Cabardés is ideal for a couple ; a spacious double room with an open plan lounge, kitchen and dining area. It features a small terrace overlooking the lawns and the swimming pool. 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 - The gites share a heated swimming pool (11 m*5 m), 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 - 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 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. We have very good road links with the A61 motorway only 15 minutes away. We provide a great base to explore the Lauragaise and beyond: • Swim, walk or sail at Lac de Saint-Ferréol or 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 - • Hire a bike and cycle to Castelnaudary along the Canal du Midi and try the real Cassoulet - • A day out at the beach by the Mediterranean - 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. Food, wine and beer - 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 6 km 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.
Liven up your holidays!
