Beynac-a Million Euro View and a 15th Century Village Charmer

• A Wonderful Week

  A Wonderful Week

  • Guest Silver Fox
  • Date of stay 09/29/12
  • Review Submitted 10/11/12
  We just returned from 10 days in France, a week of which was spent in this beautiful home. Upon confirmation of your reservation the owner sends you a very complete book of directions, instructions, suggested things to do, etc. The local citizens who the owner has retained to help you were amazing. Photos on the Internet always look good, but these photos understate the charm of the house, it's modern conveniences and the gorgeous views from the windows, balcony and patio. The surrounding area is beautiful and a week is not enough time to see and do all there is to do. Several excellent restaurants in Beynac and the neighboring villages. If someone in your group can speak passable French try the owner's suggestion of La Borie Blanche. Everything that is served comes their farm. This trip was our 45th wedding anniversary. I got a lot of points for suggesting Mont Joie.

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, age 55+, romantic getaway.

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• Idyllic Vacation in the Dordogne

  Idyllic Vacation in the Dordogne

  • Guest Elizabeth
  • Date of stay 09/01/12
  • Review Submitted 09/15/12
  Our vacation to France was idyllic, thanks in no small part, to wonderful Mont Joie! We had a wonderful time doing some of the activities offered in the area such as hiking to Castelnaud, canoeing down the Dordogne, visiting medieval towns, seeing the cave paintings in the Gotte de Font-de-Gaume and taking a hot air balloon ride. Afterwards, we were very happy to return to the Mont Joie to relax and enjoy the beautiful view from its many vantage points. The beauty inside Mont Joie complemented the beauty outside. It is an elegant and comfortable abode that combines the past and present in a way lovely way. The listing and pictures were accurate and the owners suggestions for activites and restaurants in the area were very helpful. We plan to return! It does help to be in good shape to make the climb up the hill to Mont Joie.

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, adventure seekers, sightseeing, age 55+, romantic getaway, girls getaway.

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• Awesome base for visit to beautiful Dordogne

  Awesome base for visit to beautiful Dordogne

  • Guest torontoguys
  • Date of stay 06/30/12
  • Review Submitted 07/26/12
  It would be hard to exaggerate how perfect Mont Joie was as a base for visiting this magical area. The house is comfortable and well-equipped - we had many meals in and found everything we needed to live well in the house. The village of Beynac is really beautiful and within a short drive there are many other amazing medieval villages. The most outstanding feature of this house is the view - this is not to take away from the comfort and elegance of the house - but to say this is a VERY special view. You get it from the window of the dining area of the living space on the top floor, from the deck off the bedroom on the middle floor (with a barbeque and table and comfortable chairs) AND from the terrace and garden off the bedroom on the bottom floor. There are shaded areas, sunny areas and a deck you can sit on if it is raining. The view is of the beautiful river winding through a stunning valley with some agriculture, some forest and Beynac and neighbouring villages - including two castles and a chateau. Coming back from a day's activity to your own special perch from which you can see this amazing scene - that is remarkable. We are hikers and found a number of beautiful 10-12 k. walks right from the door of Mont Joie to neighbouring villages, through forests, by the river, and to gardens. The town includes a very good restaurant and decent ones, as well as a great bakery and grocery store - so everything you need to have a beautiful time is close to hand. If you want to wander farther - there are lots of other great places to eat, towns to visit and markets to shop in (or supermarkets if you prefer a more convenient style of shopping). This was an amazing base for a beautiful vacation. We will be back for sure.

  Recommended for: Families with young children, sightseeing, age 55+, romantic getaway.

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• Fairytale rental

  Fairytale rental

  • Guest Tom from Singapore
  • Date of stay 06/23/12
  • Review Submitted 07/01/12
  Can't add much to what all the previous comments reflect, other then it's all true. Our family has been renting VRBO units for the past 10 years from Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Italy, Germany, Hawaii, etc... and nothing compares to this place. The location, the views, the ambiance, the furniture and equipment are the very best we've ever experienced. If you're staying in the Dordogne area, look no further. This is truly the place to stay. If it's already booked, seriously try to reschedule your vacation.

  Recommended for: Families with young children, families with teenagers, adventure seekers, sightseeing, age 55+, romantic getaway.

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• Stepping Back in Time

  Stepping Back in Time

  • Guest Jim
  • Date of stay 03/31/12
  • Review Submitted 04/23/12
  Vincent, I cannot tell you how much we enjoyed Mount Joie!!!!!!!!!! There are no adequate words to describe it. I tried to put my thoughts in your guest book but in a nutshell, stepping into your place was like stepping back into time. I am sure you have heard that before. It was a fantasy. You and Michelle have done an absolutely fantastic job of creating a charming home with a wonderful atmosphere. We are so glad that we got the chance to visit especially after that delays last fall. We had a couple of days of challenging weather but other than that it was superb. I took your advice: we’d often sit on the balcony and simple absorb the wonders around us. It was so relaxing and tranquil. The visit to the Perigord now ranks as our #1 vacation of all time. We’d go back in a heartbeat! Thank you. Jim & Bev Ottawa, Canada

  Recommended for: Families with young children, families with teenagers, sightseeing, age 55+, romantic getaway.

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• Excellent Location, Great Experience

  Excellent Location, Great Experience

  • Guest venu
  • Date of stay 03/03/12
  • Review Submitted 03/19/12
  This was our first vacation rental experience, and I must say it's set a high bar. Mont Joie is 3 hours or less from the legendary vineyards of Pauillac and Margaux to the east, and spectacular views in St Cirq La Popie, Rocomadour and Cahors to the West, in addition to Beynac being quite the destination itself (in fact you're half way up to Beynac Castle, which we wish we'd spent more time at). The Mont Joie staff was warm, welcoming and very professional. The accommodations are very comfortable, with a grocery store, butcher and bakery within walking distance (if you're inclined to cook). If you're into haute cuisine, Le Grand Bleu in nearby Sarlat is well worth considering. There is 'attached' car parking for the intrepid, but the public parking is only 50 yards away. If you're looking for a place both comfortable and scenic in the Dordogne region, you'll be hard pressed to do better than Mont Joie.

