Holiday home with private pool, Maison Charvin.

Gavin, Clare and Amelia
I just wanted to thank you for allowing us to stay in your beautiful home. It really is a little corner of paradise in a spectacular part of the world.

We have been exploring, we spent the day at Abbaye de Fontfroide; followed by the Narbo Via Museum in Narbonne, finally ending up at the salt flats on the l'île Saint-Martin de Gruissan.

Thank you again for the loan of your home and your many kindnesses.

Helen, Paul, Oliver, Alice, Max, Freddie, Bess and Luna (Hunt Family)
Thank you, Sharon, for letting us stay in your gorgeous home “Maison Charvin”! The bedrooms are beautifully decorated and the kitchen is fully equipped.
The saltwater swimming pool was a godsend as the temperature has been very high over our 2-week stay.
The village and its residents are lovely and friendly. There is a small local market every Thursday evening with cheese, wine, beer and other items for sale. The local bar is lovely. You need to make a booking to eat there - It is called Vin de Dagne and bookings can be made online. The owner is very friendly and speaks excellent English. His cooking is excellent too.
We got our daily pastries and baguettes from the local shop a few doors down from the bar/restaurant. There is also a pizza van on a Thursday night when the local bar/restaurant is closed.
Sharon very kindly organised a visit to her vet as part of the animal health certificate requirements.
We have had a fabulous time and Sharon has been so helpful. Thank you.

Dylan and Ethan, Kent, UK
Our week at Maison Charvin from Arlo, the family dog. My family thinks that Maison Charvin is simply beautiful: opulently furnished, exquisitely decorated. More of a château than a maison. That said, my mummy says it’s not pretentious but cosy and homely, much appreciated on the unusually slightly chilly and windy days for part of our stay. The pool has provided instant relief for my family when the weather has been hot and sunny. My human brothers’ favourite space is the very relaxing courtyard where my mummy and I have dozed off on numerous occasions! My daddy has very much enjoyed reading many books from the vast collection. The house is deceptively large, providing ample chilling space for everyone, including me after a hot day in the sun. We enjoyed visiting Trebes (on the Canal), Carcassonne, Lagrasse and the dog-friendly beach in Narbonne. My family enjoyed the pizza which they ordered from the pizza van by the church on Thursday late afternoon. They also had baguettes and pastries (ordered in advance) from Aurelien at Vins de Dagne.

Gill, Graham, Sophie, Toby, Alex, Ruby, Luke and Isabel. Hampton
What can I say, we’ve had the loveliest fortnight at Maison Charvin. Just the loveliest house, perfectly equipped, a cook’s heaven. Downside? Almost none. Biting insects were a bit of an issue, but we found Picosa insect repellent from the Intermarché in Capendu worked really well. (Get the one with “tiger mosquito” on the label). Vins de Dagne was great for dinner. Service a bit slow on our first visit but a fabulous last-night meal on our final night. Local supermarket in the village was closed during our stay, but the Intermarché in Capendu is only 10-15 minutes and there’s a nice baker in Lagrasse. (Could also order from Vins de Dagne, but we never really got our act together). We’d love to return, à bientôt!

Katie, Matthew, Maggie, India and Evie - Linc, UK
Thank you for a lovely holiday.

Your home is beautiful, so well equipped and very clean.

The pool has been amazing, so wonderful to cool down in and the children have had a blast playing in it everyday. We have loved Lagrasse, Carcassonne City and the lake near Carcassonne was a particular highlight for the children.

We ate at the Vins de Dagne a couple of evenings and the food and wine were great. Shame the shop was closed, it would have just made things a bit easier but the croissants / baguettes we ordered from Vins de Dagne were super.

Mosquitos were a bit of a pain and the extreme heat towards the end of our stay - but that's nature!

Also, thanks so much for all your help and tips !

Petra and Leon and Family
The house is beautiful, like home from home, kitchen is fully equiped for all eventualities. We have slept wel in comfortable beds and enjoyed the beautiful garden.

