Highly popular with holidaymakers they are fully booked each year.
After selling their business in Holland, Elly and Sebastiaan van Hooven bought a camping car to travel France looking for their forever home. The interior architect and entrepreneur explains: “ we needed a complete sea-change else business would continue to dominate our lives. We found the Perigord Noir, decided it was perfect for us and started looking for a secluded property with perhaps a simple renovation - a bathroom or library – but then we found Domaine de Pradelle!”
Not far from the ancient village of Ste Alvère, famed for its truffle markets, Domaine de Pradelle is set above the valley and river – it charms from the instant you arrive. Built of glorious golden stone with Perigordine style roofs, the Chartreuse was built in the early 18th century. Symmetrical in style it looks over a courtyard with ancient chestnut trees. Now restored immaculately, light floods every room – each boasting its own fireplace – glorious living rooms are set garden-side, the luxurious master suite, another lounge and further rooms at road level.
Today the Domaine includes three highly enviable luxury gîtes set close to the glorious swimming pool carved out of rock! The first year they finished their home in the Castle in time for their family to come for Christmas (in true renovation style they'd lived on site in a caravan), however their gîtes Lavande, Glycines and Les Rosiers, each with three romantic bedrooms and wonderful living spaces, took far longer to create from semi-derelict buildings and cowsheds!
Attention to detail is keynote throughout – from retaining architectural features to energy-efficient solutions all bound with modern comfort – this restoration is simply superb!
But it is the perfection and charm of Domaine de Pradelle which inspire you to stay during your holiday in this glorious place.
