Home description

This spacious house, just inside the medieval  walled town of Montaigut le Blanc, offers visual and culinary pleasures . . . is a base for unmatched hill walking and wheeled exploration of a fabled region . . . and welcomes up to 8 persons in appropriate privacy and comfort or as few as 2 in its intimate core.

The 200-square-metre (2200 square-foot) house is constructed in stone.  Most of the structure dates to Napoleonic times.  The owner’s renovation, completed in the early 2000s, transformed the structure with flair and respect for the building’s original character.  The building is on a list of architectural treasures of the commune – the regional office of the Architect of France contributed significantly to the redesign.  

From the windows, balconies and gardens there are beautiful views of the town and countryside.  Modern touches include international satellite TV, high speed internet connection, two DVD players, and free use of phones.  The gourmet kitchen was set up by professional chefs.

Accommodation detail

Our house stands on the hillside below the castle, facing south with excellent views of valley or village from all the rooms.  Rooms are finished to 21st century standards.   Stone walls up to a meter thick mean the house remains comfortable even in the hottest weather.  For cool seasons there is radiant heating in the tiled floors of the main living area, plus two efficient wood-burning stoves and free firewood.  The house is high above the main road, which passes in the valley below, and is very quiet.

The house will work well for two families (6 to 8 persons) or up to three couples, but the design also offers an intimate living environment for two. 

The intimate core

• Street entry and porch with access to the courtyard garden 
• Kitchen – modern and spacious with gas cook-top, convection oven, dishwasher and lots of workspace, plus a modern wood stove set in the original fireplace, and table for four. 
• Master bedroom with queen-sized bed and antique armoire 
• Laundry and storage room, WC and pantry

Expansive living

• Grand entry with 16th century iron gates
• Dining/salon/reception area – what was once a barn that comfortably absorbed wagons loaded with hay  has become a large, high, bright and flexible space furnished for formal dining, library, digital entertainment and reception.
• Bathroom with a Jacuzzi bathtub

Sleeping

• Bedroom one – master bedroom off hallway with a large queen-sized bed
• Bedroom two – has a double and a single bed in a large, semi-open loft
• Bedroom three – has one single bed
• Bedroom four – has two single beds on an open mezzanine
• Bedroom five – has one double bed plus DVD and second TV
• A second bathroom with a vanity and shower is central to the upstairs bedrooms

The house is fully equipped:   Washer, dryer, a kitchen to please foodies and gourmets.   High speed internet connection, satellite TV with English channels, DVD players, radio, two phones (no charge for reasonable use).   Barbecue in the garden.  Even garden tools!

You will find more pleasant surprises as you explore our home.

About the location

Located in the storied Auvergne, one of the most beautiful and unspoiled regions of France, with a warm, dry climate, milder in summer than the Midi/Provence. An area of rolling hills and farmland, lakes, rivers and striking mountains. Extensive system of marked trails for walking and tracks for all-terrain biking.

Winters are crisp and snowy in the nearby mountains. There is excellent downhill skiing (Mont Dore and Super Besse). The summer trails become cross country ski routes in winter, even in the hills around Montaigut. 

Restaurants and relais feature Auvergnat specialties. The region is famous for its cheeses:  St. Nectaire,  Pavin, Cantal, bleu d’Auvergne and many, many more. The weekly market in Champeix is a good place to buy produce, cheese, deli and charcuterie. Check La Montagne, the local newspaper, for notices of flea markets (vide greniers,  brocantes) and festivals on weekends.

Shop in Issoire (16 km) or the regional centre of Clermont Ferrand (26km). Both have fun small shops and vast supermarkets and department stores.  You will find fresh fish, fine meats, and sophisticated packaged foods (try the fish soups).  There are exciting restaurants in both cities.

Clermont Ferrand is the railway and motorway hub for the southern half of France, and has our nearest airport (26km) with frequent service via Air France from Pairs - Charles de Gaulle and other centres.

Montaigut le Blanc lies between Issoire and St. Nectaire (each with a magnificent Romanesque church). Montaigut was established between the 11^th and 13^th century, in an area of historic conflicts.  Check out the caves high on the valley cliffs, where the locals sought refuge in dangerous times.  Our castle was built by two brothers, each general of a great international army (Templars and Hospitaliers) – you can see stretches of the old town wall near our house.  

See local guide and map for information on nearby towns

 

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

How to get here

The area is seven hours by motorway from Calais.  From Paris, it is three and a half hours by train (Gare de Lyon), four to five hours by car on the motorway.  There is a good airport at Clermont Ferrand (26km) with flights to Paris Charles de Gaulle.  St. Etienne (90km) serves discount airlines.  Frequent train access to Clermont Ferrand and Issoire (16 km).

A fine base for touring, Montaigut is roughly equidistant (4 to 5 hours by car) to Bordeaux, the Pyrenées, Côte d'Azur, and the French Alps; closer to the Loire and Rhône valleys and next door to the Dordogne. 

A car is very useful but not essential.  There is parking adjacent to our house and throughout the upper village.  Motorcycles can park in our lockable courtyard.

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

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Facilities

Facility	Details
Type	Town house (Self-catering)
Bedrooms	1 single, 3 double, 1 twin
Bathrooms	2 bathroom(s)
Separate toilets	1
Capacity	8
Living Area	200 m²
Suitability	Non-smoking, Suitable for children over 6 only, Suitable for the elderly, Touring motorcyclists welcome
Linen	There will be fresh linen for your party when you arrive, at no charge
Changeover day	Saturday

Facility	Details
Internal facilities	Board Games, CD player, Central heating (electric), DVD player, Electric heaters, English satellite TV, Hairdryer, Internet access (broadband), Owner not on site, Radio, Telephone, TV, Wood burning fire or stove
Kitchen facilities	Cooker, Dishwasher, Electric hob, Electric oven, Fridge-Freezer, Gas hob, Ironing facilities, Microwave, Tumble dryer, Washing machine
Other	The house is multiple split levels: the levels are connected by easy stairs of a half storey or less.  First level is Entry/laundry/WC/pantry/kitchen.  Second level is Hall/master bedroom.  Third level is Living/dining/entry/master bathroom.  Fourth level is secondary bedroom (one double bed + one single bed)/bathroom with shower/bedroom with one single bed.  Fifth level is an open mezzanine with two single beds. Sixth level is a cosy private bedroom with one double bed. There is a courtyard with roses, patio, pergola, and a small garden with berries and herbs.  A sunny porch off the kitchen overlooks the garden, perfect for a glass of wine and croissant.
External features on site	Garden, Scenic views
Other	You will see smiling ramblers and hill walkers passing your front door at all times of the year.  The village is a cross roads of many quiet walking trails (and also tracks or "chemins" for all-terrain bicyles).  They are well marked and maintained, and you can head off in any direction and find something new.  Check out the 100 wine caves in St. Julien.  Look in our library for maps and descriptions. Birds love our court yard.  Watch and see if you can beat the record number of species sighted.

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Additional price information

• Flexible start/finish dates (other than Saturday) may be available. Ask Helen.
• Additional days may be available. Price is 70 euros per day
• Our new low rate is for double occupancy. Add 10 per cent for each additional person.
• Discounts available for stays of two weeks or more.

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