*St. Cirq Lapopie--voted the Most Beautiful Village in France by the French public in 2012.
UPDATE: REVIEWS-- we've received nothing but 5-star rave reviews from guests since we began renting in 2012. But most of our business does not come through vacation rental websites, like TripAdvisor, VRBO, or FlipKey, etc, so you'll have to look for those reviews elsewhere. If you search for "Dream House, Mythic Village" you'll find many recent reviews.
Please Note: we love vacation rentals out in the country with pools--Europe has thousands of them. Yet for a truly unique experience of culture, cuisine, history, and romance, there is nothing like living in your own private home in this fairytale village in this extraordinary region of France. And p.s., you won't miss the pool--there's a great sandy beach on the river.
This is a fully-equipped house in the heart of an enchanting and lively medieval village, surrounded by gorgeous fields, limestone cliffs, and a magnificent swimmable river. It's just a short walk to artist studios, gourmet restaurants, and wonderful shops, yet you'll live in the delightful and sun-lit privacy of your own home, perfectly located for day trips or hikes or bicycling, to castles, vineyards, markets, museums and more.
Between the Dordogne and Provence, on a cliff overlooking a magnificent river valley, lies the lively, medieval village of St. Cirq Lapopie, a place Richard the Lion-hearted once failed to conquer.
And between 13th Century walls, in the heart of this charming village that time has left untarnished, lies our lovely, newly renovated, fully-equipped five bedroom, three bathroom home.
As you stroll through its medieval gate and gaze at the ancient red-roofed village houses, many garlanded with flowers, you'll imagine that time has stood still.
But when you walk through the old oak door of our home, all the contemporary trappings are there-- from the well-stocked kitchen to the luxurious king beds to the two-person porcelain tubs.
Spacious enough for large families, and groups, the house was designed to make even a single couple feel cozy and welcome.
St. Cirq Lapopie has been a mecca for artists and writers throughout the past century. The town is alive with small shops and fine restaurants, art studios, a museum, a cathedral, and more. There's a sandy beach too. And all of this is in walking distance from the house.
Yet just beyond the village environs lie castles and markets, cave paintings and cathedrals, museums and vineyards, and the lush countryside.
You can bicycle for traffic-free miles along the majestic Lot river. Or canoe for hours along the banks of the river from town to town. Or simply walk to the local castle or a nearby patisserie or cafe.
Whether your prefer lazing or action, window gazing or window shopping, dining out or cooking in, day trips or just a stroll to the corner, there is no end of enticing choices in our friendly, inviting village.
If this sounds appealing, then it is not an exaggeration to say that this can be one of the memorable vacations of a lifetime. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have questions, wishes, or just want a real conversation about about this home in this village. Thank you.
A few more descriptive facts:
1) the house is in the village (that's the point-- this is an amazing living-in-a-gorgeous-french-village vacation, after all!), just off the main tourist route, so even in August (a time my family also loves visiting), there is lots of privacy-- an outdoor private terraced garden is a great venue for eating your baguettes and cheese, drinking the local malbec, and watching the amazing skies, as well as the views over the river.
2) the river is walking distance, and there is a nice, sandy public beach where you can take a dip, or swim laps, in clear, clean, comfortable waters.
3) all the restaurants and shops are in easy walking distance, but it is a medieval village on a cliff (to protect from invading hordes), so some steep inclines and comfortable walking shoes a good idea.
4) the four bedrooms are all very comfortable, all with armoires-- and the bathrooms all have lovely showers with great water pressure. There are also two vintage tubs for a good soak (one in the master bedroom!).
5) lots of windows with great views, the house is a very easy place to hang out in, whether working in the gourmet kitchen or sipping cognac in the lounge-- spacious, airy, and with good sunlight.
6) parking is in the residential lot (not the public lot), so a fairly easy walk from the house-- you can drive right up to the door to drop off your things.
If you search for maison southern france (all one word) or 'dream house, mythic village' you'll find lots more pictures and descriptions.
