Farmhouse in Aude, France

La Maison d'Olives details

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Le Domaine Gabachou

Beautiful Canal

Swimming Pool

Swimming Pool

Chesnut trees at the front of the house

Garden View

Garden view leading up to the Canal du Midi

Sunflowers at the field behind the house

Sundial

Swimming Pool

Home description

If you enjoy staying in stylish accommodation, with all those extra little touches that make a holiday truly memorable and make you feel special as a guest, then, just maybe, the gites at Le Gabachou are for you. 

Choose that novel you've always been meaning to read from our complimentary book collection (perhaps Kate Mosse's Labyrinth?). Then carefully pour yourself a glass of chilled rose, find a sunny spot by the pool, pull up a chair and slowly allow yourself to unwind and relax in the beautiful surroundings, disturbed only by the sound of canal boats as they gently glide by.

This year, included in the rental price is use of modern cycles. We also have a boat  (moored at the end of the garden) which can be hired by the day for a modest charge.

Tempted yet? If not, perhaps you'd like to read on......

The two gites are equipped to the highest standards - comfortable sofas to curl up on, large cosy beds to collapse into after a hard day's sunbathing, soft pillows and quality furnishings to ensure a real 'home from home'.

Still not tempted?...... well - this should just about clinch it

We're very fortunate in that Le Gabachou is uniquely located on the banks of the Canal Du Midi - the landscaped gardens are completely enclosed offering seclusion and privacy to guests, but within just a few metres of the pool, you can literally walk onto the canal towpath through a gate from the garden. 

So this really is rural France at it's best -where our noisiest neighbours are the frogs and toads that croak loudly from the safety of the canal bank each evening.

A short walk along the towpath will take you up to the Port De Bram where you can eat lunch canalside, watch all the boats going by and then hire bikes afterwards, if you're feeling energetic, to work off those extra calories.

Jump in the car and you can be in the centre of Carcassonne within 30 minutes.

Ok - we admit it - yes, we are of course totally biased about Le Gabachou and its location, so please don't take our word for it - read what   previous visitors have written in our guest books

''Le Gabachou looked like a dream place on the website and in reality was everything we had hoped for and more........''

"We have never been so relaxed and chilled as a family and there is no question why........this is the most lovely peaceful place we've ever been to on holiday.."

'' I never expected to find such a wonderful place at the end of the very bumpy! long stretching road.....my only regret is that it is time to leave.."

 ''We have stayed in many gites in France over the years and Le Gabachou is one of the very best........''

Accommodation detail

La Maison D'Olives Lounge

La Maison d'Olives main bedroom

La Maison D'Olives Kitchen

La Maison D'Olives

Courtyard at the side - great space for bbq's

Lounge

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Renovated to an exceptionally high standard, offering accommodation for up to 4 guests.

Ground floor:

• Spacious lounge - with traditional beamed ceiling, exposed stone walls and terracotta flooring. Comfortably and stylishly furnished with two large sofas, welsh dresser and bookcase. Satellite TV with free to view channels. DVD player with selection of films. Light and airy room with windows on three sides - wonderfully cool on hot sultry days, lovely and cosy in the evenings. 
• Farmhouse kitchen/dining room - well equipped with cooker, microwave, fridge, separate freezer, washing machine,(small sized)dishwasher and all modern kitchen essentials. Large dining table seats six. Rear door from kitchen leads out to small gravelled patio, hedged with lavender to lawned area at the rear of the farmhouse. 

First floor:

A large wooden spiral staircase leads up from the lounge onto a large landing with window overlooking fields of sunflowers and wheat in summer. 

• Bedroom 1 - this is a very spacious room, views on to front garden and chestnut trees. Furnished with a king sized bed, built in wardrobes.
• Bedroom 2 - twin room overlooking gravelled courtyard below. Built in wardrobe.
• Large Bathroom - with basin, loo, bath with shower over

Outside:

Private courtyard to the side of the gite with large table, chairs and barbecue.

About the location

The farmhouse is situated next to the Canal Du Midi just 4 kms from the ancient circular village of Bram . Less than 20kms away is the medieval cite of Carcassonne and the surrounding area is famous for mysterious Cathar Castles and churches, all steeped in legend; such as the church at Rennes-le-Chateau, which featured in Dan Brown's 'Da Vinci Code'. Read Kate Mosse's 'Labyrinth' and walk the old streets of Carcassonne following in the footsteps of the  heroines of her book.

This unique part of the Aude inspired two very popular television programmes for chefs John Burton Race, who recorded a year of relocating to France in nearby Montferrand (TV series/book ‘French Leave’) and more recently Rick Stein. Rick followed the Canal du Midi (sailing directly past the gardens of Le Gabachou en route - we even got a wave!) with his ‘French Odyssey’ TV series. Both were of course attracted to the culinary diversity, traditional French way of life and beautiful scenery of this area.

Drive through sleepy hamlets, visit nearby Montolieu, the ‘village of the books’, sample the colourful,busy markets of Ravel and Mirepoix, enjoy the numerous village fetes and brocantes held virtually every weekend in the summer………….or head to the coast – Narbonne and Gruissan's sandy beaches are less than an hours drive.
Alternatively visit Toulouse for museums, exhibitions or just ‘people watching’ in one of the numerous cafes on Place Capitole.

This is also the land of famous Languedoc wines such as Minervois, Malpere and Cabardes, and the area is developing a real reputation for the quality of it's up and coming organic wines. Nearby Castelnaudary (home to the French Foreign Legion - look out for their trademark white caps) is famous for cassoulet and Limoux produces the sparkling wine ‘Blanquette’.

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

Activities near by

Boating, Cycling, Fishing, Golf, Riverside activities, Sightseeing, Walking, Wine touring

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

How to get here

Easy access by car from the A61-E80 Narbonne/Toulouse Autoroute.

Regular Ryanair flights to Carcassonne from Stansted, Dublin, Liverpool and East Midlands - Le Gabachou is only about 20 minutes drive from the airport.

Alternatively British Airways, Easyjet, Flybe, Air France and bmibaby fly to Toulouse from London and several regional airports - Toulouse being less than an hour's drive. There are also regular train services to Carcassonne, Castelnaudary and Bram which connect into the high speed TGV rail services throughout France.

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