Thank you Sharon for recommending the local bar for food - we had a fantastic night there and few lazy afternoon drinks too! You have been more than helpful, it was lovely to meet you and your 'Lulu'.

We have had a wonderful stay, thank you so much.

The Dexter family, London
We’ve just returned from a marvellous fortnight at Maison Charvin. Having been annual visitors to France for rather more years than I now care to remember I can honestly say this is one of the best houses we’ve stayed in.

As well as being full of French character and ideally located for exploring the delights of Carcassonne and the surrounding area, the house itself is absolutely immaculate with so many thoughtful touches – from two lovely bottles of wine to welcome us to a first aid kit in the bathroom and a sewing kit in the kitchen drawer. And as for the kitchen, well, it’s a cook’s dream. Our youngest daughter is an avid cook and she was delighted to be surrounded by every utensil she could think of including decent kitchen knives.

The courtyard garden is beautiful – the jasmine and oleander were in bloom while we were staying and the fragrance in the evenings was beautiful! The pool, meanwhile, was well loved and well used by everyone.

Montlaur itself is very pretty. We loved the market and live music on Tuesday evenings – a great jazz band played the first week and a fabulous blues band the second. Vins de Dagne was lovely for supper and Aurelian, the owner was very friendly and extremely knowledgeable when it came to recommendations for wine.

History lovers will appreciate the rich Cathar history of the wider region and a visit to Lagrasse, just down the road, is a must.

And last, but not least, Sharon, the owner, is just lovely. So friendly and ready to help with anything at the drop of a hat.

All in all, a wonderful two weeks and I do hope we can return.

Matthew and Sarah
We had a wonderful stay at Maison Charvin for 2 weeks in August 2022.

The house itself is lovely. The pictures on the site perhaps do not do it justice. We are a family of 6 (four teenagers) however there was ample accommodation for all. Most importantly, for the teenagers, no complaints about the Wi-Fi!

The village in which the house is situated is picturesque to say the least. There is a fantastic restaurant within walking distance, Vins de Dagne where the food and wine were truly exceptional (but you need to book ahead). There is also a small store, but that was not really sufficient for anything other than the odd top up (and a bit overpriced).

Although we were a little concerned about the lack of onsite parking, that really was not a problem at all, with ample roadside parking just at the end of the street.

The fact that the outside areas are all surrounded by high walls did worry us at first, as you would inevitably get shade in one part or other at either end of the day. However, the weather was blisteringly hot and so the shade provided by the Courtyard garden was an absolute godsend.

That said, the same shade meant that the pool never quite got to a truly comfortable temperature for the millennial teenagers and was a bit chilly. Although, on many of the hottest days, to my mind, that was a blessed relief!

It is the outside areas that truly make this house. It is completely private, not overlooked at all, beautifully lit up at night and well equipped with BBQ, table and chairs (for six) and a multitude of loungers and towels.

The location of the house was good. The town of Montlaur is just;
20 minutes drive to the nearest Le clerc just outside Carcassonne.
30 minutes to the lake at Caracassone with its inflatable aqua park and the ‘go ape’ tree climbing and zipwire site.
90 minutes to the beach at Narbonne.
A little over 90 minutes to the airport at Toulouse and to the whitewater rafting at Belvianes-et Cavirac (which was fantastic!)

Sharon was extremely helpful when needed, only a phone call away but otherwise we were left to ourselves.

All in all it was great holiday and a house that I would truly recommend.

The Doherty family
Thank you for letting us stay in your beautiful home. The facilities are fantastic. We've never cooked in such a well resourced kitchen. Many thanks.

