Map

Surroundings

• Rural
• Hilly
• Woods and fields
• Quiet rural environment with some agricultural activity

The main quality of your gite is absolute peace and quiet.
The 0.86 acre garden is a lawn, surrounded by trees, bushes and hedges with garden furniture, loungers, a swing, a seesaw, a slide, a children's outdoor pool and a barbeque. Our house is located behind the park of a little castle. This park has a large herd of deer.
Due to the absence of light pollution you can see on clear nights (and we have a lot of clear nights) an unimaginable amount of stars and even our galaxy. For those, who live in or near citys and villages an unparalleled experience.
The nearby sleepy village of Colombier counts 300 inhabitants and has no commercial activities.
Commentry, however, is only a 7 minute drive away, and there you will find all the necessary shops, including 2 supermarkets. Every Friday morning there is a friendly market.
A 15 minute drive takes you to the county of the Puy de Dôme, 20 minutes to the bigger city of Montlucon with a beautifull old town center ( 13th, 14th and 15th century) with amongst others, half-timbered houses and the great castle of the earls of Bourbon.
Cross the river Cher in Montlucon and you enter the county of the Limousin.
A half an hours ride takes you to the Gorges de Sioule with green mountains and wild valleys, castles, streams etc. Or to the magnificant castle of Ainay-le-Vieil, where you can enjoy the castle (open to visitors) the beautifull gardens and if you like, have a wonderfull diner (after booking) with sometimes live music.
In the neighbourhood are many thermal springs for a pleasant relaxation, eg in Néris-les-Bains,where in the summer most of the evenings you can see (and hear) different types of free entertainment in the squares and the streets, such as music, old dances, "La Belle Epoque" with the cars and the clothing of the first half of the 20th century, fireworks etc.
Slightly further away you find the largest natural forest of Europe, the Fôret de Troncais, the volcanoes of the Auvergne with the famous Puy de Dôme, the citys of Vichy, Bourges and Moulins and the very special mediaeval little town of Charroux, with a clock museum and a little old mustard factory. In Lavoine you can visit one of only three in the whole world existing water-powered wooden ball clocks.

Description

Interior

In your gite, 366 sq ft, you have a television, a DVD/CD player and a radio/CD player.
If need be, the bench can be unfolded and used as a second 2-bed.
The kitchencorner is amongst other things equipped with a 4 "ring" ceramic hob with extraction and a fridge.
If necessary your hosts telephone can be used, calling to all landlines within Europe is free.
At your arrival your bed has already been made and the kitchen is provided with the necessary linen. Also your towels etc. will be ready for you in the bathroom. In case your stay will be longer than one week, a new set of linen etc. will be provided at the next saturday.
You will find the freezer, washing-machine, dryer, iron and ironing-board as well as the garden furniture in the wide corridor next to your gite.
Our house is located behind the park of a small castle in a very quiet and rustic highland with some forests, at walking distance from the little village of Colombier and at a 7 minutes drive from the small town of Commentry.

Optional.
Domestic animal (in consultation) € 25 per week.

It is selfevident that we make sure that your gite is clean and tidy at your arrival. It would please us very much if you were to leave it in almost the same state at your departure.

Available: Washing machine, Dryer, Iron, Bed-linen, Towels, Cot, TV, Internet, Wireless Internet, Telephone.

Activities

Naturally you can go for a walk, take your bike, but also you can go swimming, canoeing, kayaking, rafting, horseback riding, take a round trip by air, sky diving, parasailing, play golf at Saint Agatha near Néris-les-Bains etc.
Furthermore there are the many friendly markets and the flee markets. Almost every village and city organises a festival with theme's like the Middle ages, music, meat, whine, bread, etc., mostly ended with fireworks.
Also for children there is much to be seen and done in the neighbourhood, such as the swim-and waterparadise Aqualudique, playing indoors in Defiland, both in Montlucon and the park Le Pal near Dombierre-sur-Besbre, a combination of a big amusementpark and a big zoo.

In the neighbourhood (max 30 minutes by car): swimming, golf, walking, mountain-biking, cycling, riding , water sports, Hang-gliding, para-gliding.

Restaurants, food & wine

Nearby is the area of Saint Pourcain, especially known for it's rosé whine. Here you can watch the whinemaking and, of course, taste it. Cheers!
The Auvergne is also known for it's great amount of different cheeses, it's smoked or non-smoked hams and it's sausages.
In the various villages and citys are many smaller and bigger restaurants with a graet variety of tastes, pure French, but also Asiatic, North African, Italian, Turkish etc. Your hosts are a bit of Burgundians themselfs and from time to time we test a restaurant. Feel free to ask for our advise. Being somewhat good cooks we can also prepare you a delicious diner or a tasteful barbeque, of course for a moderate fee.

Other remarks

The route to your gite:
If you drive south on the A 71, (Orleans - Clermont-Ferrand), take the exit number 10 to Montlucon, directly follow the signs to Commentry. Near Commentry on the roundabout take the new road to Gannat and Colombier, the D998, follow these signs untill after leaving the outskirts of Commentry and entering a forest area, you see on your right side a gate and somewhat hidden a little castle. After approximately 200 meters at the end of the park to you right you see the little sign La Pêche. Take this little road, keep left untill you reach the end of the park and turn right. Another 200 meters and you have arrived.

Additional photos

Prices and seasons

• Low season: € 150,00 per week
  
• Mid season: € 200,00 per week
  
• High season : € 250,00 per week
  

Additional information prices and seasons

Prices per week. (Saturday, from 13.00 pm to Saturday 10.00 am), all included, so no extra costs.

Low season: January 1 to February 18
Half season: February 18 to May 26
High season: May 26 to September 29
Half season:| September 29 to October 27
Low season: Oktober 27 to January 1

For entrys less than 1 week or on different data you can contact us concerning the availability and the prices.

Special offer

Early reservations for mid- & high season 2012: 10 % reduction

Availability

• available
• not available
• enquire for availability
• last minute
• long stay rentals possible

Contact and bookings

Contact the owner / letter of this property directly.

Contact: Henriette Ekkelenkamp en Jan van Beilen
Speaks following languages:
Telephone 1: 00 31 57 85 76 74 8
Telephone 2: 00 31 65 32 74 10 3
Telephone 3: 00 33 47 06 49 77 6