14th Century Fortified Manor House in Southwest France Auzits Vacation Rental by Owner Listing 88855
Mas del Bosc
Location: Auzits, Midi-Pyrenees, France, Europe (Auzits is 25 minutes from Rodez-Marcillac airport)
Accommodations: House, 4 Bedrooms, 3 Baths (Sleeps 8)
A winding forest road leads to this stone-built, hilltop chateau, enjoying panoramic views of the countryside.
The house has two and a half acres of private garden, including an outdoor dining terrace shaded by fig trees, a vegetable patch and an orchard with apples, pears, quinces, peaches, figs, vines and kiwi-fruit. The 30 foot swimming pool has distant views over the countryside.
The generous main hall, accessed by a south-facing terrace, contains a large dining area at one end and a sitting room at the other, with stone-flagged floors, exposed stone walls and ancient wood beams, a souillarde (original kitchen, now a side-room) and two fireplaces (including a huge cantou or ‘walk-in fireplace' with a small bread oven). You actually have to walk through this fireplace to access the modern kitchen and butler's pantry/laundry room. The sitting room area in the main hall leads to a comfortable study/ bedroom with a single bed and en suite bathroom.
The main courtyard entrance with its superb original door opens to a stone spiral staircase (also accessible from the hall), which leads to the master bedroom (mezzanine level) with wood floors, two single beds, and an en-suite bathroom with its own stone fireplace. Further up the spiral staircase, on the first floor, are two further bedrooms, one with a double bed and the other with two twin beds, followed by a cosy study. Leading off the study is a small consecrated chapel (suitable for intimate weddings) and a further bathroom. The top of the stairs, once a watch tower, contains attic space, a small room with a window and splendid views.
The habitable lookout tower is on four levels. At the garden level, there is a huge grotto. The ground floor contains a living room with a tiled and wooden floor. The first floor, with a wooden floor, has a double bed for extra guests, as does the third floor. There is also a splendid original ‘bakery' with a working bread oven.
There are two donkeys who live on the property Paco and Rabanne, mother and son. Both are very friendly and love company.
The Aveyron is one of the lesser known (and therefore least spoilt) regions of France. It is surrounded by the départements of the Tarn, Tarn-et-Garonne, Lot, Hérault, Gard, Lozère, and Cantal. There are numerous places to walk or cycle through quiet country lanes and wild, unspoilt countryside. You can water ski on the Lot river at Carjac or hire canoe/kayaks at bases on either the Lot or the beautiful Célé river and find places to fish, swim, and picnic.
Aveyron contains twelve of the one hundred and forty three officially listed "most beautiful villages of France" and is near the Cévennes National Park . Two well know tourist attractions are the castle of Najac , which has a truly romantic setting high on a cliff that plummets down to the Aveyron river, where a street of medieval houses leads to the keep of the great fortress castle.
Conques is also very picturesque, perched on a hill above the river Dourdou, grouped around the magnificent Romanesque church of Ste Foy . About an hour away from Mas del Bosc is the Abbey of Loc-Dieu , located near Martiel in a region with many dolmens. The small city of Millau is the site for the world's tallest bridge, the viaduc de Millau , designed by Norman Foster & Associates and opened by President Chirac in December 2004. Between Entraygues and Estaing , are some of the loveliest river stretches in France.
Figeac , also about an hour away, is at the confluence of the Lot and Célé rivers and a pleasant old town to walk around. The Célé flows from there between narrow limestone cliffs dotted with mills and little waterfalls and on through a lovely valley. The Peche-Merle cave is a beautiful grotto near Cabaretes with marvellous cave paintings. Further west is St Cirq-la-Popie , an old village high above the left bank of the Lot with narrow streets that climb up to the ancient château and church, where the view is dizzying. To the south is Villefranche-de-Rouergue , a delightful 13th century bastide with a central square, which unusually, has a massive church tower built into the square itself.
Other places of interest include: Belcastel , Sauveterre-de-Rouergue , Sainte-Eulalie d'Olt , Brousse le Château , La Couvertoirade , Saint-Côme d'Olt and Peyre.
Vacation Rental Features
- Activities
- Hiking, Rock Climbing, Biking, Golf, Tennis, Fishing, Hunting, Horseback Riding, Shopping, Restaurants, Cinemas, Museums, Sightseeing, Swimming, Boating, Windsurfing.
- Amenities
- Fireplace, Phone, Satellite TV, VCR, Stereo, CD Player, Full Kitchen, Microwave, Dishwasher, Refrigerator, Cooking utensils provided, Linens provided, Washer, Private Pool, Charcoal Grill (BBQ), No Smoking.
Rate Details (In Euros)
Low Season (Oct-Apr) ........ € 850/week.
Mid Season (May, Jun, Sep) .. €1350/week.
High Season (Jul-Aug) ....... €1850/week.
Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.
Property Photos
- Mas del Bosc - Auzits, France Vacation Rental
- The Pool - Auzits, France Vacation Rental
- Paco and Rabanne - Auzits, France Vacation Rental
Vacation Rentals by Owner Listing #88855
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This listing was first published here in 2006.
Date last modified - October 07, 2009
