Markets are a regular feature of village life and you will find a mouth-watering selection of locally grown olives, fruit and vegetables, along with other local produce such as honey, meats and cheeses and pottery and craft stalls.

Market days:

Vernet les Bains: Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays

Prades: Tuesdays year round, with a Farmers’ Market and Antiques Market being held on Saturdays throughout the summer.

Music Festival

This world-renowned music festival was founded in 1950 by the famous Catalan cellist, Pablo Casals.  This year the festival will run from 26th July to 13th August.  The event attracts world-class musicians and there will be a series of 42 concerts taking place in and around Prades.  The concerts feature a wide range of chamber music including both classical and contemporary work.

Most of the concerts are held in the beautiful Abbey St Michel du Cuxa, but throughout the festival there are also concerts held in many village churches around the Prades area giving a unique and intimate atmosphere. Other notable venues include the Abbey Saint Martin du Canigou and the Grandes Canalettes Caves of Corneilla de Conflent. Click here to see full details of the exciting and wide-ranging programme.

More images and information coming soon…..

• Villefranche de Conflent (5 miles) – Medieval walled town and UNESCO world heritage site.
• Eus (11 miles)
• Evol (11 miles)
• Mosset (15 miles)
• Castlenou (30 miles)

Abbey Saint Martin du Canigou

The Abbey Saint Martin du Canigou is a superbly restored medieval abbey that was originally a Benedictine monastery.  It nestles in the mountains above Casteil (about 3 miles away).  It’s a steep climb up to the abbey, but the fantastic views make it well worth the effort!  It is now home to a religious community who offer guided tours which take about an hour.

Les Grandes Canalettes

The Caves of the Grandes Canalettes are three separate cave sites in and around Villefranche de Conflent. The caves offer a truly magnificent spectacle with routes which are safely marked with proper stairways and handrails.  You follow a self-guided tour that is about 1km and is accompanied by atmospheric music and lighting.

Every evening during July and August there is a “Son et Lumiere” music show in the underground cathedral.

This area offers an abundance of cultural activities, including art galleries, museums and concerts…

The village of Collioure – about an hour’s drive away – is renowned for the wonderful qualities of its light and has been immortalised by many famous artists including Picasso, Matisse, Dali and Mackintosh.  If you like St Ives in Cornwall, you will love Collioure!

Further information coming soon – please visit this page again soon.

The Languedoc weather sees far greater variation than the UK – long hot summers and crisp cold winters.  What you don’t get are the endless days of grey – even in the depths of winter, more often than not you will find bright blue skies and sunshine.

In the heart of the Pyrénées, this area is renowned for its micro-climate and the nearby village of Eus is reputed to be the sunniest in France.  It really is beautiful here at any time of year.

Spring

A spectacular time of year as all the fruit trees burst into blossom against a back-drop of the snow-peaked mountains of the Pyrénées.  The Rotja Valley is a great fruit growing area.  The main fruit grown here is apples but you will also find an abundance of cherries, apricots and peaches.  This is the perfect time of year for walking and mountain biking – clear blue skies and warm sun, but without the intense heat of the summer months.  You may get some spring rain and the tramontane wind can be spectacularly strong, but sunny days are never far away.

Summer

The Languedoc enjoys a long, hot summer.  From May until October it is generally warm enough to swim in the rivers, lakes, swimming pools and sea.  The Côte Vermeille has many miles of uninterrupted golden sandy beaches to explore, with lots of places to sail and windsurf….. or you can simply relax and chill-out by the side of our swimming pool and enjoy the mountain views.

Autumn

Many local people claim the autumn to be their favourite time of year.  As the leaves change colour the fields become a riot of colour and the intense summer heat eases into a very pleasant warmth.  The perfect time of year for hiking and biking with superb views and a manageable temperature.  The weather here is never boring – the mountains can produce some cracking storms and dry mountain paths can become torrents in a matter of minutes (and I speak from personal experience here!) but somehow this just adds to the beauty of the area when you know the sun will soon return.

Winter

The Languedoc enjoys greater extremes of weather than the UK.  We are situated only a short drive from the ski resorts of Font Romeu and Les Angles and less than 2 hours from Andorra – it really is possible to ski in the morning and walk along the beach in the afternoon!  All accommodation at La Châtaigneraie has heating making it suitable for year-round use.  The main lounge and Capsole apartment both have log-burners – the perfect base for a family Christmas.

Bedrooms:

• Master bedroom with built-in wardrobes, large en-suite bathroom with corner bath and separate shower cubicle
• Second double bedroom with en-suite shower room
• Three twin bedrooms (one with bunk beds)

3½ Bathrooms:

• Two en-suite bath/shower rooms, plus a family bathroom and separate cloakroom

Kitchen:

• Newly renovated fully-fitted kitchen includes a dishwasher, microwave and 6-plate oven

Lounge/dining room:

• Log burner
• Widescreen television

The large living room enjoys amazing views of the surrounding mountains

Send us your booking enquiry

This bungalow enjoys uninterrupted views across the valley from its private and secluded patio.  Guests also have full use of all the other facilities, including the swimming pool, gym and gardens

• The master bedroom has an en-suite bathroom with shower over the bath
• Bedroom two is a small twin room with en-suite shower room
• Bedroom three has bunk-beds
• Open-plan kitchen/living room, well-equipped with microwave and dishwasher

More images coming soon!

Send us your booking enquiry

This character stone gîte is currently undergoing a complete refurbishment and will be available for bookings from mid-June (hopefully earlier!)

A perfect cosy base for a couple, it will offer a bedroom with en-suite shower room upstairs and open-plan kitchen/living room downstairs. The kitchen area is small, but well equipped with dishwasher and microwave.

The living room opens directly on to its own private terrace with barbeque, table & chairs and superb views of the gardens, swimming pool and across the valley. Guests are, of course, most welcome to make full use of all facilities.

More images coming soon

Send us your booking enquiry

We have five chambres d’hôtes / bed & breakfast rooms (four double and one twin).  All rooms have en-suite shower room and tea & coffee-making facilities. Guests have full use of all facilities, including swimming pool, gym, gardens and lounge.

Breakfast is served from 8.00 – 10.00am (other times by arrangement)

The continental buffet breakfast may vary slightly from day to day but will typically include: an assortment of croissants, freshly baked bread, local jams and honey, a selection of cold meats and cheeses, cereal, fruit juice, tea/coffee/hot chocolate.

There is a good choice of places to eat nearby.   Sahorre village has its own café/bar within a few minutes walk and it is less than two miles to nearby Vernet les Bains which offers a very traditional village square surrounded by cafés and bistros.  The larger town of Prades is about an eight mile drive and offers a greater choice of bars and restaurants.

Send us your booking enquiry