Location: Les Baux de Provence, Provence, France, Europe (10 Minutes from Arles, Les Baux, St. Remy De Provence) View Map
Accommodations: House, 2 Bedrooms + Library, 2 Baths (Sleeps 5)
Keywords: House
The Mas du Vieux Charron is a seventeenth century Provençal stone farmhouse. It formerly belonged to the violinist and conductor Alexander (Sasha) Schneider, who often gave concerts there. Pablo Casals, Isaac Stern, the Guarneri Quartet, Jaime Laredo, Peter Serkin, and many other musicians have stayed in the house and rehearsed in the enormous music room - two stories high and running the full length of the house, with a thirty foot high wood beam ceiling.
The house is light and airy, with about 3,500 square feet of floor space, consisting of, on the first floor, a kitchen, a library, a small bathroom with shower, a studio/office, and the music room; and on the second floor, of two bedrooms and a large bathroom with bath. There are windows in every room and large doors to the garden from every ground floor room.
The house is furnished with old French country pieces and a good supply of china, glassware, silverware, cooking utensils, linens and towels. The kitchen has a Viking stove and its antique wooden table will seat six to eight. There are three working fireplaces in the house: in the kitchen, the study, and the second bedroom; the atelier has a Godin wood-burning stove.
Cars may be parked on the gravel-covered area in front of the house. The surrounding garden has a round stone table, a well, fig trees, an almond tree and rose bushes, as well as rosemary, lavender and other herbs and flowers. Beyond the garden is an orchard with fifteen apricot, cherry, and pear trees, surrounded on two sides by cypress trees and on the third by oleander and laurel. There is a 5 m. x 10 m. swimming pool at the far end of the property, separated from the orchard by a stone wall, with a covered area and pool-house for changing or getting out of the sun.
The village of le Paradou is our idea of the perfect village in Provence - too small to attract many tourists, but large enough to have the basic conveniences, and within a half hour of Avignon, Arles, Tarascon, les Baux-de-Provence, St.-Rémy-de-Provence, Fontvielle and Nîmes, and an hour of Marseille. In easy walking distance are a bakery, grocery store, and two restaurants, one of them the famous Bistrot du Paradou.
There are four bicycles in the house, and bicycling on the back roads of Provence is fabulous. Located in the heart of the Alpilles, there are unlimited possibilities for walking and exploring within minutes.
Life in Provence is generally slow-paced, relaxed and enjoyable. The village, the house and the garden smell wonderfully of lavender and herbs. It's hard to describe the pleasure of opening the big wooden doors to let in the morning sunlight, or of having lunch beneath the fig tree in front of the house.
A nap after lunch is more or less required. Almost every day there is a great open-air market in one of the nearby towns: Arles, Beaucaire, Fontvielle, Maussane-les-Alpilles, St.-Martin-de-Crau, St.Rémy-de-Provence, or Tarascon. Wonderful local wines and olive oil are easy to find, as are Provençal fabrics and antiques.
Vacation Rental Features
- Amenities
- Air Conditioning : One bedroom has air conditioning.
- Linens Provided
- Washer
- Dryer
- Off Street Parking
- Wood Fireplace
- Wood Stove
- Beds
- Queen Bed (2)
- Twin/Single Bed (2)
- Entertainment
- TV (No Cable/Satellite) : small TV set, best for watching DVDs
- DVD
- Video Library
- CD Player
- Stereo System
- Music Library
- Private Pool
- Kitchen
- Full Kitchen : Includes Viking stove, excellent selection of pots, pans, and knives.
- Cooking Utensils Provided
- Refrigerator
- Dishwasher
- Microwave
- Outdoor Features
- Charcoal BBQ Grill
- Deck/Patio
- Gazebo
- View/Location
- Mountain View
- Communications
- Telephone
- Free Long Distance
- Broadband Internet
- WiFi (Wireless Internet)
- Suitability
- Pet Friendly
- Kid Friendly
- Smoking Not Allowed
- Activities
- Shopping
- Swimming
- Biking
- Mountain Biking
- Wildlife Viewing
- Antiquing
- Horseback Riding
- Hiking
- Rock Climbing
- Restaurants
Rate Details (In US Dollars)
May 16-Oct 17, 2012 .. $2,500/week
Other Times, 2012 .... $2,100/week
May 13-October 14, 2013....$2,600/week
Other times, 2013....$2,200/week
Rentals are Mon-Mon. with a minimum of one week.
Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.
Map & Owner's Profile
17th Century Mas in Quiet Provencal Village Le Paradou
Year Purchased: 1991
Why the Owner Chose Les Baux de Provence
I bought this house not as a vacation rental but as a place to spend the happiest time of my life with my family. It belonged to a great musician and friend, and his agreeing to sell it to me a few years before he died has changed my life.
The Unique Benefits at this House
My wife and I love shopping for food in the local markets, cooking, and long outdoor meals in spring, summer, and fall. We also love our long walks and bike rides in the Alpilles, swimming in a very private pool, and living in an incredibly beautiful old stone house that is at once totally enclosed and private and situated in one of the most unique and unspoiled villages in France.
