a perfect location
for country lovers
1 hour south Toulouse & Carcassonne
"Home
from home" holiday-vacation rental accommodation
in the Ariege Pyrenees (Department 09) near
Pamiers, Foix & Mirepoix, SW France
Sleeps 1-3 people
Self catering - ground floor apartment
book from 2 nights and longer all year round
price Reduction
for bookings 3 weeks or longer
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| Voted - The Sunday Times - The 100 Best Holidays in 2010 |
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| Front of St Victor du Fau Farmhouse with Gite L'Ecurie attached |
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| 12m x 6m shared swimming pool |
Wifi enabled (1Mb)
English Satellite TV
DVD player
Large Swimming Pool
Approximately
4km from the "Chemin St Jacques de Compostelle" and the village of St Victor Rouzaud
5kms from Pamiers with
very good amenities, shops, bars and restaurants
About 25 minutes drive from Foix or Mirepoix
Many local public
footpaths - "Grand Randonee"
20 hectares (50 acres) of fields and woods
Languages spoken: English & French
Telephone or Fax/Telecopie: +33 (0)561
607721 VOIP (internet) Telephone:
+33 (0)962 556115
Time zone: GMT +2
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| Take a look at Sara Spencer's Artwork |
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| See more photos of St Victor du Fau & area on Facebook |
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| Follow Gite L'Ecurie on TWITTER |
ST VICTOR DU FAU
Jeff and Sara look forward to your arrival and
offer you a warm welcome at their Ariegeoise farm, St Victor du Fau, built circa 1800’s. The farm is located 5kms to
the West of Pamiers, 1 hour south of Toulouse and Carcassonne, at the end of an 600m farm track on the boundaries
of the communes of Pamiers, St Victor Rouzaud and Escosse in the beautiful Ariege Department.
The area is known as the “Terrefort” by the locals and is an area of outstanding
natural beauty, rural and very peaceful. St Victor du Fau is on a nature reserve and sits comfortably in the middle of 50
acres of fields and woodland in a small valley surrounded by rolling hills and fabulous views, which has belonged to
the Spencer family since 2006.
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| Swimming pool and views of adjacent hills |
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| View of hills along the drive |
The roads nearby have been used by the Tour
de France in both 2006 and 2010 and is a great area for cycling enthusiasts and professionals, walkers, bird watchers, photographers
and artists amongst others. Some guests have likened the area to “French Tuscany” and consider St Victor du Fau
as a rural idyll and retreat. There is peace, tranquillity and a feeling of calm in the grounds surrounding the farmhouse.
Close by the farmhouse is a 12m x 6m swimming which our guests our guests
are welcome to use, plus of course all the grounds and woodland for those who enjoy walking - it maybe prudent to
bring suitable walking shoes for this.
The nearest town of Pamiers is a 10
minute drive with several large supermarkets, restaurants, banks and bars. Slightly further afield is Foix the capital of
the Ariege department with its pretty chateau sitting high above the town. The beautiful medieval town of Mirepoix is within
a 30 minute drive and is famous for its “couverts” (over-hanging buildings) around a central square.
For those who like to be a bit more adventurous, there is the opportunity
of walking in the Pyrenees, kayaking, canoeing, white water rafting, horse-riding, parachuting, paragliding, flying lessons,
hot air ballooning and canyoning. More information and links to these and much, much more are on our “Things to do and
see” page on this website.
Being close to the Pyrenees which are "fold" mountains, we have spa
towns within 50 minutes drive, the most popular being Ax-Les-Thermes which has spa baths for swimming. This town also
is the location for our nearest and largest ski resort in the Ariege, Ax-Bonascre. The next largest and also very popular is
Laroque D’Olmes which is about an hours drive.
For the "foodies" and people who enjoy open-air
markets, Pamiers boasts 3 per week and it is possible to attend a different market in the local area every day. Just
take your pick! There are also a number of good restaurants in Pamiers, some of which are recommended by ourselves and
can be found on this website.
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| Fields of sunflowers nearby St Victor du Fau |
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| View of the Pyrenees from our driveway |
The Ariege is renowned for its natural beauty, clean,
fresh unpolluted mountain air and one of the most undiscovered parts of France. Not much has changed here in the past
few decades. On a clear night, one is able to see the Milky Way with the naked eye and in Sabarat nearby there is a Observatory
where stars, planets and galaxies can be seen via a large telescope.