  Recommended for: Families with young children, sightseeing, age 55+, romantic getaway.

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• "The Honeymooners"

  "The Honeymooners"

  • Guest Sean
  • Date of stay 01/07/12
  • Review Submitted 01/18/12
  Following our wedding, in my homeland of Ireland, we were ready for a quiet time, alone. Mont Joie was the perfect answer. The house, and the village, are cozy and inviting. It is clean, tidy and exactly as it appears in the photos. The property allows plenty of privacy as it has three levels, so, as I was cooking something in the kitchen, my wife was on the garden patio reading a magazine. The staff were very accomodating; they had the house ready and warmed and met us in person to show how everything worked, though we had arrived quite late at night. The only difficulty for us was the time of year that we visited. As it was the beginning of January almost ALL of the restaurants and shops in the village and surrounding areas were closed... As a restaurant owner myself, I was very dissapointed by this. I would highly recommend this property, and it's efficient and congenial owner. I just recommend that one checks the schedule of the "neighborhood" in advance!

  Recommended for: Families with young children, families with teenagers, sightseeing, age 55+, romantic getaway.

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• comfortable, exceptional home in a gorgeous part of the world

  comfortable, exceptional home in a gorgeous part of the world

  • Guest experienced home renter
  • Date of stay 12/22/11
  • Review Submitted 01/10/12
  We really enjoyed Mont Joie - it offers absolutely exceptional views year round and is a very comfortable and peaceful place to stay. We visited over the Christmas holiday and really enjoyed the cozy fireplace, the medieval architecture, the river view, and the fog that appears in the evening. Just a magical place! The home is very well appointed, with a sofa you can sink into, fine beds, and a kitchen equipped for those who want to make meals at home. There are many lovely sites, restaurants, and places to visit all a short drive away - and right in town, too. Loved this place.

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, romantic getaway.

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• Your homebase in Perigord Noir

  Your homebase in Perigord Noir

  • Guest Michael W
  • Date of stay 10/08/11
  • Review Submitted 10/30/11
  My wife and I, and another couple, spent mid-October 2011 at Mont Joie. Beyond our expectations for charm and comfort. We felt at home in the village of Beynac and Mont Joie felt like "our home" in the Dorgdogne River valley. We concur with all the rave reviews in the guest book - for example the views from both terraces are a daily treat, overlooking the river and, in the distance, the chateaux (castles) of Feynac and Castelnaud. While there's so much to do in the area, one of the chief attractions is Mont Joie itself. Such a nice feeling walking in the door after a long day of market visits or sightseeing. The owners' notes provide all the guidance you need to settle in and venture out. The place is well-equipped and comfortable. The added freebees - free calls to the States and WiFi kept us connected to family and Kindle books. Can't vouch for the TV because we never turned it on. We cooked our meals in about 50% of the time because we enjoy it, it's cheaper, and we can consume more local wine that way. If you're thinking of the Dordogne, think of Beynac and Mont Joie.

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, adventure seekers, sightseeing, age 55+, romantic getaway.

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• Mont Joie

  Mont Joie

  • Guest Swiss family
  • Date of stay 07/30/11
  • Review Submitted 09/17/11
  We very much enjoyed our stay in Mont Joie. The house is located in the middle of Beynac and overlooks the river Dordogne. The house is spacious and well equipped and has fantastic views over the valley. A big surprise were the hanging gardens - ideal for eating outdoors or watching the hot air balloons pass by. We all (including our boys aged 10 and 12) loved going out to the river to swim or to paddle around (we had taken our inflatable boat). We rented (twice!) a canoe to make the 15 km trip to explore the river and the spectacular views of the castles of Castelnaud, Fayrac and la Roque-Gageac. The area is excellent for sightseeing (castles in plenty abound and also very interesting for the boys), walks through beautiful country side (the office de tourism has maps of walks one can make), prehistoric caves (don't forget to prebook at least a month in advance) and more. The location in the middle of Beynac means that all nice, little stores are close by. However, it also means that quite a lot of tourists walk past the front door. I did not find this an issue at all - one really does not notice this as the house is largely facing the river - at multiple levels. In fact, the gardens/ terraces are very peaceful. While suitable for younger children, it might be a bit more challenging for the very young ones that are not yet "stair walking" safe. We tremendously enjoyed our stay, the region, Beynac itself (very impressive ) and the atmosphere that also the house contributed to! Thank you!

  Recommended for: Families with young children, families with teenagers, adventure seekers, sightseeing, age 55+, romantic getaway.

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(Jan 5-Mar 8, 2013) € 855/wk       (Jun 29-Aug 30, 2013) € 1750/wk
(Mar 9-Apr 5, 2013) € 975/wk       (Aug 31-Oct 4, 2013) € 1655/wk
(Apr 6-May 17, 2013) € 1210/wk     (Oct 5-Nov 1, 2013) € 1300/wk
(May 18-Jun 28, 2013) € 1600/wk    (Nov 2-Dec 20, 2013) € 855/wk
                                   (Dec 21-Jan 3, 2014) € 1150/wk
We accept credit cards via PayPal, wire transfers and personal checks in Euros.
Weekly rentals run from 4 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. the next Saturday unless
otherwise arranged. Prices are all inclusive of taxes, fees, linens, and heating.

Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.