The Thomas family
Thank you so much Sharon, it's been a wonderful place to stay.
Beutiful, spacious house.
Peaceful, beautifully tended garden, complete with hummingbird hawk moth.
Peaceful, friendly, picturesque village.
Stunning scenery, perfect for hill running.
Pristine pool, fun for the children, with shower + loo.
Fully equipped kitchen + utility room
Potential improvements: eadily available synthetic pillows and quilts (one of us reacted to the down pillow + quilt) and shorter drive from UK???
It's been a fabulous holiday - just what we needed. Would love to come back. Will totally recommend.

Casey family - London
We had a lovely week at Maison Charvin, enjoying tranquility in the beautiful courtyard garden and excursions to Carcassonne and Lagrasse. The house is a wonderful place to stay and very well equipped. We have wanted for nothing. Very many thanks.

Steel family - Chelmsford
We have a had a lovely week in your beautiful well equipped house. Guissan beach restaurant recommendation (Le Clos de Mauzac). It has been a really relaxing stay. Thank you!

Susan and Adrian
Just a quick note to say WOW - we are blown away by your house! It is amazing, we have travelled to France every year for about 10 years but already we know that this will be the best yet! Nothing has disappointed, just thrilled- we are keen cooks (eaters really) and your kitchen is perfect. Off to have a quick wander around the village before returning to cook our traditional first night supper of scallops and fresh prawns.

We spent three weeks and greatly enjoyed our time at Maison Charvin.
 
The villa itself is spacious and very well presented. Loads of storage particularly in the kitchen, which has a big fridge freezer and ample cupboard space. The kitchen and house in general, is exceptionally well equipped – in fact better than any that we have stayed in during our 10+ years holidaying in France.

All of the bedrooms are large, light and airy and all are ensuite. We were travelling with teenagers and they really appreciated the extra space in the bedrooms to give them a bit of extra privacy / space on their own. There is no WC on the ground floor in the house – however, there is one poolside so this is of little concern.

The garden is private and lovely to sit in, with the planting making it an interesting and relaxing space. The pool is not huge, but is good for hanging out and cooling down, particularly in the evenings as it is well lit. There is room for a small car outside the villa, but as ours is a big estate we left it at the bottom of the road about 100m away, convenient and safe.

The villa is centrally located in a nice and friendly village. There is a really useful general store within walking distance, but the bakery closed down shortly before we arrived and the bar apparently opens infrequently and is up for sale – presumably these are temporary issues though. There were a number of social events going on in the village, with a market taking place each Tuesday evening where we enjoyed having a wander before sitting with a glass of wine. Carcassonne is close by and there are plenty of places in the area to visit.
 
Our experience was very positive and we certainly feel the villa was excellent value for money.
 
Finally, a word on our host - Sharon is based in a neighbouring village over the summer and was super friendly and helpful, making recommendations for trips out and booking restaurants for us. This was much appreciated and allowed us to make the most of our stay.

Overall, we would heartily recommend!


The Richfields – Hertfordshire
My family and I had a glorious 2 weeks at Maison Charvin. What a fantastic holiday we had. The directions to find the house were straightforward and easy to follow. The house was spotlessly clean and equipped with everything you could possibly need which was a very welcome relief after the long drive. As a keen cook, my partner enjoyed cooking up delicious meals for us throughout our time there. My children absolutely fell in love with the house (they each enjoyed having their own rooms!) and with the pool and didn't want to leave!
Highlights from our holiday include:
Walking around the beautiful walled city of Carcassonne
Climbing up to the ruins of Château de Queribus, one of the Cathar Castles, set on top of one of the highest peaks in the Pyrenees. Breath-taking views and well worth the effort!
A once in a lifetime meal at l'Auberge du Vieux Puits, a 3 Michelin star restaurant in Fontjoncouse. Only a 30 minute drive from Mason Charvin.
La Franqui – what a fabulous beach. Lovely sea front restaurants and shops. Definitely worth a visit!
The pool! The wine!
And last but by no means least, Sharon. A fantastic host who continually went the extra mile to make sure we were enjoying our holiday. I cannot rate her highly enough and hope to one day return to Montlaur and Maison Charvin! Thank you, Sharon for sharing your beautiful home and for all that you did for us.