Owner's Map of Les Baux de Provence
I recently retired as the Executive Director of the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra in San Francisco, and was formerly Executive Director of the San Francisco Symphony and the St. Louis Symphony. My wife and our five children have known and loved the Mas du Vieux Charron for almost as long as we can remember - my first visit there was in 1968.
Property Photos
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- Mas du Vieux Charron, from drive - Les Baux de Provence Vacation Home with Private Pool
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- house, from the garden. Breakfast table under wysteria-covered arbor - Les Baux de Provence Vacation Home with Private Pool
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- kitchen - Viking stove, table, fireplace. Marble countertops. - Les Baux de Provence Vacation Home with Private Pool
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- Kitchen - pots & pans above sink
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- Library - couch, fireplace, Bukovnik monographs
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- Music room. Oscar, our Havanese dog (hypoallergenic).
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- Green bedroom: single bed and armoire; fireplace at left
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- Green bedroom: double bed
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- Master bedroom - queen bed, window over music room, armoire
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- Upstairs bathroom: sink & tub; towel warmer-radiator
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- terrace, garden, orchard - from the house looking towards orchard & pool
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- Round table under fig tree, at front of house
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- Entrance to pool area from fruit tree orchard. Cypress tree hedge to left.
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- Pool & poolhouse, orchard beyond, cypress tree hedge on the right
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- At the swimming pool: chaises and pool house
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- Main street, le Paradou - boucherie left, boulangerie right, Bistrot ahead.
Traveler Reviews (5)
Absolutely fantastic place
Guest: celia
(jackson MS 39211)
Date of Stay: 08/08/10
Review Submitted: 08/10/11
Everything about this wonderful place was perfect. I wish I could buy it and move there. Any question you would ask I could asnwer affirmatively. You can call me at 601-713-4156 and I will tell you anything you want to know. I have stayed there two summers and will be there this summer 2011 and next summer. If you want to beat me to it you will have to rent it two years in advance!
Recommended for:Romantic getaway, adventure seekers, families with young children, families with teenagers, sightseeing, pet owners, age 55+, girls getaway.
A Great Week in Provence
Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 09/13/10
Review Submitted: 08/02/11
We thoroughly enjoyed our time at Mas du Vieux Charron. The home and setting fit beautifully in the quaint little village of Le Paradou. We loved the proximity to the markets and relaxing by the pool while enjoying the local food and wine. It was great to be able to walk to boulangerie every morning and we loved dining at the house as well as the surrounding restaurants. The kitchen is well-equipped and the Viking stove is a plus. The owner was very accommodating and provided lots of information about the surrounding villages and markets. You couldn't pick a better locale.
Recommended for:Romantic getaway, families with young children, sightseeing.
A wonderful week in le Paradou
Guest: Philippa
(Australia)
Date of Stay: 09/27/10
Review Submitted: 07/10/11
A delightful house in a beautiful part of France. Our family of five thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Mas du Vieux Charron. The house is charming with an excellent kitchen and a wonderful garden and pool. Located within driving distance to so many sights, our week stay was not nearly long enough. The garden was beautifully maintained. Indeed, if we had not been so keen to explore Provence, we could have spent a very relaxing week eating "al fresco" in the garden and swimming in the sparkling pool. Peter, a very attentive owner, provided us with valuable information about the surrounding area, the market days for each village and local restaurant recommendations.
Recommended for:Families with teenagers, sightseeing, age 55+.
A wonderful resting place
Guest: Fred
(Boston, Massachusetts)
Date of Stay: 07/08/10
Review Submitted: 06/25/11
We have rented this home for 17 years in a row. If that is not an endorsement I do not not know what is. It is charming and comfortable. The location is superb, close to towns and cities but in a quiet town itself. The pool is our haven after long travel days and the kitchen has all we desire for meals (usually simple ones given the fresh food that is readily available at local markets and the excellent Bistrot du Paradou located up the road - also highly recommended). Peter provides an excellent guide to everything that is around and it is very useful for the new arriviste in the neighborhood. Enjoy.
Recommended for:Romantic getaway, families with young children, sightseeing, pet owners.
Unique house in the heart of Provence!
Guest: Laura
(Paris)
Date of Stay: 05/17/11
Review Submitted: 05/17/11
We are an anglo- french family with 3 children and enjoy coming to Le Paradou as much as we can! We spent two summers there and had kept an excellent memory of our stays: the house is beautifuly decorated in a provencal style with personal touches from the owners ( music, painting, photography) and the swiming pool is very agreable at any moment... The area is perfect for tourism ( this is probably the best spot in Provence!) and for those who love cooking (as myself) the markets and the products are just marvellous!
Recommended for:Romantic getaway, families with young children, families with teenagers, sightseeing, age 55+.
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Vacation Rentals by Owner Listing #238619
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