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Only 30 minutes drive from Carcassonne Airport, with very easy access to both Carcassonne City and the beautiful village of Trèbes, this spacious villa is situated on a large, secluded plot of 1000m2, with lots of secure car parking space, and a garage too. It is of open plan design, and has three large bedrooms, all of which have built in wardrobes. Two of the bedrooms contain double beds, and the other two single beds, with a cot also available. It is of modern construction and will comfortably accommodate 6 people (7 if you include the cot). Surrounded by vineyards and mountains, it has a large terrace where the breathtaking views can be enjoyed, not to mention a patio area, if sun-bathing is your desire.
If you'd like to avoid using the car, there are scenic walks to be had in the quaint village of Badens, where the villa is situated, and of course among the vineyards. The village has a patisserie, a post office, a hairdresser, a bar, and a wine producer, where you can sample the delightful local wines in the footsteps of Rick Stein. In fact, everything you need is in the village. There are two supermarkets within a short car journey, and some very good restaurants.
There are numerous places to visit and activities for all the family. Badens itself is a village of real character, surrounded by vineyards. If you've seen 'Rick Stein's French Odyssey', you've already seen the village and the resident wine producer, featured in the edition with the Australian connoisseur (Peter Forrestal) who loved the fine wines of Badens. You can sample the same wines, with the same convivial wine producer.
As with all of the local shops and businesses, the village bar is within a very short walk of the villa. During a recent stay there, I visited it on several occasions, finding it to be a great opportunity to meet locals and to practice my French, and finding them all to be very friendly and accommodating. On discovering that they serve food, I naturally arranged to have a three course meal, which was delicious and very cheap. The great thing here is that if you fancy a lovely meal with one or two beverages, you don’t have to worry about driving afterwards. Just wander down to the bar and ask for Patrick, who is the owner and prepares the meals. In my case, the meal was a speciality of Lyon, the city of his birth. Children are welcome here too.
The village of Trèbes is a 10 minute drive away, which sits on the beautiful Canal du Midi (a World Heritage Site). Here there are fine restaurants and shops, but the real treat is a walk beside the canal, or a boat ride is available if you just want to rest and enjoy the view. You can even cycle along the banks of the canal, as bike hire is available next to the Tourist Information Centre.
Trèbes also has a municipal swimming pool that you can enjoy. En route to Trèbes, why not stop and look around the village of Rustiques, which is an award winner in the village / ville fleuri competition of France? A look at the beautiful floral displays and the park in this old-world village justifies this prestigious award. A 45 minute drive to the east brings you to Narbonne, a wonderful city with beautiful beaches, great markets, historical buildings at the end of cobbled streets, many shops and cafés, and leisure activities, such as a boat trip along the canal. In fact, there are activities and places to visit too numerous to list, in this region of France, which is why there are so many brochures and leaflets at the villa.
Languedoc-Roussilon is an area undiscovered by many. You have the history of Carcassonne City, the oldest medieval city in Europe, where you can soak up the atmosphere at the famous castle or enjoy the many shops and restaurants in the more modern part of the city, but also the beauty of the mountains, and the vineyards.
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