)
Car
recommended
Bizanet is a quiet medieval winegrowers village of 1098 inhabitants in the Corbières, with 330 sunny days per year one of the driest regions of France. It is an old typical Languedoc village with narrow lanes, a fountain on the church place, several 'lavoirs'. Near Bizanet there is one of the most famous Cistercian abbeys, the Abbey of Fontfroide built in the XIth century. Here, you can experience the true simple everyday life in the Midi, beginning the day with a stroll to the bakery for your 'croissants' and 'baguette'.
Availability notes In June, July, August and September: rentals only from 2 weeks on. For long-term rentals from October to May, please inquire.
Rental rates for the La Placette in Bizanet, France
Quoted in *: Euros Per property Approximate equivalent in:
Dates
Rates
Period name
Begins
Ends
per week
per weekend night
per mid-week night
minimum stay
30 Aug 2008
6 Sep 2008
1 Week
20 Sep 2008
31 Oct 2008
2 Weeks
* All information without guarantee. Payment is usually accepted in the quoted currency unless the currency and the amount is specifically agreed in advance with the owner / advertiser.
Notes to the rental rates: Final cleaning (obligatory): Euro 50. Linen and towels for kitchen and bath are available for € 20 per person (no towels for beach or swimming pool). From November to April incl., electricity is charged extra. Bilingual assistance.
Wine tasting tours and French conversation lessons on request.
Please ask our terms for long-term rentals between November and April.
The house is completely antique furnished. On the ground floor, you first find the kitchen, the dining room and the living-room with 2 big ancient fireplaces in pure Languedoc style. The kitchen is modern fitted with a sink, an oven with grill, a coffee-machine etc. The fridge, dish-washer, washing-machine, microwave, toaster, iron are in the utility room next to it. In the living-room, we keep for you many books, guides and information about the Corbières, as well as other books.
On the 1st floor, you will find the bedrooms, one of which has a French bed with an en-suite toilet room, the other one has a cosy 'alcove' with single beds. The bathroom has lots of character with its antique cast iron bathtub and its old washbasin with column (it also has a toilet and an extra shower). The 2nd floor consists of the summer kitchen (again with a fridge, a coffee-machine, a sink and cooking plates) which directly opens onto the wonderful roof garden with its many Mediterranean plants.
Our traditional stone house with shuttered windows, situated in the heart of the village, keeps in mind the character and charm of the past centuries. It is completely antique furnished with furniture of old Languedoc (even the bath tub and the washbasins are ancient). Most of the time of the year, the roof garden, overlooking the tiled roofs of Bizanet, is the 'place to stay'. Even in wintertime, it is very sunny and is just inviting you for relaxing, reading, tasting a Corbières wine... This is a lovely old house to experience the French way of life in the Midi with an average of 330 days of sunshine in the year.
The Corbières, a wine region rich in contrast
The village of Bizanet, surrounded by vineyards and pine trees amidst the 'garrigue', is situated 15 minutes from Narbonne, 30 minutes from the Canal du Midi and the Mediterranean and 45 minutes from the World Heritage site of Carcassonne and the Cathar castles of Quéribus and Peyrepertuse in stunning nature. It is an ideal location for walking, biking and exploring the oldest wine region of France, the Corbières. In Bizanet, AOC-wine is sold by the litre in the wine cooperative; there is also about a dozen private wine cellars offering the most different wines for every taste.
Lots of historical and natural sites to discover
Narbonne, the previous capital town of the Roman 'provincia narbonensis', is worth a visit (archbishop's palace of the XIth century, via domitia, horreum). Roman sites are within reach (museum of Amphoralis, Oppidum of Nissan). The region around the Cathar castles is famous for its stunning nature. Every season offers its botanical richness (wild orchids, iris, genets, lavender).
The main cultural highlights are: carnivals in Narbonne (February) and Limoux (January to March), brass festival in Narbonne (May), theater festival in Narbonne (beginning of July), theater and music festival in Carcassonne (July and August), philosophy and literature meetings in Lagrasse (August).
marks the location of the property.
