gite rental in Aveyron, Midi-Pyrenees, France, Europe

The renovated old village blaksmiths.

Our holiday home is situated in the historic 12th century village of Cantobre, which is located in southern Aveyron in the Midi-Pyrenees region of France, and are set amidst spectacular countryside on a rocky promontory some 100 meters above the meeting of the Dourbie and Trevezel rivers.

The nearest small town is the ancient commune of Nant some 6 km distant and some 25 km down the Dourbie Gorges is the large town of Millau.

Beautiful and unique Cantobre is only 1 hour from the beaches of the Mediterranean and even closer to the spectacular Gorges of the river Tarn.

Our holiday home, with its south facing terraces overlooking the Dourbie valley, is all located within the historic village and has been modernized sympathetically within the old village .



This is our house
Maison La Forge:

Semi-detached stone village house completely renovated. “Maison La Forge” was originally the home of the blacksmith, build in to a part of the old 12th century castle wall, and you can still find the old arrow slits. Here the blacksmith forged the shoes for the cattle’s that used to work the mines in the area. The open fireplace where he worked in the cave, has now been renovated and can be used for a cozy fire in the evening or to bar-BQ your food if desired.

The house consist of a large kitchen dining area with a large open fireplace, 3 large double bedrooms, 2 of which can be equipped with comfertable foldout bed’s; 2 new bathrooms with toilet and shower. In the cave you have the sitting room with the lovely view over the Dourbie valley. Just outside the kitchen you will find the morning terrace, the perfect place for breakfast in the sun and lunch in the shade, and outside the cave you will find the south facing sun terrace hanging out over the mountain. A garage is available for this house.

The house is fully equipped with gas cooker, fridge, dishwasher, barbeque, washing machine, satellite TV, DVD player and radio. There is Electric heating in the floor of the kitchen area and in the larger bathroom, all other rooms is equipped with electric radiator heating. For entertainment there is several bikes available for short rides and a river canoe is also available on a share basis.

Like in all our homes, we provide weekly fresh linen and towels, cleaning each Saturday, electric, cooking gas, and wood for the fireplace.



What to do

Activities:

At your holiday home in Cantobre you will be able to do as little or as much as you want.
Cantobre offers the flexibility of holiday opportunity virtually unrivalled elsewhere.
Whether your wish is for quiet reflection or physical activity all are catered for.
Cantobre is located in an area of outstanding beauty and the local area abounds with deer, beavers, wild boar and numerous species of birds including birds of prey. At nearby Gorges of the river Jonte you can visit and see the only free flying breeding colony of vultures in France. From the village you can take a gentle stroll down to the Dourbie River where you can swim, picnic or barbecue on its banks. Take the one hour walk or your car and visit ancient Nant and watch the world go by, swim in Nants heated outdoor swimming pool or play tennis on its public courts.

The local area is a paradise for walkers. There are numerous marked walks of various lengths and difficulty. Take a walk along the river to Nant or climb the ancient paths to the high mountain plateaus of the Causses (Limestone Moors). Why not combine your walk with a fossil hunt amongst the limestone rocks.

You can fish in the local Class 1 rivers (Dourbie, Tarn & Jonte) for the local trout, or you can drive for an hour to the coast for sea fishing while your family goes swimming or shopping at the local market.

Cycling is a popular pastime in the area with the road from Cantobre to Millau alongside the Dourbie being a pleasant ride. You can, for a different experience, travel a few kilometres to Cornus where you can ride the specially adapted bikes along the rails of an old railway.

If water sports are your pleasure you are amply catered for. There is windsurfing and sailing on the local lakes; canoeing, rafting or kayaking on the local rivers; swimming in the local rivers, the swimming pool in Nant or in the Olympic size pool in Millau.

Millau is a major centre for paragliding, and as well as experienced fliers, first timers can try it in tandem with an experienced instructor. The local hills offer the opportunity, under expert supervision, to experience rock climbing, abseiling, caving and mountain biking. For the less physical challenged there are a number of ’ Fôret de Acrobats’ (walking in tree tops) located alongside the Tarn near Millau.

Finally you must visit the newly opened ‘ Viaduct of Millau’ on the A75. Designed by the British Architect Sir Norman Foster it is the highest bridge in the world and is higher than the Eiffel Tower.

These are a few of the possible activities in the area around Cantobre that will make your holiday one to remember...

This is the general location

Outside this Self catering gite in nant, France

The gite is in a very quiet area. It has a south facing patio area, panoramic views, interesting views, a barbeque. If you are driving there is a garage with the outside areas of the house having external lighting.