A car, motorbike or bicycle is essential to get to St Victor du Fau. There is ample parking and dry
storage.
We try to do our bit for the environment and encourage recycling (we will supply recycling bags during
your stay) and Gîte L’Écurie is fitted with low energy Eco bulbs (wherever possible).
We would welcome our guests to have the same mindset regarding the usage of electricity and water usage whilst staying here
when possible.
St Victor du Fau is at the end of a gravel
farmtrack and is not an ideal road for cars with low clearance (i.e. sports cars)
and is probably only suitable for competent motorbikers. We have a normal family car and
we can access the farmtrack easily.
Local Scenery and Walking/Hiking in the Pyrenees
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| View on a walk in the Pyrenees |
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| Local area |
Link to information on walking and hiking in the Pyrenees
Stunning views of the Pyrenees can be seen from the
end of the drive plus the rolling hills West of Pamiers and beyond. This is a fantastic location
for walks and touring the fine Cathar countryside which is steeped in history. Many local towns and places have been
mentioned in books such as The Labyrinth and The Albigensian Crusade.
Apart from walking the local area is ideal for rambling,
photography, bird watching, cycling, ski-ing, sledging, raquette walking or wildlife watching and enjoying
the beauty of the surrounding area in the clean, fresh air.
Plateau de Beille, Ariege
Plateau de Beille is at an altitude of 1790 metres above sea level and is about a 45 minute drive
from Pamiers. The road to it starts from Les Cabannes just after Tarascon on the N20 heading south.
This road has been used in many of the Tour de France and other cycling races.
Plateau de Beille is primarily a winter ski resort with cross-country ski-ing, raquettes and dog sledging with Huskies.
It is close to the Spanish border and the ski slopes are between 1650 and 2000 metres high. It is also the
most important cross-country ski resort in the Pyrenees.
Chemin de St Jacques de Compostelle
The "Chemin St Jacques de Compostelle" (The
Way of St James) an ancient pilgrims route to Spain runs straight through Pamiers and our nearest village, St Victor
Rouzaud (4kms from St Victor du Fau) then on towards Montegut-Plantaurel. Using the GR78 route (national footpath)
from Pamiers to St Victor Rouzaud the journey would take approximately 2½ hours
Throughout the
town of Pamiers, places of interest are pointed out with information boards. The route through Pamiers is detailed below
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| Wikipedia - information |
OTHER VILLAGES, TOWNS AND PLACES
There are other large towns nearby which are Foix, Mirepoix
& St Girons, plus other lovely villages of Escosse, Carla Bayle, Maz D’Azil, St Martin D’Oydes, Le Fossat,
Benagues, Madiere , Unzent, Bonnac, St Michel & Pailhes all of which are within 25 minutes drive. The Pyrenean ski
resorts of Ax-Bonascre, Les Monts D’Olmes (downhill) and Plateau de Beille & Domaine du Chioula (cross-country &
raquettes) are all possible to reach within an hour. The large walled fortress town of Carcassonne is an easy drive of about
an hour.
The seaside Mediterranean
towns of Narbonne, Gruisson & Leucate are about 1½ hours away by car. Andorra is about a 2 hour drive which
is tax-free and not part of France or the EU.
LAKES & RIVERS
There are a number of fresh
water lakes, where one can walk or swim. The nearest ones are at Lac de Mondeley, Lac de Carla Bayle or Lac de Filheit.
Mondeley and Carla Bayle both have sandy swimming beaches and the Filheit is primarily for walking and fishing. A
little further afield towards Mirepoix is Lac Montbel which is also good for swimming and has pedalos and kayaks.
Click on the link below for more information about swimming in lakes and rivers in the Ariege.
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| Lac de Mondeley |
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| The beach at Lac de Mondely |
At Mercus part of the river Ariege is set aside for
swimming, windsurfing and water teleski-ing. There is also a beach where people can sit and picnic. This is a
25 minute drive from St Victor du Fau.
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| Lac Montbel |
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| Lac du Carla Bayle |
Information on lakes, rivers and swimming in the Ariege
LOCATION, TRAVEL, DISTANCES and ACCESS
Pamiers the nearest large town has a number of bars, restaurants, supermarkets and shops and
is an hour’s drive from either Carcassonne or Toulouse airport and is just off the A66 Autoroute/N20
which then continues south to Andorra.
