Le Pigeonnier - ALIG108

A former country house transformed into holiday apartments, spacious and comfortable luxury gites, fully equipped with private gardens and terraces and outdoor pools, you will feel at home on your holidays whether as a couple or as a family.

This former priory, a magical place chosen by the monks for its silence and calm, ideal for relaxation and meditation. Make the most of the tranquillity, the light, sunshine and Mediterranean climate.

Set in leafy grounds in a country setting, the Priory is built on the site of an ancient Roman villa, dating from the 7th and 8th centuries: a unique blending of past and present.

Ideal holiday destination for couples or families or for large family gatherings.

Situated in the countryside in the south of the Herault, with easy access from two motorways, two airports and the TGV, only 5 minutes from Pezenas, the former regional capital, and 20 mins from the Mediterranean, the Priory offers you a warm welcome.

This region is an area of dramatic contrasts – miles and miles of glorious sandy beaches yet there is ski-ing to be found only a couple of hours away in the Pyrénées. We have endless vineyards and a tour of this region reads like a wine list.

Inland are amazing gorges and rivers and myriad fortresses and castles dating from the bloodthirsty Cathar times.

In short:
- Fabulous hot, sunny weather.
- Beautiful long sandy beaches with shallow water, ideal for young children.
- Gorgeous countryside with miles and miles of vineyards, stunning rivers and gorges, pretty medieval villages and bustling cities.
- Wealth of historical monuments and castles, the amazing Cité of Carcassonne.
- Great dining experiences whether it be on the beach or in a medieval village amidst the vineyards.
- Good, locally produced wines at prices you won’t believe!

Here are some highlights, not to be missed!

BEACHES
The beaches at Valras Plage, Sérignan Plage and Narbonne Plage are all very suitable for children and a quieter option to the beaches closer to Cap d’Agde. They have sheltered bathing areas for children and Valras Plage has some great play equipment on the beach.
For ‘all the fun of the fair’ head to Cap d’Agde with the fabulous ‘Aqualand’ water sports park as well as plenty of water sports, boat trips, a beautiful harbour, golf, casino, fashionable shopping, nightclubs, waterfront restaurants and several children’s theme parks.
At Vias Plage, there is a funfair open during July and August called Europark which is very popular with teenagers
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BOAT EXCURSIONS
At Grau d’Agde on board the Millésime you can take a guided excursion between the Canal du Midi, Thau lagoon and the Hérault river. Also boat trips available at Valras Plage, either trips up the coast or even sea fishing ones.

CANAL DU MIDI
Take the time to visit the Canal du Midi, a beautiful tree-lined Canal which links the Atlantic with the Mediterranean anc which has miles of flat walks along the shady tow paths. Explore it on rollerblades, on horseback, by bike, by barge or simply on foot.

FURTHER AFIELD
Barcelona is just 2 1/2 hours away, easily achievable for a lunch in Spain!
About an hour to the south there are the Pyrenees.
Take a day trip (about 3 hours each way) to Andorra.
The Massif Central starts only a short distance to the north.
Not far away you can discover the ‘Pont du Gard’ en route to Provence

GOLF
Several good golf courses are within easy reach, Golf Saint Thomas at Béziers, approx 20 minutes drive – see www.golfsaintthomas.com/english/

HORSE-RIDING
There are plenty of places offering horse-riding in the area. One is the St Jean Ranch in Serignan Plage which offers a range of activities such as excursions, horse-drawn carriage rides, horse rides on the beach or at sunset, and even excursions for experienced riders.

PRETTY VILLAGES
We have so many lovely traditional wine-producing villages in this area, all with weekly street markets and of course those sun-blessed Mediterranean beaches. If you enjoy the atmosphere of medieval streets, you will love walking through the old part of these villages, with their tiny squares, ancient porches and ramparts. Most villages have several fetes and festivals throughout the year, including the famous processions with floral floats.
The village of Minerve is classified as one of the ‘Prettiest villages in France’ and is worth a trip. It is off to right on the way to Carcassonne is a must for those interested in the history of the Cathars.

VINEYARDS
Many of the local vineyards offer free tours and wine-tasting. Great fun and very interesting to see how they turn the grapes into wine. The coastal plain provides literally hundreds of Domaines for superb wine-tasting – its obligatory!

PEZENAS
Renaissance Pezenas is worth a visit, with its winding cobbled stone streets housing Antique Shops and Art Galleries. There is a large open-air market every Saturday which is well worth a visit. The town boasts that it was once the home of Molière and there are many craft shops, restaurants and beautiful buildings. During July and August the craft shops are open until midnight some nights and you will often find street theatre groups to entertain you !

The architecture and the streets of the village are worth a detour. The centre has been magnificently maintained and renovated. A destination particularly appreciated by the British due to its luxurious charm and refined boutiques, Pézenas has a wealth of buildings and hotels in characteristic architecture.

Molière built up his success in Pézenas, which he had chosen as his favourite place to stay. The town is also the birthplace of the singer Boby Lapointe and maintains its tradition as a town of street entertainers and artists, with theatricalised guided tours and numerous art galleries and artists’ workshops.

The town also has several unusual museums such as the museum of toys and delights of yesteryear, or the door and wrought iron museum.

Worth a visit on Saturday for the large market. The food market closes at 12 noon but everything else stays open. Wander through the old quarter, the artisan shops are very interesting and are all one off individual stores.