La Grange a Raucoules

Our 2 bedroom gite, suitable for a family of 4, is situated in Raucoules , in the south east of the Auvergne close to the Pays de Sucs, a beautiful and relatively unknown corner of France. We are located close to the Gorges of the Loire, the Velorail at Dunieres and the Lac de Lavalette with beaches, boats and pedalo’s. The gite, on the ground floor of our barn, is fully self contained and private, with a child friendly garden. A separate en-suite is available for 1 or 2 more guests on request. We converted our barn between 2010 and moving here in October 2015. We included a gite in our ground plan for the barn as we have a large family and need the space when they all come to stay! It was a bonus for us to have a self contained area we could list - and we regard the gite as part of our home, though it is entirely private. We therefore furnished and decorated the gite to a higher spec than is usual but it is part of our home - not as a commercial venture! The gite has an open plan lounge/kitchen with a breakfast bar, gas hob, electric oven and dishwasher; two bedrooms ( one with a king size bed, one with twin beds) and a bathroom with luxury shower. We have a separate en- suite bedroom on the first floor of our house, which is available as an additional space if you have, for example, friends /relatives to stay during the week . We find it is popular with families with teenage children who don’t want to share the gite bedroom! The last photographs show this space, which we charge at the same rate per person as the gite. Please do talk to us about this, if you are interested. We do have reductions for long term ( week or more) bookings - but as they vary through the year, I haven't yet found a way of putting this info in by percetages, as airbnb requires! Anyway, it should work that you get a reduction on a weeks quote on the site - if not please do ask!! You have your own front door and parking for a maximum of two cars. There are double patio doors at the end of the lounge and a side door from the lounge to a patio, where you will find a garden table and chairs and a charcoal barbeque. There is lawn to the right of the ramp to which gite guests have access. Please do not use any of the land behind the house as we are still clearing it. We are relishing finding out what there is on offer in the area - it never ceases to amaze us that it is not well known outside France. We will be happy to enthuse about the area with you -but will be equally happy to give you total privacy. There is an incredible amount to do in this area. We are always astonished how much goes on. We highly recommend the Velorail ( the most fun you can have on a downhill rail line!) and there is a vintage steam train, the Velay Express, within 1 mile of the house. The voie verte is excellent for both walking and cycling. We have three excellent restaurants within a seven mile radius of the barn - in Tence, Duniere and Montfaucon. Further afield, there are the towns of Le Puy en Velay , with its three volcanic plugs and St Etienne, a UNESCO designated heritage site. Lyon is 60 miles away and well worth a day visit. There are some local buses and a local taxi service - but, in general, you would need a car to travel around the area. We do have two bikes available for guests and there are local hire places for e bikes. We are located close to one of the most spectacular stretches of gorges in France - the Gorges of the Loire. Most people associate the Loire with the Loire valley - much further north and are often surprised that it flows from so far south. Other rivers feeding into the Loire - the Allier, Duniere and Lignon also flow through a system of local gorges. The Camino to St Jacques de Compostela is also to be found routed from Geneva through Montfaucon and Raucoules, 500 metres from our barn, to the major pilgramage centre of Le Puy en Velay. The area around Raucoules is a working forested area - ther is a lot of logging and rural management, as well as farmland. The nearest shops are 1.5km away in Montfaucon-en-Velay and there are two bars in the village centre. The village is a quiet place, ideally suited for a restful, relaxed break - there are many walking routes around the village, including, as mentioned above, the Camino. However, during two weekends of the year, the “Bal en Plein air”and the "Kermesse", (the annual village festival), the village dance floor, outside our front gate, is full until 2am. Don't worry - we'd warn you if those events occur during your proposed stay! Every week, our local tourist office sends us a summary of activity in our area. We always share this - and numerous other leaflets for walks, rides and children's activities in the area.