18th Century Farmhouse with Two Luxury Gites on Banks of Canal Du Midi

Le Tournesol details

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Le Domaine Gabachou

Swimming pool

Beautiful Canal

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 truly 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 unwind in the beautiful surroundings, disturbed only by the sound of canal boats as they gently glide by.

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 lucky in that Le Gabachou is uniquely located on the banks of the Canal Du Midi landscaped gardens are completely enclosed offering seclusion and privacy to guests but we are still less than a half hour drive to the stunning medieval cite of Carcassonne this really is rural France at it's best where our noisiest neighbors are the frogs that croak loudly from the safety of the canal bank.

A short walk 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.

But, of course we're biased, so don't take our word for it just listen to the comments from our guest books

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

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

'' The house and the grounds are beautiful. Adrian & Sharon have been warm, welcoming hosts and we intend returning to this haven...........''

External features on site

• Barbecue
• Garden
• Swimming pool (shared use)

Accommodation detail

Le Tournesol dining area

Le Tournesol kitchen

Le Tournesol Bedroom

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The second (smaller) gite is Le Tournesol, which sleeps 2 guests

Accommodation is all on one level:

• Large lounge and dining room - decorated in a contemporary and bright style set off by black and white floor tiles throughout the gite. There are two comfy sofas at one end of the lounge area. At the other end of the room is a circular dining table and chairs and small bookcase.Double windows at each end of the room look out onto the front gardens and chesnut trees. In late summer grapes hang over the front entrance and wall of this gite.
• Separate large kitchen - modern and fully equipped with cooker, fridge/freezer, washing machine. Kitchen window overlooking the back lawns.
• Double bedroom - with queen sized bed, wardrobe, side drawer units. Window looking out onto small shrubbery and back lawns 
• Bathroom - with large shower, WC

Outside:

Rear door to the back of the gite leads onto a small enclosed rear terrace with table, chairs and barbecue. (There is also a table and chairs under the shady chesnut trees at the front of the farmhouse for guests of Le Tournesol to use).

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.