Elegantly Restored Château with Panoramic Views

Château Ventenac details

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Chateau Ventenac, across vineyards from R. Aude

Chateau Ventenac with gardens and pool

View of Pyrenees from first floor bedroom

Home description

Château Ventenac sits majestically above the Canal du Midi, with panoramic views over the fields of the Minervois wine-growing region and to the hills of Corbieres and the Pyrenees beyond. There has been a château on this site for more than a thousand years. The current house was built just over a hundred years ago and, while it is equipped with all the luxuries of twenty-first century life, the château and its beautiful grounds retain an elegant period charm. The English owners have recently restored part of this 19th century stone castle to create a comfortable family home and chambres d’hôtes accommodation.

The Chateau is available for unique self-catering holidays all year, as well as bed and breakfast and courses during Spring and Autumn.

Accommodation detail

One of the bedrooms

Our beautiful Chateau is fully equipped for 14 (+2) people. All rooms are beautifully and traditionally decorated with polished original oak parquet floors and spectacular fireplaces. The rooms are fully equipped to make sure you have everything you need.

Ground floor

• Kitchen - the large traditional French kitchen has everything you might need including a starter pack of kitchen/bathroom supplies.
• Dining hall - has a refectory style dining table for 16 and opens out onto a charming balcony terrace. The drawing room provides a cool oasis with comfortable sofas and chairs. There is a second sitting room on the top floor with a TV/ video , DVD, and CD players.

First floor

• 3 Double Bedrooms - are large with fabulous south facing views and ceiling fans and are all en suite. 

Second floor

• 3 Double Bedrooms
• 2 Bathrooms - both with bath and showers,
• Family sitting room - large room

The accommodation is very flexible and extra single beds for children can easily be added.

Gardens

We are still in the process of restoring the beautiful gardens to their former glory but there are many shady spaces with garden furniture for relaxing and reading. At the bottom of the garden is the pool (8 metres by 4 metres) with sun loungers, chairs and tables and a lovely shady pergola. Steps lead down to a private lockable wrought iron entrance gateway leading onto the Canal du Midi (and only 50yds from the Vente de Vin where the local wine costs 2 euros for a litre!).

About the location

Château Ventenac sits above the Canal du Midi in the village of Ventanac en Minervois and, as you approach along winding roads through fields of vines, the impressive building dominates the landscape. Ventenac is a delightfully peaceful and friendly village with just over 500 inhabitants, perfectly located for exploring the Languedoc region. In the village itself are two restaurants (one of which is closed during the winter) offering a wide choice of menus and informal dining, as well as a mobile bakery which is open every morning. In nearby villages there are other restaurants, plus supermarkets, bakers, general stores, tabacs, cafés and bars. The Canl du Midi, running through the village, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the canal itself provides boating, kayaking and fishing. The shop of the local cave co-operative is situated next door to the chateau and is open every evening until 8pm, selling the local AC wine - as well as vin ordinarie which costs just 1 euro per litre.

Chateau Ventenac is ideally situated for exploring the beaches, mountains, towns and villages of Le Midi. Narbonne Plage and Gruisson, just 30 minutes away, provide safe, sandy family-style beaches. Within easy reach you'll find the famous medieval walled city of Carcassonne, the ancient Roman capital of Narbonne and the historic hillside village of Minerve, with its dramatic location and Cathar roots.

Further afield, the Pyrenees are just one-and-a-half hours away and, if you are feeling adventurous, Northern Spain or, in the other direction, Provence, are easy day trips. Wine buffs will enjoy a myriad of vineyards and wine-tasting experiences throughout the regions of Corbiere and Minervois. Local markets can be found nearly any day of the week, full details of which are kept at the chateau.

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

Activities near by

Boating, Kayaking, Wine tasting, Walking, Fishing, Sightseeing, Cycling, Golf, Tennis, Swimming, Canoeing, Gourmet dining

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

How to get here

By plane - Ryanair flies to Carcassonne (35 minutes) and Perpignan (50 minutes). British Airways flies to Montpellier (1 hour 30) and Toulouse (1 hour 40).

By train - High-speed TGV trains connecting at Paris and Lille from Waterloo come directly to Narbonne, which also has a motorail terminal, just 15 minutes away from the Chateau.

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