Luxurious 1870s Villa and Two Gites with Pool

Gite Carlit details

Home description

We offer 5 chambre d'hote and 2 gites for rent. Villa Lafabrègue is a magnificent house, with two gites, situated in large beautiful gardens in the town of Prades which lies between the Mediterranean beaches and the skiing resorts of the Pyrenees at the foot of Mount Canigou.

The house, of florentine and catalan style, was built for the Lafabrègues, a catalan banking family in 1872. It remained their home for over a hundred years. It was commandeered by the Germans in 1943, attacked by the Maquisard in July 1944 and taken by the allies in 1945. Pablo (Pau) Casals was a frequent visitor and is known to have practiced and composed here after the war. Queen Elizabeth of Belgium, a musician herself, also stayed here while playing in the Casals festival.

The house sits in an acre of grounds complete with a 12 m (36 ft) x 8m (24 ft) fenced swimming pool. There are five large double/twin rooms available, three with terraces and mountain views. All rooms come with en-suite bath or shower room; refreshment trays with tea, coffee, water and biscuits; colour tv's, fans and mini fridges. Three of these rooms open out on to a large terrace where you can sit out and enjoy the mountain views to the south or west.

Breakfast for B&B rooms

An extensive continental breakfast can be taken in the grand salon, on the arched terrace overlooking the pool, or back up to your balcony. Whichever way the views are superb. Breakfast includes cereals, yoghurts, fruit, croissants, French bread, ham, cheese, fruit juice, coffee and tea. Let us know if you have any special dietary requirements.

We ask guests not to smoke in the house but you are welcome to smoke on your balcony or anywhere in the grounds.

External features on site

• Barbecue
• Fishing lake
• Garden
• Scenic views
• Swimming pool (shared use)

Accommodation detail

Completely renovated and refurbised in 2005, Gite Carlit accommodates a maximum of six people.

• Kitchen - large room 
• Living room - also a large room
• Double bedroom - with ensuite shower room
• Two twin bedrooms
• Bathroom - with shower

The gite has central heating and a wood burner

Outside

The gite is situated behind the main house and has a seated terrace area and barbecue.

About the location

The villa is a five minutes walk from the main square. Prades is a French Catalan town with a population of 6000, at the foot of Mount Canigou. It has a pretty central square overlooked by restaurants and bars, and the famous Romanesque church of St Pierre. Prades and its surroundings, rich in natural sites, are the starting point for a variety of excursions and numerous sporting and leisure activities.

The area is breathtaking in its beauty and there are plenty of wonderful hikes to be made through this dramatic countryside. Prades and the surrounding area boasts over 300 sunshine days a year, and a warm winters day can be over 20 degrees centigrade. Prades hosts an extensive and colourful market on Tuesday mornings.

Other activities include canyoning, mountain biking, horse riding, skiing, or just good old fashioned relaxing on your balcony or by the pool.

Places to Visit

Why not use Villa Lafabrègue as a base for your stay in the Pyrenees. From here there are many attractions within a short distance. If you would like organised excursions and/or walks, in small groups, then we can provide. Alternatively we are just as happy to provide you with information on all the attractions of the area.

See our website for further information on these sights: Romanesque Abbeys St Michel de Cuxa 3 km St Martin de Canigou 15 km Priory of Serrabonna 18 km Priory of Marcevol 10 km Fortified town of Villefranche de Conflent, Fort Liberia, Caves and the start of the ‘Little Yellow Train’ 8 km Eus sunniest village in france 3 km Les Orgues 19km Molitg-les-Bains spa 7 km Vernet-les-Bains spa town 13 km Vinca (lake with beach) 10 km Mediterranean beaches 45 km Ski resorts (Font Romeu, Les Angles, Pyrenees 2000, Formiguères, Puyvalador) under an hours drive Carcassonne 159 km Dali museum, Figueras, Spain 67 km Barcelona. 2.5 hrs drive.

Eating Out

There are plenty of restaurants and bars in the centre of Prades, which is a five minute walk away, so no need to worry about driving or parking. During the summer months Prades hosts the Pau Casals music festival, the Cine Rencontres French film festival, the summer Catalan university and Romanesque lectures. There are also many other events including circuses and bands in the local square.

See Local guide and map for information on nearby towns and facilities.

Activities near by

Horse riding, Mountain biking, Sightseeing, Skiing, Swimming, Walking

See Activities and attractions for more information on nearby activities and places of interest.

How to get here

Flying

You can fly to several airports Perpignan 40 mins Girona 90 mins Carcassone 90 mins Toulouse 2hrs 30 mins Barcelona 2hrs 30 mins

Train

Get the TGV from Paris to Perpignan station and take a connection to Prades station.

Driving

From Perpignan take the RN116 for about 40 km in the direction of Andorra. As you approach Prades you will reach a roundabout where you take the second exit, as though you are going straight on. Carry straight on into a narrow one way high street, this is Avenue General de Gaulle. Head all the way through until you get to a junction where you must give way. You should have a boulangerie on your right. Take the middle road which from the junction bears right. You are in Avenue Louis Prat. On the left, after about 100 m are some large green gates. Turn in and you have arrived. The sign on the wall says Lafabrègue. If you reach the Clinique St Michel or traffic lights you have gone too far.

See Local guide and map for information on nearby towns and airports.