Nial and family
Thank you for sharing your lovely house and garden at Maison Charvin. We spent our time climbing to Médiéval castles, cycling along the Canal du Midi and white-water rafting in the Aude River ! Every day we started by wandering around the lovely village before venturing out on an adventure. If you have children, there is a really good football pitch down by the rugby club. We also really enjoyed 'Abyss on tour' on our fist night here.
A wonderful holiday!

H and B, Dubai
We have enjoyed a fanstastic week at Maison Charvin and Montlaur. Spoilt with such a wonderful, character-filled home with so much space and a kitchen stocked with everything one could imagine.
Travelling with our three young children, the house and location provided a great base for a memory-filled holiday. Thank you Sharon for sharing your lovely home and for providing great suggestions for sight-seeing in the area.
Highlights of our stay have been freshly-baked croissants and baguettes minutes from our doorsep, lunch in Lagrasse and discovering the river and swimming there with the kids, Montlaur weekly market where we purchased local produce, cheeses and freshly-made pizza for our kids; The Dinosaur Park en Meze followed by lunch in the seaside village of Marseillan – highly recommend lunch at La Parcheline.
Thank you for a very quiet and relaxing stay.

Family M
We returned to Maison Charvin, Montlaur for the second year running. Returning to the same holiday destination can sometimes be a mistake, for obvious reasons, but definitely not in this case. Everything was exactly as we remembered it.:-)
Maison Charvin itself was a lovely, comfortable and roomy as ever. The house together with the restful garden and beautiful swimming pool made for some very relaxing days in the sun.
The gorgeous surrounding countryside made for several enjoyable day trips to Carcassonne and Lagrasse to name but a few. Sharon, our host, was as ever attentive, gracious and extremely welcoming. Thank you once again for allowing us to visit your beautiful house for the second year in a row – it was every bit as enjoyable as our first visit.

GS - USA
We are three couples in our 60's from Colorado in the U.S. who enjoy travel, especially in Europe. Over the past three years we have traveled to Italy, Portugal, Spain and France. We would define ourselves as independent travelers enjoying the process of researching destinations, places to stay, renting cars and getting out to see a bigger world. That of course means getting lost from time to time, finding restaurants that are fabulous and some that are so-so and booking houses or B&Bs.

My top five reasons for loving Maison Charvin include:
5. If after traveling to many parts of the world you find that smaller can be better as I have, Maison Charvin (MC) is a great fit. Located in the village of Montlaur where there is a small grocery store and a couple other small shops, people are friendly and you feel safe. It isn't too far from a number of good destinations.
4. Four bedrooms, all ensuite. Since we are no longer in our 20's we prefer some comforts and conveniences! Beds were comfortable and each couple had their own quiet space. We prefer renting one extra bedroom so, as happened on this trip, if one person gets sick or has jet lag and waking up at 4:00 am there is an extra room.
3. Fully stocked kitchen. I would start looking for some odd item like a garlic press and think I doubt there is one and lo and behold there always was what we needed! I've never stayed at a place that had a kitchen as well equipped.
2. Value - incredible value for a week's stay. We stayed during the lower season rate, but looking at the rates, it would be good value at anytime of the year.
1. The owner, Sharon. From the very start of communications she was helpful and timely in her email responses to my inquiries. And always with a great sense of humor. Earlier I mentioned we had some illness. Sharon took my wife and I to her doctor, waited with us, translated for us and went to the pharmacy to be sure we received the correct medications. It was easy to see that she wants her clients to have the best experience possible.

If South Western France small towns are in your future, be sure to check out Maison Charvin!

Alasdair - Hampshire, UK
We'd kept everything crossed that the embarrassment of riches within the Pure France portfolio would turn up something magical and you didn't disappoint. We would be hard pressed to say definitively which we loved best - This is no holiday cottage, it's a much-loved and equipped home and we loved the distinction. Faultless on every level and precisely the tonic we needed. Thank you for such great service. We couldn't commend Pure France or Maison Charvin more highly.

