Chateau Gudanes: 2 bedroomed Self Catering Apartment in the rural Ariege, French Pyrenees
Woodland View Apartment

This attractive and spacious 2 bedroom self -catering holiday apartment is set in the beautiful region of the Ariege, in the Eastern French Pyrenees and gives you a perfect base for your holiday exploring the area, and getting stuck into one of the many activities you can do locally.   Pictured above as the top floor of the smaller building on the right, it affords magnificent views of the Quai de Sinsat, a limestone rockface that towers over the valley, plus beautiful views up the valley from the front windows. 

The apartment is situated in the renovated outbuildings of the Chateau Gudanes, an 18th century house that stands empty in its beautiful grounds .  As the holiday apartment is within the grounds of the Chateau, it has use of the spacious communal gardens, outdoor swimming pool and tennis courts.

Woodland view provides a haven from the hustle and bustle of life,  however, it is only a 5 minute walk down the hill to the  village of Les Cabannes, where there are numerous amenities available for you to access (boulangerie for those breakfast baguettes and croissants, a pharmacy, pub, 2 local food stores one of which has an excellent local butcher, outdoor swimming pool, and 2 restaurants).

In winter (December to April) we have a great coverage of snow in the mountains, ideal for a downhill or cross country skiing break.  It is only a 20 minute drive to the telecabine of the downhill ski station of Ax Bonascre which has a full range of pistes of all levels, plus plenty of opportunities for off piste skiing.  In January and March particularly, it is quiet on the slopes (the French holiday during February) and you can ski without queuing for lifts etc. The apartment is also at the base of the Plateau de Beille, which is an incredible xc ski station at 1800m, offering over 60kms of pistes.  It also has the luge and snowshoeing routes - fun for all the family. 

In the summer, you are already ideally situated to enjoy numerous walking, cycling or sightseeing opportunities from your base, often straight from the front door. Les Cabannes also has an open air swimming pool and crazy golf range, both popular during the summer.  The outdoor heated pool at Aston is only a 10 minute walk from the apartment also, and has a small cafe, shaded area for people not swimming, and a slide for kids.

The apartment is owned by Willeen and George Maginnis, and managed by English speaking Cathy and James Thompson, who live a 10 minute walk away in one of the local small villages.  They have lived in France for about 5 years, and chosen the area for its beauty and outdoor activity opportunities.  They run a group activity holiday company called Marmot Tours in the area.  They are available to give advice and information on local facilities and what to see/do in the area.