MyFranceHome
A house to rent in the South of France
ABOUT MyFranceHome
MyFranceHome is a fully restored, 500-year old, two-storey stone house with 3 bedrooms, modern kitchen and bathroom, a small courtyard, and a garden. All linen is supplied. The house is situated in the medieval village of Caunes Minervois, about 20km north of the World Heritage sites of Carcassonne and the Canal du Midi.
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The house is situated in the historic centre of the village, which grew around an abbey that was founded in the 10th century, and is a tourist attraction to this day.
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The house can be rented by the week, year-round.
The House
The photos of the house speak for themselves. TV, internet, electricity, most phone calls, etc are free. Your only additional cost is for heating oil in winter.
House exterior
Kitchen
Master bedroom
Lounge/dining room
View from the bedroom
Dining room toward kitchen and bathroom
The Village
Caunes Minervois is a village of 1600 people, with everything you need, including a supermarket, bank/ATM, boulangerie/ patisserie, doctor, hairdresser, bar, and many good cafes/restaurants. Its abbey, founded in the 10th century, houses two tourist information offices- one for the village and the other for the region.
Caunes abbey from the rear
This house is 2 minutes walk from ours
A typical street in Caunes' historic centre, less than five minutes walk from our house
Caunes marble quarry has produced red-veined marble since Roman times
Village Fringe
Caunes is situated between the Montagne Noire (Black Mountain) and the plains of the Midi, on a small river called the Argent Double. There are interesting historic and prehistoric things to see on the village outskirts - see the photos below.
One of many local vineyards, with the village in the distance and the Montagne Noire behind it ...
A Roman bridge, 2,000 years old, crossing the Argent Double
... and a local winery
A dolmen, 4-5,000 years old
The Region
Caunes Minervois is so called because it is in the region associated with Minerve, an ancient Cathar fortress. We are also in Occitanie, a region whose original language (now being revived) is Occitan. And the region is also known as 'Cathar country' because of the persecution and extermination of the Cathars, a breakaway Catholic sect, in the 13th century.
So there is much to see. What we show you below is all within 20km (20 minutes drive) from our house.
La Cité at Carcassonne is the biggest citadel in Europe, with room inside for thousands of people. A World Heritage site, it has 3 million visitors a year.
The Canal du Midi, also a World Heritage site, passes through Carcassonne. Constructed in the 17th century, it connects the Atlantic with the Mediterranean ...
Minerve is situated on a rocky ridge between two river gorges. The Cathars thought that it would enable them to withstand the Catholic siege in 1210. They were wrong.
Lastours is a former Cathar fortress complex. If you don't mind a hill climb, all the ruined towers in this photo are well worth visiting.
Our region has two good limestone caves: the Gouffre Geant de Cabrespine, and the Grotte de Limousis, both of which offer guided visits.
These days, it houses shops, restaurants and tourist activities, and has a fascinating tour within the walls themselves.
... using a system of locks to go up and down hills. Built to carry produce on horse-drawn barges, it is now used by pleasure boats, and the tow paths under the plane trees are much used by walkers and cyclists.
Minerve is now a place where tourists can absorb its history or convene for causes such as this one, promoting the learning of Occitan.
For those who don't want to do the climb, there is an excellent information centre at the bottom of the hill. And good restaurants.
The Oppidum d'Enserune was a Roman village. Its remains have good interpretive signs, showing how the Romans in Gaul lived 2,000 years ago.
More photos
We have more than 300 photos of the house, the village, and the region, including cultural activities and wineries that we don't have space for here, on Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/myfrancehome/albums
Our Garden
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Our garden is a two-minute walk directly behind the third bedroom, and you are of course welcome to use it. It is planted with roses and a fig tree (and vegetables in season), and has a table and chairs for your use.
Things to See and Do
We have already shown several possibilities above. For more suggestions, see the websites listed here or search "caunes-minervois events" :
https://www.grand-carcassonne-tourisme.co.uk/the-destination/our-villages/caunes-minervois/
https://www.eterritoire.fr/territoires/occitanie/aude/caunes-minervois/11081/3743?agenda
Guest Reviews
Previous guests rate MyFranceHome at an average of 9.7 / 10.
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Nico, 12-2021 - 1-2022 : If you want to go back in time and enjoy the real french atmosphere, this house is the one. It has lots of charm and all the modern comfort you could need. We stayed here for 2 weeks in December and January and left totally relaxed.
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Juanjo, 8-2021 : Preciosa casa histórica en este encantador pueblo. Cómoda y completa. Tuvimos muy buena atención de su propietario y estaba todo preparado a la llegada. Recomendable.
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Barbara, Août 2021 : Wunderschöne Gegend in passendem Rahmen
Sehr schöne, gepflegte Wohnung, schön dekoriert. Ausstattung mit allem was dazu gehört, und noch mehr. Geräumiger Eingang, gleichzeitig Wohnzimmer und großer Tisch. Etwas kleine, aber sehr funktionale Küche, bietet alles. Schönes, gut aufgeteiltes Bad. Kleiner Innenhof, worüber ein Zimmer mit zwei Betten zu erreichen ist. 1.Stock: Wunderschönes, geräumiges Zimmer mit Doppelbett, und extravaganter Waschgelegenheit - Extra Zimmer mit einem Einzel-Bett. Wir haben dort wunderbare Ferien mit der Familie, 2 Erwachsene und 3 Kindern, verbracht. Für uns als Familie mit (fast) selbstständigen Kindern (9,11,15) ganz leichte Beengung durch nur 1 WC und kleiner Küche. Etwas hellhörig, aber das liegt auch an der absoluten Stille die hier auf dem Land, vor allem Nachts herrscht. Abends, konnte man wunderschöne in der Altstadt laufen. Alle Läden in Gehweite. Etwas mühsamer Anstieg zur Wohnung über den unteren Weg von der Straße, aber man gewöhnt sich rasch daran. Parkplätze gibt es, teilweise etwas weiter weg und etwas spärlich, vor allem wenn in der nahegelegenen Abtei Konzerte stattfinden. Kontaktloser Empfang in Corona-Zeiten, dennoch gibt es wenn nötig, eine Möglichkeit des persönlichen Kontaktes bei Bedarf. Gerne wieder!
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Mari, 8-2016 : Nos ha gustado mucho, aunque yo mejoraria un poco la seguridad de la puerta, y lo que no me ha gustado es que no se limpiara la casa antes de nuestra llegada, y que no hubiese nada a nuestra llegada. Tuvimos que ir a hacer compra nada mas llegar despues de casi 9h de viaje…pero el resultado ha sido positivo. Volveriamos encantados. La tranquilidad y el silencio nos vino muy bien para descansar. Gracias.
Hilwani, 8-2015 : It's a fabulous, cozy and fully equipped home; located in a medieval village and surrounding vineyards. It's a wholesome French experience!
Prices and Contact Details
MyFranceHome is available to rent for periods of one or more weeks. (You can start your rental on any day of the week, subject to availability.)
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The cost is €350/week November-April and €450/week May-October. A deposit of 20% is required on booking, with the balance payable one month prior to commencement of the rental. The funds can be paid by electronic transfer to our bank account in France or our account in Australia. When we have received the full amount, we will email you all the information you'll need for your stay - driving directions, a booklet about the house, where to get the key, etc.
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To keep Caunes Minervois Covid-free, we ask that you be fully vaccinated or have had a recent negative test.
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For availability, or any questions you may have, email John Scheding at myfrancehome@gmail.com or phone John on +61 447 855 244.