Geraldine and Mark, Margaret and Jon, Niamh, Daniel and Finley - Reading, UK
We had a wonderful week staying in Maison Charvin, you have created a truly stunning home with everything and more one could wish for. Your kitchen is definitely the best we have seen in the many years we have been holidaying in France. We loved your garden courtyard and the delightful pool was a welcome relief on the days when the temperature soared. We found the people of Montlaur very friendly and enjoyed a great evening of food and music in the village square with the locals (the pizza was delicious). Montlaur is well placed for exploring the Corbières and Cathar countryside. The historic cite of Carcassonne is well worth visiting, as is Lagrasse. We had a great day at Leucate beach under an hour away. Thanks for sharing your beautiful home with us, it was a pleasure to meet you and your adorable dog.

Tim and Nikki - Reading, UK
We loved your house and it is clearly your pride and joy. So thank you for sharing it with us. We seem to have had a very hot week so the pool was the place to be and we didn't get round to the sight seeing we thought we would do!

Conor and Mary - Dublin
From the moment we walked through the doors of Maison Charvin we knew that this was the perfect house for our holiday – the squeals of delight from the grandchildren (and their parents) at the sight of the pool and the surrounding garden suggested that the house would more than meet the requirements of all three generations of the family – it did this in spades. Owner Ms W attention to details and her anticipation of all of our needs was very much appreciated, as was her additional assistance in dealing with the local mechanic (flat tyre) and dentist (broken tooth) which was above and beyond the call of duty and will not be forgotten – many thanks. We had a wonderful holiday and would have no hesitation in recommending Maison Charvin to family and friends.

Kate and family - London, UK
What a delight it was to find this stunning house in such a wonderful location. The added bonus was owner Ms W who was so warm an welcoming and could not have been more helpful. There was a wealth of information on the local area available at the house but prior to reaching the house Sharon had armed us with all of the practical directions and information that make a holiday so much easier and relaxing. The house is equipped with everything you could want (and then probably more)! We enjoy cooking and there was never a cooking utensil or piece of equipment that was not to hand. If you do not like or wish to cook have no fear the local shops and markets provide all you need and in the local areas there is a large range of restaurants if you wish to have a meal made for you. We have also taken note of a number of book titles to look up when we get home based on the 'library' of books at the house. I would recommend reading a book while sitting on one of the many window seats soaking up the views! We were travelling with extended family and with so many additional areas for relaxation it meant that we all had our own space when we needed and could come together when we wanted. So this is a house that would meet the needs of a large / extended family or a group of friends. Though we did not have scorching weather we did make use of the pool and after a day of sightseeing it was refreshing. Again, Sharon's sense of humour, warmth and willingness to help in anyway she can ensured we got the very best out of our Lauguedoc vacation. I cannot recommend Maison Charvin enough!

Larsen family
Everything you could ask for - plenty of space, a well equipped home, total privacy. Very relaxing, enjoyed the river swimming at Ribeaut and the lovely village of Lagrasse. Plenty of bread from the local shops. What a wonderful location, with the countryside of the Corbières on the doorstep. So many places to see and do, we loved all of it.

Caroline, Rickard and family
We have spent 2 weeks at lovely maison Charvin in Montlaur. This was our first trip to Languedoc-Roussillon, Occitanie. We realized at once when we arrived that this was the right house for us. It is so beautiful, carefully restored and homely decorated. Everything was spotless and clean. A bottle of local wine waited as a gift and we feelt so welcome. Books to lend all over the place. The kitchen had everything we could ever want and more, we loved the Italian stove. The outside area is fantastic, very private with the turquoise pool to cool off in. Even our teenagers feelt relaxed and happy just being there. Montlaur is a little village with friendly people. There is a shop, a bakery, a boucher, a pharmacie and a hairdresser. What else do you need? We spent our time reading, sunbathing, swimming and doing daytripes. Thanks to Sharon we ended up in all the right places, like the wonderful restaurants in Lagrasse, really nice both of them. Its perfect having a private guide who is so nice and engaged as the owner Ms W. She wanted us to get the most out of our vacation. Even borrowed me one of her favourite books with a little note; you might like this! Thank you ever so much Sharon, for opening your home to us, we are so happy that we found this little piece of heaven.

