Description
A pretty stone cottage with a private pool in the heart of the Luberon
Set in a calm, quiet and private valley of exceptional natural beauty, the stone-built cottage offers extensive views over the Luberon countryside, the surrounding woodlands and 3.5 hectares of beautifully landscaped gardens with a wide variety of specimen trees and flowering shrubs.
The cottage has a pretty terrace, which overlooks the private to clients swimming pool and the valley beyond. There is not another house - or another person - in sight. Because it is so peaceful, the valley of I'Argentiere is a refuge for migrating birds from Africa as well as deer, hare, badgers and wild boar.
Although the emphasis is very much on seclusion and privacy, the owners live in the contiguous building and will welcome you and give any help and advice you need but, otherwise, will remain unobtrusive.
On the inside, the cottage is a charming mix of old and new - with all the comforts of home, including free WiFi. A wealth of antiques and many carefully-chosen paintings from the owner's Art Gallery add elegance to the comfort offered by the king-size double bed. The sitting room has a cosy wood-burning stove, a television, a DVD player with large selection of films, a CD player with a selection of classics and jazz - plus talking tapes and numerous books. The sitting room can be converted to a second bedroom, if required. There is a modern shower room with a heated towel rail, and a separate toilet and hand basin.
The spacious kitchen dining room - equipped with gas cooker and oven, microwave and washing machine - looks out onto the large private terrace, where there is plenty of seating and and barbecue.
Please note - access to the cottage is by a flight of very old stone steps, which may be unsuitable for those with limited mobility.
L'Argentiere belongs to the commune of Viens, a village perched on a hill some three km distant, which has a grocery store, bar and restaurant, while Céreste, just six km away, has two restaurants offering excellent meals at reasonable prices, 2 bakeries, 2 grocery stores, a butcher, a bank, a post office and a pharmacy.
At Domaine de l'Argentiere, you are within easy reach of medieval villages and Roman remains. The Prieure de Carluc, a resting place for pilgrims on their way to Compostela, (listed Monument Historique), lies immediately to the east of Céreste. Within a few kilometres, there are countless activities - from horse riding to hot air ballooning and from walking to wine tasting - an ever-popular local pastime.
There is now a ve.wood-burning stove in the enlarged sitting-room.