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 Najac |
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| Cordes |
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Cordes |
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| Albi
Cathedral |
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| St
Antonin |
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| Najac |
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The house is a splendid base from which to explore
Southwest France. It is close to several extremely beautiful
and unspoilt medieval bastide villages and towns, including
Cordes-sur-Ciel, Castelnau de Montmiral, St Antonin,
and our own personal favourites of Najac and the local
village of Monesties. The historic city of Albi, noted
for its magnificent 12th century cathedral of Saint
Cecil perched high above the river Tarn, together with
the Toulouse-Lautrec museum, is around 40 minutes away.
The natural landscape includes dramatic features such
as the Aveyron and Tarn gorges, extensive areas of natural
forest, and the attractive rolling countryside of the
Gaillac vineyard area.
The region's history is dominated by the Cathar uprising
and this dramatic period of French history has exerted
a significant influence on the architectural and cultural
heritage.
Wine lovers can explore the nearby Gaillac wine-growing
area,
and other nearby attractions and activities include:
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tennis |
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golf |
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cycling |
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bird watching |
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walking |
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horse riding |
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quad-biking on an exciting course just 10 minutes
drive from |
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the house |
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sailing on the nearby lake where fully supervised
lessons |
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are available |
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kayaking on the river Aveyron as it passes through
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spectacular Aveyron gorge |
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The site hosted a stage of the centenary Tour de France
in 2003. The activities on offer include extensive cycling
trails, BMX and skateboarding parks, an artificial ski
slope (the longest in Europe), water-skiing, and an
exhilarating alpine ride.
Many of the local towns and villages have festivals
and fetes, including the annual festival in Cordes where
the locals parade through the town's ancient streets
in medieval costume, many on horseback. This is followed
by jousting in the main square!
The town of Gaillac has its annual wine festival in
August, which is a great way of getting to know the
local producers.
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The nearest village of Monesties enjoys the status
of being officially recognised as one of the most beautiful
villages in France. Sitting outside the charming cafe
watching the locals play boules
in the leafy square is one of our favourite pastimes.
The major regional city of Toulouse is an easy drive
away, with its shops, restaurants, pavement cafes and
historical buildings, together with attractions such
as the Space City and the Aerospatiale factory where
you can observe airliners being assembled.
The choice of nearby restaurants goes from those sporting
Michelin stars, to the more humble but no less enjoyable
local auberges and cafes. Our own personal reviews on
all of these are available at the house.
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