Mirmande House

A charming four bedroom house with two large terraces and a private swimming pool. This artists’ house sits on the ramparts in the heart of medieval Mirmande, a hilltop village in the Drôme, north of Provence. Mirmande has been given the prestigious award of one of “Les Plus Beaux Villages de France” (“The Most Beautiful Villages of France”). The house has exceptional views over the Rhône valley towards the Ardèche and Massif Central. There is no traffic in the village as the labyrinth of steep alleyways are all pedestrianised. The house, with four bedrooms and four bathrooms, can sleep eight people. Two of the bedrooms have en-suite bathrooms. The vaulted galley kitchen is fully equipped and connects to a dining room that seats eight. The cosy upstairs living room has a large stone fireplace, a bar and library nook. The outdoor areas include a sun-soaked balcony off the living room, a large shaded terrace for dining, and a second terrace area with a 10 x 4.5 metre swimming pool (unheated). All areas, except caretaker's shed and equipment. Shopping: The village has a bakery and small grocery shop. It is within easy reach of two large supermarkets - Leclerc (Saulce-sur-Rhône) and Intermarché (Loriol-sur-Drôme). In addition, there are regular markets locally in Montélimar, Loriol-sur-Drôme, Livron-sur-Drôme, Etoile-sur-Rhône and Crest. Eating: There are eight restaurants and cafés within walking distance - including Michelin-listed La Capitelle (in Mirmande), La Fontaine and La Treille Muscat (in Cliousclat). Walking: There is a national forest behind Mirmande, which you can walk into directly from the house. Lengths of walks to suit everyone, from 30 mins to 3 hours! With three ‘départements’ to explore, you will be spoilt for choice. The Drôme (north and east of Mirmande): Located between the Alps and the Massif Central, the Drôme has a wonderful variety of landscapes - fields of lavender, vines, oak forests and the majestic peaks of the Vercors Regional Natural Park. It also has many medieval hilltop villages and Romanesque churches and chapels. The Ardêche (west of Mirmande): Another very scenic ‘department’. As well as its rolling hills and forest, small scale farming, ancient villages there is the famous Ardêche gorge - known as the ‘European Grand Canyon’. Plenty of opportunities for the outward bound, such as canoeing, kayaking, rock-climbing, paragliding and hiking. Vaucluse (southeast of Mirmande): Home of the city of Avignon, known for its huge Palace of the Popes, a 14th-century fortress. Also the town of Orange with its preserved Roman structures, such as the Ancient Theatre and Triumphal Arch. Mont Ventoux is a well-known mountain featured in the Tour de France race. Then there’s the local town of Montélimar, famous for its nougat (one of the 13 desserts of Provence), and Valence with a great art and archeology museum, as well as three Michelin-starred restaurants.Alternatively you can just eat yourself around the restaurants and markets of the region with their local specialities: Nougat, olives, olive oil, truffles, pintadeau (guinea-fowl), ravioli, apricots, peaches, walnuts and of course goat’s cheese and Côte du Rhône wine. We highly recommend visiting Aix & Terra, in nearby Saulce-sur-Rhône, to get a sample of the wonderful delights on offer. Getting to Mirmande: By plane: Lyon (1.5 hours drive) or Avignon (1 hour drive) By train: Valence TGV (frequent trains, 2 hours from Paris, 7 hours from Lille) and Montélimar TGV (less frequent trains). By car: 8 hours from Calais, 1.5 hours drive from Lyon airport, 1 hour from Avignon, 30 mins drive from Valence, 30 mins drive from Montélimar. Parking is not available at the house, as Mirmande is predominantly a pedestrian-only village. There are 3 dedicated parking areas in the village, the most convenient for Mirmande House is parking area near 'La Capitelle'. If this parking area is full, use the parking at the church. Both parking areas are a few minutes' walk from Mirmande House. It will be necessary to park and then carry your luggage to the house.