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| Local Activities and Attractions
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| Property id: |
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| Property title: |
Lovely Holiday Gite for rent in Midi Pyrenees in the Cathar Region of France |
| Location: |
France , Midi-Pyrenees , Engravies |
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Activities and Places not to be missed: |
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Pyrenees only 30 min away from the cottage
The Pyrenees, which straddle the border between France and Spain and run from the Atlantic at one end to the Mediterranean at the other, are a range of rounded hills and sharp peaks of a quite unique beauty. The terrain varies, ranging from the gentle hillocks and crevasses of the Basque country to the glacial cirques and chiselled rocks of the centre which then become less rugged and plunge down into the Mediterranean.
During the summer it is possible to take any of an infinite number of walking trails of all levels of difficulty. The Pyrenees are a major area for nature conservation, and you will find getting on for a thousand different varieties of plants, from thistles to edelweiss. There are still an number of bears living in the Pyrenees.
The summer months are the perfect time to discover the ‘soul’ of the Pyrenees, the pastoral way of life. At the time of the transhumance, you will find numerous herds of cattle and flocks of sheep grazing close to the small dry-stone cabins in which the shepherds live in summer. In several places in the Pyrenees there are museums devoted to the traditional arts and way of life of the mountains.
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 Only 18 km South West is Mirepoix.
Mirepoix is simply a gorgeous medieval town and is one of the most beautiful and unique in France. Mirepoix La Medievale, was rebuild in 1289 following a flood and has a perfectly preserved Gothic Cathedral in the centre of the fortified by oak arcades square all of which takes you back in time. Despite its age Mirepoix is a very lively and friendly town. All year round Mirepoix and area offer a wide range of events: a `not to be misse.the market in the centre of the square every Monday where you can buy all the local fresh foods and crafts. Through the year there are concerts, ballets, a jazz festival in spring, a 3 day antiques market at Whit weekend, a puppet festival of international standard and a fabulous historical costumes parade twice in the summer. Le Ramparts restaurant is a wonderful experience, it is recommended by the Michelin guide, the food, ambience and service is superb.
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 Foix
30 km South-West of the house, is another breathtaking and unique town that grew up at the base of a large castle Chateau de Foix surrounded by mountains. The towers of the magnificent chateau look down on the busy cobblestone streets leading through a maze of red-roofed houses, and nearby caves and grottoes that still bear marks of the prehistoric people who first settled in the Ariege Region. In the summer, the whole town gathers to watch an enormous medieval spectacle [play) to re-live the days of yore. Chateau de Foix was build 1000 years ago, this impressive fortress was the residence of the Counts of Foix, Gaston of Foix, transformed it into a regional capital. Today the Castle is a museum brimming with treasures.
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 Carcassonne
Carcassonne is a 13th century city and visual fairy tale with round towers capped by tile roofs and an adulating double wall guards the approach to the city. Walt Disney is said to have borrowed it as inspiration for the castle in the film Sleeping Beauty and modern film-makers used it for the setting of Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves. Originally founded by the Romans and extensively enlarged almost 800 years ago, the handsome fortress is known officially as La Cite and it is Europe`s largest, perfectly preserved fortified town. In the lower town the cathedral St.-Nazaire was build in 1269 and is definitely worth a visit. The Musée lapidaire houses Europe`s oldest tombstone from the year 456.
Carcassone is located 60 km North-East, the drive is very scenic throught beautifull rolling hills and vineyards
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 The Village of Engravies
Engravies is the name of the little hamlet where the property is located. This tiny medieval village is in the hart of the Southern Midi Pyrenees, a slice of France that used to fall between the cracks in the guidebooks however: today it`s being billed as the next Provence. The Midi is the national term for south of France but compared to Provence and the Riviera, the South -Western Midi is still largely untouched by tourism. The region, spoilt by the sun, has ochre-hued villages that belong to a different time. Here, lunch often lasts till 3 pm, which is good because once you try the region`s cuisine most likely you will become a big fan. The local specialties include such delights as cassoulet, duck confit and buttery foie gras: trout from the mountain rivers, sheep`s milk from the mountains, wild boar and wild mushrooms. France is all about food, and it doesn`t get better than this and you can wash down all this excellent fare with wines that come from vineyards that many experts consider to be the most exciting wave of vineyards in France: full bodied Corbieres and something you must try, the local `Blanquette de Limoux`, a local bubbly that predates champagne by a century or so.
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