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Property Summary
Located near the centre of a popular tourist village in the Minervois, this house would make a perfect B&B which will give you the opportunity to live in the sunny south of France while still earning supplemental income. The house is ready to welcome your guests into a tastefully renovated character house, while you finish off the little work that's left to do.
Property Description
A well presented hallway greets you as you enter this large house from which you access the living room and large dining room. Both have retained their character throughout a sympathetic renovation. The dining room leads directly into a separate kitchen which has a practical modern design. Original stone steps lead to the two upper floors on which there are 3 andn 2 bedrooms, respectively. The large master bedroom has an ensuite shower room, while the main bathroom may be somewhere you'd like to do a bit of tarting up. There is a small 1st floor terrace, which currently is more suitable as a drying area for your wash, although with some changes, one could make this a nice place for you or your guests to sip a glass of the local wine. There is also an outside patio area where you can enjoy a BBQ or two. In terms of work still needing to be done, there is just a bit of decorating of the two 2nd floor bedrooms. However, there is also an unrenovated attic room on this floor which could make another bedroom and ensuite. The village is in the heart of the Minervois wine-growing region which is the most popular area in the Languedoc. Situated mid-way between Carcassonne and Narbonne, you'll have easy access to the rest of what the region has to offer. It is conveniently close to the Mediterranean as well as the ski slopes of the Pyrenees. The Spanish border to only 1h20 minutes away. There are good transport links too with 5 airports withing 90 minutes of the house: Carcassonne and Beziers ariports are within 40 minutes; Perpignan, Toulouse, Montpellier airports are within 90 minutes. A bit further afield, at 2 hours is Girona airport in Spain. The
Location in France
The Aude lies in the Languedoc-Roussillon on the edge of the Pyrenees, and as usual within France, such a diverse country, there are a wide variety of landscapes. Vast areas are devoted to wheat fields and vineyards, and mountains and vast forests are scattered throughout the area. The department also has around 50km of Mediterranean coastline, which is always appealing!
The city of Carcassonne is the Aude's most proud possession. The medieval town, which was the inspiration for 'The Sleeping Beauty', boasts an incredible 52 towers and 2 enormous ramparts. A stroll around the city's old town reveals many memorable views, and even form the autoroute, when lit up at night, it looks sensational. The historical city of Narbonne, not far from Carcassone, is another favourite.
The Aude has a large number of castles, reminiscent of its Cathar history. The most impressive citadel is Peyrepertuse, which has 2.5km of ramparts.
The Midi Canal, which flows through the department, is an incredible feat of construction. It took 12,000 men working for 14 years to complete it in the 17th century, and it runs from Toulouse to Thau, passing through Carcassonne. The canal is an incredible 240km in length nowadays, it is used most by the tourist industry and is a great way to explore the region whilst admiring the landscape at a leisurely pace.
The area is proud of its customs and local cuisine, including the world famous cassoulet. Castelnaudary is considered the world capital of this particular dish. There are very strict rules over what constitutes a cassoulet - most importantly, all the ingredients must come from the Aude!
Carcassonne has its own international airport with regular flights to the UK and other European destinations, as well as a TGV train station, so travelling to the Aude is easy.
The french property prices in the Aude tend to be slightly cheaper than the average within the Languedoc Roussillon, but the major cities naturally attract higher property values, particularly Carcassonne.
