Two Gîtes, Heated Pool next to Canal du Midi, Carcassonne

Canal View Cottage details

Home description

At the edge of a lovely, typically French village in the south Minervois right alongside the spectacular Canal du Midi and only 15 minutes away from the famous walled medieval city of Carcassonne. Both the Canal and the City are UNESCO world heritage sites.

You have the choice of 2 fully equipped, self catered, independant gîtes each sleeping 4, which can prove to be an ideal base to explore the many attractions in and around the area and are available to rent 365 days of the year.

If you only want to have a leisurely stroll, cycle along the canal towpath or take time to explore further a field and visit the many Cathar Churches and fabulous vineyards for a spot of wine tasting which the Languedoc is famous for. The Mediterranean beaches are less than 1 hour drive away and Spain can be reached in less than 2 hours.

External features on site

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

Because the Canal is so close it provides a great source of entertainemnt watching the boats navigate up and down throught the locks.  Visit a set of 9 locks in Beziers ? 

Carcassonne Medieval City is a great day out.  Plenty of shops, cafes and restaurants to keep you busy and these are open well into the evening in summer. Walk around the city walls and see it's 52 turrets.

Working windmills, caves, pottery, winemaking and plenty more of activities to find.

The Grape Harvest (Vendange) normally begins around the first week in September.

Restaurants

We will happily recommend restaurants to visit in and around the region starting from a 3 course basic lunch menu at 12 euros to 4 star dining.

Beaches

The Mediteranean Sea is only 40 minutes away and has plenty of good quality clean beaches.  See our list in the gites.  Don't forget there are several great lakes close by that offer beaches and water sports without having to travel to the Sea.

Accommodation detail

Canal View Cottage has the advantage of fabulous views overlooking the Canal du Midi and across the vineyards to the "Montagne Noire" in the distance. You can sit on the patio area watching the boats navigate their way up and down the lock on the canal and watch the French people go about their everyday life.

• Sitting Room/Dining room: Sofa, armchairs, coffee table, Unit & lamps. Uplighter and reading lamp. DVD, TV , Radio/CD player.  Dining table & chairs.
• Kitchen: Full size cooker, fridge/freezer, dishwasher, microwave, toaster, kettle, coffee maker.
• Utility Room: Washing machine, laundry basket, pegs, sink, iron & ironing board, vaccum, brushes etc.
• WC
• Double Bedroom: Double bed, bedside tables, lamps, alarmclock/radio, wardrobe, drawers. Fantastic views over canal and vineyards towards the hills.
• Twin bedroom: Twin beds, bedside table and lamp. Chest of drawers. Extra wardrobe on the landing.
• Shower room: Shower unit. Vanity unit and washbasin, hairdryer

On the patio there is a table and chairs for outside dining next to a spacious barbecue area. Sun loungers are provided.  Great views of the canal and vineyards.

About the location

The village of Marseillette is midway between Carcassonne and Olanzac in the southern Minervois region of the Languedoc.  It sits between the Canal du Midi and the river Aude. Trebes close by offers all the necessary facilities such as; grocers, petrol, supermarkets, chemist, newsagent banks etc. All major stores and supermarkets are generally found in Carcassonne. There is a mini supermarket in Capendu 2 kilometres away that stocks most items and is open 7 days a week.

Rain in the summer is very rare and tends to result from occasional storm activity which is localised. If you are unfortunate enough to experience rain, then it tends to be a large burst in a very short space of time.

The average maximum temperatures for the Minervois are as follows:

• January 11°C
• February 12°C
• March 15°C
• April 18°C 
• May 22°C
• June  27°C
• July  30°C
• August  30°C
• September 26°C
• October 21°C
• November 15°C
• December 12°C 

The gîtes are ideally situated to visit the many attractions. Whether you want to walk around the walls of the medieval city (Le Cité) steeped in history or to dip your toes in the sea at the sun drenched beaches of the Mediterranean.

The region is surrounded by vineyards and stunning countryside. You would never be short of places to visit or walk.  Plenty of Domaines / Vineyards localy offer wine tasting.

Carcassonne - The medieval walled city dates back to the 6th Century. It has 52 towers and 2 miles of ramparts and is still inhabited to this day. The setting for several films such as Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves.

The Montagne 

The Montagne Noire (Black Mountains) to the north has stunningly beautiful scenery with charming mountain villages beautiful for walking or leisurely drives.   Behind us are the Alaric mountains that offer great walks and far reaching views.

Local markets 

Wednesday in Lezignan, Sunday in Narbonne and Saturday in Carcassonne offers great places to pick up fresh local and seasonal produce. The Saturday market in Revel or Carcassonne is a must to see the authentic French way of life and buy local produce.  Mirepoix market on a Monday is great for picking up all the local produce and stopping to have a coffee. Limoux offers a great market in their old village square surrounded interesting architecture.

Explore

Assorted Wine trails, Several Cathar Churches near by dating back over 800 years, African Animal Reserve within ½ hours drive at Sigean, Inland salt water lakes with Flamingos at Peyriac de Mer & Bages again less than ½ hour drive away.

Mountains

Rolling hills, vineyards, cathedrals, churches, lakes, gorges, rivers, rafting, and sailing what ever your interests will all be catered for close by.

France is renowned for its food and drink. There are certainly no shortages of places to eat and drink to suit all tastes and pockets close by. More local information is available on site.

• Canal du Midi UNESCO world heritage site On site
• Carcassonne UNESCO world heritage site 20 kms
• Mediterranean Sea 60 kms
• Boulangerie, Post Office & Butchers in village
• Horse riding 5 kms
• Swimming in lake 2 kms
• Fishing in canal On site
• Carcassonne Airport 20 kms
• Railway station 20 kms

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

Activities near by

Adventure park, Badminton, Bird Watching, Boating, Boules, Canoeing, Canyoning, Cycling, Fishing, Go karting, Golf, Gourmet dining, Hiking, Horse riding, Kayaking, Mountain biking, Rambling, Riverside activities, Sailing, Shopping, Sightseeing, Skiing, Squash, Swimming, Tree adventure park, Walking, Water sports, White water rafting, Wind Surfing, Wine tasting, Wine touring

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

How to get here

Airports

Several airports are in close proximity. Carcassonne, Toulouse, Beziers, Montpellier, Nimes, Perpignan, Girona & Barcelona.  Ryanair serves Carcassonne & Perpignan with regular inexpensive flights. Toulouse and Montpelier airports are also approx 1 hour away. Also Beziers has recently expanded to include UK flights. Inexpensive car hire direct from all the local airports can take the strain from driving down and help you reach the sunshine quicker and hopefully more refreshed.

Further international flights via Nimes, Girona and Barcelona are also an option with discount airlines and only a couple of hours drive away.

Trains 

Nearest train station is in Carcassonne. Motorail runs to Toulouse & Narbonne.

Ferries

From Calais it's approximately a 10 hour drive via the Auto-routes plus comfort breaks.

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