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You probably won’t be surprised to find out that France has its fair share of rustic, country retreats. In fact, the French countryside is full of them – beautiful stone cottages and rural town houses with vaulted ceilings, gabled windows and gardens that stretch for acres. They’re the ideal holiday retreat for travellers who want to get away from it all. The French locals call these rural cottages gîtes.
These gîtes are wonderful places to stay – they’re spacious, attractively designed and extremely comfortable. When it comes to relaxing in the French countryside, you can’t go wrong with a good old gîte. The only problem is that there are so many of them dotted about – it can be difficult to pick the perfect one for you. Here’s a gîte cheat sheet, that you can use to help you book the ideal French holiday.
L’Arche de Noe, Normandy
The four hundred year old L’arche de Noe country house is a quaint and beautiful rural property, say the experts at ChezNous. It’s located in Normandy, very close to several WWII battlefields. The tiny hamlet of Le Sap is only a mile away, says Telegraph journalist Greg Ward. Despite its fairly isolated nature, this region contains all of the necessary amenities – grocery shops, a post office, a news agent and a market. If you don’t mind a bit of a walk, you should be able to manage the mile long journey to Le Sap. However, if you happen to be a little bit older you might want to hire a car for the duration of your stay. L’arche de Noe is very homely, with a wood burning fire and beamed ceilings. There are no pets allowed, but this gîte can sleep up to six people in two separate bedrooms.
La Maison Bleue, Brittany
La Maison Bleue is a two bedroom town house that sleeps four people. It is located very close to the towns of Malestroit and Josselin, in Brittany. The region is known for being quite exciting – it has got lots of adventure parks, craft centres and markets. Malestroit and Josselin also hold regular village fete events, say the experts at VirtualTourist.com. The beaches of Carnac and Damagan are nearby, and there’s a nature reserve just a few miles from the house. La Maison Bleue is a spacious property, with attractive decor and rustic features. In some ways, it’s very traditional – it has a light oak kitchen and an oddly British front room. There’s a terraced space outside and the property is surrounded by acres of green fields and forests.
Owl’s House – Charente
If you’ve always dreamed about staying in a ‘secret’ cottage, you’ll love Owl’s House in Charente. It sleeps up to four people, but it’s actually quite small and cosy. This gîte feels very private, despite the fact that it’s only twenty minutes away from the bustling town of Angouleme. There are a few other holiday gîtes situated nearby, too. Owl’s House shares a garden with two other cottages and it comes hand in hand with a communal trampoline as well! Just be careful with that feature, after a couple of bottles of red wine! The gîte is fitted with contemporary furnishings, even though it looks rather rustic from the outside. There’s a perfect balance between home comforts and going back to basics, here – that’s what you really want from a great French holiday cottage.
La Brazonnerie, Loire Valley
La Brazonnerie is a pretty, little farmhouse situated in the Loire Valley. The Loire Valley is a famous wine growing region, making this an ideal gîte for travellers who really want to check out the things that France does best, says Independent expert Mary Novakovich .The property actually dates back to the eighteenth century – it is located close to some of France’s most important UNESO heritage sites. It comes with a wood burner, authentic oak beams and natural limestone walls. La Brazonnerie really is a wonder to behold and to spend time in, so don’t miss out on the chance to do both of these things. It’s a short walk from the Loire river and many of the famous wine growing areas in the region. La Brazonnerie has a terrace, so that you can watch the sun set with a glass of wine in hand.
Author: Josefina Henley writes for a French lifestyle magazine. For the very best deals on French gîtes and holiday cottages, she recommends ChezNous. She can usually be found testing out new products or reviewing hotels, restaurants, cafes and bars.