British Airways, Easyjet, Flybe, Air France and Jet2.com all
fly into Toulouse from the UK. Air Lingus flies into Toulouse from Dublin in Ireland. Ryanair flies into Carcassonne, Perpignan, Pau
and Girona (Barcelona). Information on car hire, airlines, airports, train travel and ferry information can
be found on the last page of this website.
Driving from the Brittany coast takes about 9 hours
& from Calais about 10 hours. We have links to recommended B&B's from the north to the south
if you would like to take a look.
Private plane flyers can take advantage of the small local airport
(for light aircraft and very
rarely, the occasional Lear Jet) at Les Pujols which is a 15 minute drive from the farmhouse.
Taxis and car hire can be arranged for our guests.
There is also Motorail from Calais
to Toulouse or Narbonne whereby one can bring their own car and travel on the train without the effort of driving
down through France.
The TGV also comes from Paris to Toulouse. There is
a navette (shuttle bus) between Toulouse Blagnac airport and Toulouse Matabiau train station and from there one is able
to get a direct (stopping) train to Pamiers which takes about 1 hour. Car hire with Europecar is also available in the
town centre should this be required.
Pamiers also has a very good train service to and from Toulouse and all stations
to Andorra. This service is operated by SNCF Ter. Toulouse is approximately one hour from Pamiers and the journey
towards the Pyrenees mountains, Tarascon & Ax-Les-Thermes is a very scenic one. Under the dropdown menu "Choisir la fiche Horaire" click the dropdown menus for trains from "Toulouse - Foix- Le Tour du Carol"
- Number 22 Trains from "Ax Les Thermes - Foix - Toulouse" - Number 947 for trains leaving Pamiers
Horse-riding - the equestrian centre across the valley from St Victor du Fau offers
1-2 hour hacks around the local countryside. This can be organised before or during your stay.
If you require
a hairdresser for a cut or other extensive work, we have a local British hairdresser who is very good and
has worked extensively in top London hotels and on cruise ships.
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| Click on this painting for more information on classes |
In St Victor Rouzaud there is Professional Watercolour artist, Lesley
Olver who gives watercolour art classes. There are day and half day classes available. All
day courses include a 2 course lunch and refreshments and the half day courses include drinks and refreshments.
The classes are held for experienced or unexperienced people and all the materials are provided.
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| Click on the photo to enter Atelier Jade's mosaic site |
Also in St Victor Rouzaud if you like the idea of learning how to make a
mosiac, there are 3 hour courses available on either Saturday or Wednesdays at Atelier Jade with Catherine
Lapoujade. The courses cost 25 euros for 3 hours, all materials and "gouter" is provided.
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| Click on here to enter Potential Energy's website |
If you would like to do something a bit different, Pat Penny (European Register of Exercise Professionals) from
Potential Energy has a number of health promoting activities which our guests are able to partake:
Pool workout (1 hour)
Massage based on Swedish massage (1 hour)
Health & Fitiness Appraisal (1-1.5 hours)
Walking (1-1.5 hours)
Nordic Walking (1-1.5 hours)
Cycling for the terrified (1-1.5 hours)
Tennis for children
& adults up to club level (1-1.5 hours)
A half day Health & Fitness package (3 hours)
Prices or further
information is available in L'Ecurie or can be sent in advance of your stay
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| Click on this photo to find more information on Velomondo |
Bicycle hire can be arranged during or before your stay from Velomondo in Mirepoix.
They have a good selection of bicycles, a variety of sizes to suit adults and children, plus helmets and child seats.
They will deliver to St Victor du Fau. Click on the bicycle photo adjacent to enter Velomondo's website.
| Click on photo to enter Valorme's website |
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We are also linked to a local French
language school in Foix, "Valorme" which offers Intensive French immersion courses for adults and
are happy to provide accommodation throughout the year.
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| Click on the cake to find out more information. |
If you would like to arrange a bespoke Birthday cake for one of you whilst you are here, there is a lady
near Pamiers who makes all sorts of cakes.
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| Click on photo to enter Dotty Kitchen's website |
Dotty Kitchen Catering
is a local company based in Montreal near Carcassonne offering catering for all occasions in the Aude area, providing delicious
cuisine for a range of events – Corporate, Weddings, Celebration Buffets, Dinner parties, Canape’s, special occasion’s,
children’s parties, home delivered foods and informal suppers & BBQ’s for your friends.
Our team specialise in both international cuisine and regional Languedocian French fare with a wide range
of menu’s including Spanish Tapas, Regional French recipes, Asian and European flavours all beautifully presented and
delivered to your venue. |
