Maison des Remparts is a restored three-storey stone village house, built into the medieval ramparts of the historic town of Caunes-Minervois. The house was renovated using local materials, with antique tiles, doors, and fixtures throughout, but with modern central heating and plumbing. Antiques decorate every room, and there are exposed wooden beams in the ceilings. Windows give views of the village gardens, rooftops, and the nearby vineyards. Three terraces give plenty of private outdoor space for eating, relaxing, and sunbathing. The owners recently installed a stone and tile 6'X6' dipping pool, big enough for five people to cool off in.

The ground floor has a living room with a fireplace, a television, a DVD player, and a stereo with CDs. The well equipped gourmet kitchen has a two-storey high ceiling, overlooked by a mezzanine, and is full of unique touches, like an antique vigneron (winemaker’s) table, a central island with a pot hanger, and an ancient stone sink. A door leads outside to the kitchen terrace, which has a wrought-iron pergola providing shade for outdoor dining. The dining room has a large table that seats up to ten, and a china cabinet with French china and wine glasses. Also on the ground floor is a WC with a toilet and sink.

On the middle floor, the master bedroom has a queen size double bed and a private terrace overlooking the village gardens. A mezzanine office overlooks the kitchen, and is equipped with an ADSL Internet connection with a printer available. The master bathroom on this floor has a shower and toilet, and a fireplace (decorative only!). Upstairs again on the top floor, there are two more bedrooms. The larger bedroom has twin single beds, which can be put together to make one queen-size double bed. This room has a skylight and a view of the Corbière mountains. The smaller bedroom, with a pretty view of the village gardens, has a single bed and an ensuite bathroom with a bathtub and sink. Also on this floor is a full bathroom with a shower, sink, and toilet, which is accessible to both of the top floor bedrooms.

Special features:

• Pool on the property • Pets welcomed

Caunes-Minervois is an historical village of 1,600 inhabitants, with a wide range of shops and services, including a café, two restaurants, four doctors, a pharmacy, two beauty parlours, two grocery stores, an award winning butcher shop, a twice-weekly outdoor market, and tennis courts.

The Hôtel d'Alibert has a central courtyard dating from the 16th century, which is open for outdoor dining in the summer.

The town’s 8th century abbey is open to visitors and is illuminated every night. At the communal lavoir, an ancient washhouse, some of the older villagers still wash their clothes. The village gardens are a patchwork of individual plots of vegetables and flowers.

There are many very pleasant walks starting from Caunes-Minervois. Visitors can walk through the vineyards, or through the countryside to the nearby pretty church of Notre Dame du Cros. There are many activities available locally, including tennis, horseback riding, and wine tasting at the local vineyards.

Caunes Minervois is nestled in the foothills of the Montagne Noire, and is one of a string of pretty little villages surrounded by vineyards. There’s plenty to see and do in the region. The nearest big town is the spectacular medieval fortified town of Carcassonne. Founded by the Romans, Carcassonne was a crucial stronghold during the 13th century Cathar heresy suppression.

Consider taking a barge trip on the Canal du Midi, which links the Mediterranean to the Atlantic, or making a visit to the Abbaye de Fontfroid, a medieval abbey in a magnificent mountain setting. The prehistoric cave paintings at Niaux are still open to the public. The city of Narbonne and the Mediterranean beaches are just a half hour’s drive away.

The dipping pool by the kitchen terrace	The kitchen terrace
The terrace by the master bedroom	The kitchen
The dining room	The kitchen
The living room	The master bedroom
The master bedroom	The mezzanine office
The front door	A street in Caunes-Minervois
A corner house in Caunes-Minervois

The house exceeded all of our expectations, as did the area. We loved the decor, drooled over the stove, and enjoyed several nights in the snug with a fire in the fireplace. We loved eating in the kitchen as it is so light and airy.
Marj and Dave P. - Bellingham, Washington, USA

We had a wonderful time! Living in a French village has been a dream of ours for years and we cannot imagine a better place to experience this. Your lovely home makes it even more special with your charming décor, warm colors, and the heavenly bed and of course the snug.
Patrick C. - Oakland, California, USA

A delightful stay in your lovely French hide away. Breakfast on your terrace will remain a restorative memory when we are back in the rat race.
Ann and Henry B. - Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

We had the most wonderful time living in Maison des Remparts for five months, we could not have found a more wonderful place in all of France. The information on your website is absolutely accurate, in fact, everything was better than depicted!
Theresa B. - Nanaimo, BC, Canada

Thank you for a wonderful experience at Maison Des Remparts. The village and people are just charming and on travelling the area we realised this is the most special village to stay in. I wish I was still there!
Joanne C. - Victoria, Australia