Your contact:	Ken Pottinger
Telephone:	+33(0)5 65 38 04 33 or +44(0)207 1936 211
Email:	Click here to contact Font Saint-Jean

Font Saint-Jean is part of a stone barn first built in 1811 and fully renovated in 2007. The self-catering gîte is set on two floors and is ideal for a couple. The interior features traditional exposed rafters and rustic tiled floors, along with modern comforts such as underfloor central heating. The gîte has been awarded a 3 star rating by the French tourism authorities.

The gîte stands on half a hectare (an acre) of land at the edge of the ancient village of Thegra, with its 15th century church and château, and close to some of the region’s great attractions, such as the medieval cliffside town of Rocamadour and the underground lake at the Padirac Caves.

Font Saint-Jean is named for the ancient water source that passes through the grounds. During the Hundred Years’ War of the 14th and 15th centuries, the defenders of the château at Thegra used an underground tunnel, still in existence, to draw water from the source.

The property is surrounded by streams, fields, country walks and open spaces. Guests can fish in the nearby Dordogne river (with a licence.)

The owner lives in the other part of the barn, and is available to help his guests if needed. Guests enjoy full privacy, with a separate entrance and half the garden to themselves.

Outside the gîte is a flagstoned terrace with an outdoor dining table shaded by a pergola, and a private lawn with loungers for sunbathing. The front door opens into an open-plan tiled kitchen with a ceramic stovetop, full-size electric oven, fridge, freezer, and double sink. Up to six can sit at the dining table. The sofa and armchairs in the living room give plenty of space to relax.

The wooden staircase leads up to the bedroom and its ensuite bathroom. Under the vaulted timber ceiling, the double bed looks west over the garden and fields. The bathroom has a walk-in shower, toilet, and a washing machine and dryer.

Special features:

• Bilingual assistance available on site

Font Saint-Jean is at the edge of the medieval village of Thegra, famous for its 15th century château and church. Thegra has a bakery, a hairdresser, and a doctor. The Giscard Hotel serves meals during the summer and has a small bar and outside terrace where one can enjoy a coffee.

Less than three kilometres from Thegra is Padirac, the site of the great caves. This popular attraction lets visitors descend 100 metres underground to a network of caverns and a subterranean river system, which one can discover on a boat ride.

A wide range of shops and services are available in Gramat, six kilometres away. Nearby Saint-Cère hosts music festivals and operas during the summer, and offers shopping, cafés, restaurants, a cinema, swimming pools, tennis courts and a 9-hole golf course.

Traditional French street markets take place in Bretenoux on Tuesday and Saturday, and in Gramat on Tuesday and Friday.

Among the activities available locally, guests can rent canoes to paddle the Dordogne, fish for trout and carp, rent bicycles and follow the bike trails, and ride horses.

The town of Rocamadour, fifteen kilometres from Thegra, is a medieval town and shrine perched on the side of a cliff above a tributary of the Dordogne river. This pilgrimage site is part of the ancient devotional journey to Santiago de Compostella. Today, it is a popular tourist attraction and the second most visited site in France. It is also home to a thriving artistic community, and its narrow streets are home to many galleries and studios.

Within easy reach for a day trip is the perfectly preserved medieval town of Sarlat, where one can find excellent shopping as well as a wealth of cultural and historical activities.

The Lot is home to five of the officially labelled "most beautiful villages in France." Autoire, Carennac, Loubressac, Cardaillac and St Cirq Lapopie and all are close to Thegra. Loubressac overlooks the Dordogne and Bave valleys, and is filled with medieval houses of ochre stone. The church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste and the château are worth a visit. There are also historic châteaux to visit at nearby Castelnau and Turenne. The town of Figeac on the river Célé has an unspoilt medieval centre.

Less than an hour from Thegra is the large Tolerme dam, which offers a beach, swimming, sports activities, walks, jogging circuit, canoes, and a snack bar in season.

The terrace and garden	The kitchen and living area
The living area	The bedroom
Gagnac-sur-Cère, nearby	The landscape at Bretenoux nearby

We want you to know how much we enjoyed and appreciated our stay at Gite Font St Jean. We are thankful for all the ways you took care to make our stay comfortable and our travels around the area easy.
Judith P. - Michigan , USA

Our stay was wonderful, we will never forget it. We have told many people about the great time we had at Font St Jean, our trip to the Rocamadour fromage festival and to Beaulieu, not forgetting our wine and cheese evenings. We hope to be back one day.
Peter and Pam S. - Victoria, Australia