La Bourdette du Ray

http://www.acsby.com

chris@acsby.com

    
  
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La Bourdette du Ray
81700 Puylaurens
France



Price range: average of 40 to 60 € per night

Tel: 0563755440

Innkeeper: Chris Buckman

La Bourdette du Ray is a small hamlet of about 7 families. At the centre is an old farmhouse at one one end of which is the gite. This cottage style gite with lovely views shares a large garden with 12m x 7m pool, boules area, croquet, table-tennis and barbeque. Also holiday membership at the local tennis club, 1 km away at €8/hr.

There is a small orchard and many varieties of trees and shrubs. It is fully self-contained, decorated with warmth and character, with a patio overlooking the pool for dining or reading al fresco.

Nearby attractions and activities:

The surrounding area is rich in opportunities for all kinds of leisure activities. The region has something for everybody - peace, adventure, sport, nature, culture and good food, within easy reach of some of the most spectacular sites that France has to offer. The area also caters for the more extreme sports, such as paragliding, climbing and caving. The Tarn has something for everybody

Wine lovers will appreciate the fruit of the local vines. Gaillac and the valleys surrounding it are famous for the full bodied vin rouge. A half hour drive away, nearly all the local vineyards provide tasting opportunities.

Throughout the summer, most local villages have their annual fête. This is a huge, community organised feast that is open to everyone. Local foods and wine are served outdoors in the Town Square with late night dancing to the local band.

Antique lovers and bargain hunters will be in their element. Summer is when the French "empty their attics" and nearly every weekend you'll find a nearby village closed to traffic allowing local residents to sell their wares.

The gites are located 1.5kms from the medieval market town of Puylaurens (market day on Wednesday) built on the crest of a hill in the Tarn overlooking the Plain of Lauragais with La Montagne Noire 8 miles to the East and the Pyrenees on the southern horizon.

The wildlife is amazing here. Buzzards circle lazily overhead, geckos bask in the sun and at night countless stars are visible. La Montagne Noire is a beautiful area for walks with swimming lakes and 15 minutes away is Revel with its bustling and famous market, a gourmet’s delight. Local shops, restaurants, banks and markets are 5 minutes away.

It is a wonderful central area for exploring the delights of SW France or you can just relax in the sun or walk forever in the unspoilt countryside. On a clear day, the snow-capped peaks of the Pyrenees are visible 100 kms to the South; the Mediterranean is about 1.5 hrs drive. Toulouse is under an hour to the West. Albi, Carcassonne and Castelnaudary on the Canal du Midi and the wine areas of Gaillac are also less than an hour from here. It is ideal for those wanting a holiday or to use as a base whilst in search of your French idyll.

The house is surrounded by many beautiful villages steeped in history all with their fetes, markets and antique "brocantes", centuries old castles and fortified bastides. It is in the heart of the Cocagne country, made rich by the production of blue dye from the plant Pastel.

The area is characterised by rolling hills, vineyards, and bastides, or hill-top fortified villages which date from the twelfth century. These are extremely pretty and full of fascinating medieval details as well as offering good, reasonably-priced restaurants, cafés, and craft shops.

Also very close are the ‘Chateaux Cathars’, which are all that remain of a very cruel and bloody war against the heretic Cathars in the South West ending in their extermination. The many castles, now ruins, are perched on hill tops, providing superb walks and views.


The most famous attractions in the area are Carcassonne (60 kms) with its magnificent walled medieval city dominating the countryside, a wonderful day out, many shops and restaurants, often with open air concerts and opera, son et lumiere and fireworks; Cordes sur Ciel (70 kms) a superbly preserved bastide town, looking like something out of a fairy-tale and worth a day's exploration, and the city of Albi (55 kms), which was the birthplace of Toulouse Lautrec and houses the best collection of his works. The entire town of Albi, built of red brick, including its truly awesome cathedral, is one of those dreamy Languedoc towns that give South West France its particular charm. This area is one of the authentic, unspoilt, havens you can still "discover" in Southern France, for example the awe inspiring granite rocks in the Sidobre (25 kms).

Directions:

Distances
Toulouse - 50 km,
Castres – 24 kms,
Revel – 12 kms,
Carcassonne – 60 kms,
Andorra – 160 kms (2 hrs),
Mediterranean – 150 kms (2 hrs),
Barcelona – 400 kms (4 hrs)

Coming from Toulouse or Castres:
From Puylaurens In the centre of Puylaurens, take the D84 south towards Revel (leaving the Credit Agricole Bank on your left and the Market area on your right) Follow this road downhill, at 1.4 km (9/10 of a mile) pass Shoppi supermarket on left and Renault garage on right. At 1.7km (1 mile), fork left at junction with D51. After 300 metres,take the entrance to a steep drive on the right, consisting of 2 white brick pillars and a sloping beam.
Coming from Carcassonne:
From Revel, follow D622 to Castres. After 2kms (1.25m) at roundabout, take 3rd exit, D79/D84 to Blan & Puylaurens. Continue through Blan. Then, 4 km (2.5m) further, after a left and right hand bend, take the entrance to a steep drive on the left, consisting of 2 white brick pillars and a sloping beam.

La Bourdette du Ray 81700 Puylaurens - gite@acsby.com - +33 5 63 75 54 40

Informations about the rates:

Hibou
April €290
May €325
June €375
July €500
August €500
September €375
Other months €200
Prices are per week, Saturday 4pm to Saturday 10am

Informations about the meals/restaurants:

La Bourdette du Ray is located near the red cross near the city of Castres (map below) in the departement of Tarn (Midi Pyrenees) in France. You can click on the map of the departement below to go to the listing of Tarn.