The large dining room seats 6, and the lounge, which opens onto the terrace, is equipped with a CD player,satellite television, dvd player, telephone, wifi access, ipod station a selection of books & games and a radio

The fully equipped ground floor kitchen with fridge/freezer, cooker, microwave, toaster, kettle and dishwasher has all you need for a comfortable stay.

The cottage sleeps up to 6, with 2 double bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor and a twin room on the top floor, all with spectacular views of the surrounding countryside. A high chair, travel cot & stair gate are provided for the younger visitor.

The cottage is at the centre of the Cathar region with hill top castles and the medieval city of Carcassonne to remind you of the fascinating and often tragic history for which this region is renowned. Just across the valley from the cottage is Rennes le Chateau, centre of a mystery still very much alive with many books written & films made on the subject. The mystery is one of sudden wealth, secret codes and a search for treasure in the latter part of the 19thC. The link with the village is very strong - in 1852 Bérenger Saunière, the priest at the centre of the mystery was born in Montazels. (Just type Montazels into any search engine and take your pick of the many web sites if you wish to delve deeper). The medieval city of Carcassonne is 40 minutes drive, or why not take the train - a 10 minute walk to the stop from the cottage. Buy your ticket on the train & travel the heart of the city without the bother of parking. The town of Mirepoix is also worth a days visit with its medieval marketplace surrounded by bars & restaurants under buildings of great character & beauty. Market Day is Monday. The Spanish border is just 90 minutes away with Barcelona another hour, drive just across the border and take the train from Figares, birthplace and home to a fascinating museum dedicated to Salvador Dali. You can also drive across to Andorra for fantastic scenery, skiing & duty free shopping. The weather in the Languedoc is very mediterranean with 300 days of sunshine a year claimed. The local rivers, lakes and natural spas provide bathing opportunities plus the coast is just 90minutes away. If skiing is your thing, the nearest resort at 40kms away is Camurac, with 15 slopes, two of which are green, 8 blues, 2 red and 3 black. With 7 ski lifts, 13 snow canons and 14 km of cross-country ski tracks. Buses leave twice a day from Quillan (7kms) during the season.

Sitting on the south facing patio with swifts wheeling overhead, enjoying the last rays of the days sun while sipping a glass of wine is an ideal way to end the day. With views to Renne-le-Chateau and Coustaussa Castle on the other side of the valley and, in the distance, the snow topped Pyrenees just visible. We are 10 minutes walk to the river Aude and the neighbouring village of Couiza with bars, hotel, restaurants, supermarket, beauty salon, chemist, organic produce store, bank and post office.