Maison du Marchand

MONTAGNAC

At a glance

Step back into the 15th Century when you stay in this amazing Town House with fabulous original features! This will bring you a real medieval experience for your vacation.

Over a year was spent restoring the house to as much of its original beauty as was possible, removing layers of plaster and paint from the magnificent local stones. Whilst installing all modern comforts, the charm of the house has been kept intact and furnishings include some antiques.

On the ground floor is the spacious sitting - dining room and fully equipped kitchen which has a superb, elegantly vaulted stone ceiling supported by stone columns at each corner. The stone spiral staircase has a stairwell of large, expertly cut stones where ancient doorways (now closed up) and windows have been rediscovered during the renovation.

On the first floor is a large queensize bedroom of 35 sq m with high ceiling and exposed beams, sitting area and French doors opening to a tiny balcony. A 4m x 1.50m Florentine tapestry and 18th century fireplace (non-working) complement the wall of exposed stones featuring a mullioned window. A ‘secret passage’ (note: the entrance is narrow) leads to the ensuite shower room with shower, WC and hand washbasin.

There is another large bedroom on the second floor, with a charming 19th century fireplace (non-working) and twin beds. One wall is of exposed stones where the former mullioned windows can be clearly seen. The ensuite bathroom features a big corner bath, shower, WC and hand washbasin.

On the top floor (flight of steep stairs up) is the private terrace/loggia with wonderful views over Roman-tiled roofs to the nearby hills. As it receives full afternoon and evening sun, it is an ideal place to lounge in the sun with a cool drink to hand! A summer kitchen (fridge, sink etc) plus stylish gas barbeque make al fresco dining easy.

Quality equipment includes a radio/CD/cassette player and washing machine.

PARKING - You can park outside the door to load/unload your car. There is plenty of designated parking on the ‘Esplanade’, 2 minutes’ walk from the house and also in nearby streets.

THE VILLAGE - A stroll through the streets of Montagnac, a village of 3000 inhabitants, takes you back through the ages with its many 14th through to 17th century buildings and superb 11/12th century church. Over time the shops have changed of course and you will find several mouth-watering boulangerie and patisseries, mini-markets, bar-cafes, etc.

There is a restaurant in the village and one of the cafes offers a simple menu. The gourmet take away food shop is perfect for a gastronomic treat and you can buy wine to complement your meal at the specialist wine shop. Or opt for a take away pizza and local wine from the cave co-operative! There is a small vegetable street market nearly every morning and an interesting large market on Friday mornings.

Less than 10 minutes’ drive is the pretty little port of Meze, ringed with super seafood restaurants and a sandy beach. Mediterranean beaches are 25 minutes’ drive and sophisticated Montpellier, with an international airport and main train station, 20 minutes. There are restaurants and supermarkets at Pézenas, 5 kms, which is famous for its antique dealers, also a public swimming pool.

We regret that the house is unsuitable for children under the age of 7. All linen is included in the weekly rate.

From the Guest Book….

We have just returned from our five week vacation in Europe. Montagnac and our stay in the Maison du Merchand was the highlight of our trip. Many thanks.

We fell in love with your house at Montagnac – as our entry in your guest book testifies. And we had a wonderful holiday. That part of France seems to have everything….. We have talked a lot about our stay in the Maison du Merchand since we returned and would certainly like to return some time. I think we may also have whetted the appetite of friends! Thank you for enabling us to have an unforgettable experience.

The 2 weeks went by too fast. All in all it was one of the most memorable holidays we have ever had. Your beautiful 15th century home and the people of the village helped make it so.

….we enjoyed the charming appearance of all the furnishings and the posters and the tapestries, in fact the very character of the house was so warm and welcoming when we arrived and our opinion has not altered now that we are about to depart…….