Welcome to
Chante Ruisseau
A classic Provençal home set on three hectares of private land, bright and very private, and lovingly cared for. It offers spectacular views of the valley below and the nearby massif of Montmirail.
About the Holiday Home
The living-room opening onto the partially closed courtyard
This traditional Provençal country home is set on three hectares of private land. It is accessed through a country road that crosses three brooks and snakes its way up the escarpment, amidst vineyards and olive groves. One enters the property through a set of wrought iron gates. The house is very bright with every window offering spectacular views of the valley or the surrounding mountains. The ground floor is made of one very large open room with high beamed-ceiling, painted in the customary Provençal pastel hues. It is organized into a living-room on one side, facing a large raised fireplace, and opening onto a partially closed patio through a set of French doors. A few steps away is the swimming pool with its pool-deck furniture and its landscaped terrace full of flowers and fragrances.
The pool seen through the olive tree
The other side of the ground floor is occupied by a spacious dining area and an open kitchen fully equipped with all the amenities and modern tools, such as a full sized gas range and oven, a dishwasher, a microwave and an American-style fridge-freezer. The high ceilings and the terracotta floors keep the house cool and inviting during the summer months, whilst the huge stone fireplace and backup electric heating makes it a perfectly comfortable retreat for the off-season winter months. There is also a bathroom on the ground floor with a shower, a washbasin, and a toilet. The room opens onto a terrace with garden furniture under mature trees that dominates the valley.
The living and dining area seen from the French doors
Down a half level from the main floor, the master bedroom has a queen-size bed and a set of Provençal closets as well as magnificent view over the vineyards that cling their way down the valley. The other bedroom has two single beds that can be separated or put together to form a double bed and sets of Provençal closets. In between the two is the bathroom with a shower, bathtub, washbasin and a toilet. Up a short flight of wooden stairs from the main room is the third bedroom with its sloped and beamed ceiling, featuring a double and a single bed, ideals for children. All three rooms are well decorated and very comfortable.
| Special features: |
• Pets welcomed
• Bilingual assistance available on site
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• Pool on the property
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| Swimming pool: |
8 x 5 m pool surrounded by a patio and lawn |
Location
About the Area
The valley down below seen from the dining terrace
Chante Ruisseau is situated near the town of Beaumes-de-Venise, famous for its sweet white wines made from the Muscat grapes. It is part of the celebrated villages of the Côtes-du-Rhône vineyards. The town is charming and its streets lined with plane trees. It boasts a large church dating back to the 16th century with a more recent open belfry (
campanile), and its early 16th century fountain is a monument worth seeing. It is a small market town, with lots of activities. There one finds all the necessary shops for day-to-day living and an abundance of restaurants and traditional French cafés. The name “Beaumes de Venise” comes from the noun “balma” which means “cave” in the Provençal dialect, and from "Venaissin" since it is located in the "Comtat" (county) “Venaissin”.
The chapel of Notre Dame d'Aubune
Caves can in fact be found along the steep cliffs. They were inhabited by prehistoric men, but a number of them are now used as... wine cellars. One kilometre west towards Vacqueyras is the chapel of Notre Dame d'Aubune, a fine example of Romanesque architecture.
rnA visit to the magnificent hillside villages of Gigondas and Séguret, both in mint condition, is an absolute must. There are several beautiful bike rides that can be started from the house, some for experienced riders, other for intermediate or beginners. One has the rider climb up to the pass of Suzette, down to the village of Malaucène, then to Vaison-la-Romaine on flat terrain, Sablet, Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Beaumes-de-Venise and back up to Lafare. There are also countless spectacular hiking trails offering varying levels of difficulty along and through the Massif of Montmirail.
About the Region
The town of Beaumes-de-Venise in the valley
The nearby town of Carpentras (12 kilometres South) was the capital city of the ancient “Comtat Venaissin” that gave its name to Beaumes-de-Venise. It was ceded to the popes in 1274, when the papacy resided in Avignon, and remained an estate of the Roman popes until the French Revolution in 1791. It is situated at the foot of the Mount Ventoux, one of the famous stage of the
Tour de France where several riders, among them Lance Armstrong, became legends. There is an excellent bicycle store in Carpentras called “La Route du Ventoux” run by a amicable and knowledgeable rider.
The nearby hillside village of Gigondas
During the Roman colonisation, Carpentras assumed an important role as an administrative city. Many artefacts remain from this period and can be seen in the lapidary museum. Further afield are the Roman towns of Vaison-la-Romaine, Orange, Avignon, Nîmes, Arles and Aix-en-Provence, all renowned for their arenas and open theatres where terrific events are staged throughout the summer months.
Every day there are excellent markets to visit where one can buy the freshest regional products. The town of L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgues is full of antique and brocantes shops. The cities of Marseille, Montpellier, the beaches of the Mediterranean sea and the national parks of the Camargue and Vercors are all within a day’s visiting distance, as are the spectacular canyons of the Ardèche and Verdon rivers.
Photo Album
The living room, fireplace and courtyard
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The kitchen area
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The master bedroom with a Queen-size bed
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The second ground floor bedroom with two attached (or separated) single beds
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The bathroom in between the two bedrooms
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The upstairs bedroom with a double and a single bed
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The protected patio
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The pool with a stunning view of the peaceful countryside
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The Massif of Montmirail seen from the garden
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Under the figtree
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