Casey family
We were fortunate enough to stay at the property for a week. 5 star accommodation in a beautiful remote village of Montlaur, perfect for exploring the surrounding wine regions. It was truly an amazing holiday and would highly recommend it for a quiet romantic break or a relaxed family holiday. And oh that Romeo and Juliet Balcony! Highly recommended.

Wilson family and friends
The house itself is superb and clearly a lot of thought went into its restoration, the evidence of quality is everywhere. We loved that when you arrived, it was a total surprise. It is a wonderfully spacious home, private and so well equipped. A truly relaxing holiday, we wanted for nothing.

G. McGarry and B. Lyons
An oasis. Calm, quiet and beautiful. Such a perfect house to relax in.

L. Ryan
Everything you could ask for - a beautiful home, total privacy, idyllic! When we finally ventured out of our cocoon, we wandered around the stunning countryside of the Corbières. So many places to see and so much wine to taste. We loved all of it.

L. McCoy
I can't fault Montlaur in any way. We wanted a holiday where we could experience the genuine article - real French country village life - and we did just that. And in luxurious surroundings to boot! It was perfect.

G Lane - Ireland
We had a wonderful holiday in Montlaur. The house was fantastic and the pool a real winner with the kids especially.

Kilroy and Gibson families - Dublin, Ireland and Kent, England
We have just had a truly wonderful week in your beautiful home. It had everything we needed for our mixed group - ranging in age from 14 months to 82! And you laid on wonderful sunshine too! With many, many thanks.

A and P - UK
Thanks for looking after us so well - you have a fabulous home. We've enjoyed our stay in this part of France.

O and G
Top class property- very homely welcome by the owner Ms W. Montlaur - lovely village Lagrasse - a must see village. Carcassonne - very well preserved castle. We will be back. The house has everything you could possibly need and more. Looking forward to our return visit already.

First time in this region of France! It's a great location to explore the area from. There is so much more to see that we will need future trips here! The house is amazing, all of our needs were catered for as everything we requested was in the house. The information book was really useful. Loved the outdoors and pool - it looked especially pretty at night when the lights and candles were lit. The wine on arrival was a nice surprise.

Laura, Matt, Harry and Lottie
Thank you so much for our brilliant holiday. The property is near perfect for a relaxing holiday, we really couldn't want for anything! The area is beautiful and we especially loved the swimming at Ribaute. Lagrasse has some great restaurants and the Sunday market was really interesting. On the owner Ms W advice we took a trip to the Salvador Dali museum in Figueres - this is brilliant and we loved it. The owner Ms W made us feel very welcome, we really enjoyed the wine you left. Thanks again for making our holiday so GREAT!

When we pushed back the gate we were greeted with the most spectacular oasis - the house could not have been better designed, the kitchen was even better equipped than our own - the piece de resistance was the courtyard and the pool. We spent 2 fantastic weeks in the maison and the village was pleasant and friendly. We returned again this year as we tried other types of holidays but they were never the same, the oasis that we remembered was even better - the quite, the home from home feel to the Maison - having just returned from a 2 week stay - it is clear that a lot of thought had been given to the make your stay comfortable - we barely moved out of Maison Charvin, to see the many interesting places in the area. It was too hard to leave the oasis behind. Our 3 children slightly older than our previous visit loved Maison Charvin that they too were reluctant to go home.

H and K - UK
Thank you so much for the use of your beautiful home. We had a lovely time, thank you for the wine - tres bien! We enjoyed the village very much and the local vineyards too.