030 - Grange des Pyrenees  Cauterets (4km)

In our opinion

What makes Grange des Pyrenees a great holiday rental

• Superb mountain retreat with panoramic views
• Explore the scenery & wildlife of the Parc National des Pyrénées
• Short drive to pretty Cauterets for restaurants and shops

Grange des Pyrénées is a well-appointed mountain chalet in a stunning location high in the Pyrénées above Cauterets. The chalet offers quality accommodation, having been entirely renovated from a run-down barn.

The location is just what you'd hope from a mountain retreat - very tranquil and the views are outstanding. The Pyrénéan scenery is quite breathtaking and the walking and wildlife are outstanding. The local area around Pont d'Espagne offers outstanding hiking routes - you will be rewarded with stunning scenes.

Best for:
Families who prefer mountains to beaches, who want the fresh air, scenery and wildlife of the Pyrenees. In the Spring, it's great for couples who are keen hikers. Of course, in Winter, it's an important ski station and ideal for ski-iers who want to avoid the crowded Alpine slopes.

Suitability for:

• Toddlers - safe environment
• Teenagers - isolated location but great for mountain pursuits
• Reduced mobility - not appropriate

Anything to watch out for?
No.

Why Cauterets?
An attractive & thriving spa & market town and much under-rated (and therefore less expensive and crowded) ski-resort. As such, it's something of a well-kept secret. The town centre streets are lined with neo-classical buildings, all the daily shops you would need (butchers, bakers, etc), some nice boutiques, bars & restaurants, a casino and two thermal spas. There's also plenty of ski-outlets too of course.

Accommodation

Spacious & well-appointed Pyrenean mountain chalet within the National Park.

Originally bought as run-down farm barn, the owners have created a stylish and charming mountain chalet, or 'grange' to give it its proper name.

The emphasis has been on creating a very comfortable retreat with all the modern equipment and facilities you would expect from a holiday rental, whilst retaining the traditional features that characterise such properties, such as exposed stonework and wooden ceiling beams.

The result is a high-quality renovation ideal for summer holidays in the mountains as well as winter ski-ing breaks.

The Grange is very spacious with 250m2 accommodations whilst the setting and the views are really special.

Inside:

Ground Floor
Open-plan living space comprising:

• main living room 30m2 including 42" flat-screen TV with DVD player, satellite TV, cosy fireplace
• separate 20m2 dining room with fireplace
• kitchen area, fully-equipped

Bedroom - with mountain views.

Shower room with WC.

Utility room with washing & drying facilities and boot drying space.

First Floor:
Master bedroom - 25m2 with mountain views and ensuite bathroom (bath & shower) & WC. Double bed plus sofa-bed for another 1 or 2 people, so this room would be ideal for a couple with a young child.

Double bedroom - ensuite shower room & WC plus mountain views.

Further double bedroom and twin bedroom sharing a shower room including WC.

NB Additional 6th bedroom (twin beds) to be added Autumn 2010.

Outside:

The Grange lies in 2.4 ha of private land within the Parc National des Pyrénées. There is outdoor furniture for sitting outside and alfresco meals in the summer. Alfresco meals surrounded by mountain scenery - this is holiday living!

Holiday idea:
Mix mountains & beach by spending a week here at Grange des Pyrénées and a week at Maison Coumets near Hossegor & Biarritz. Coumets is another farmhouse renovation by the same owner.

Prices & Availability

Location

GPS: (42.88559872, -0.133681297)

We endeavour to be as accurate as possible using Google maps but some error is possible.

Things to Do & See

Nearby Activities
Cycling · Horse-riding · Birdwatching · Fishing · Spa & thalassotherapy · Hiking · Mountain biking · Mountain sports · Skiing & winter sports ·

Day-trip Ideas

• Les Cirques gorges and waterfall near Gavarnie
• The Griffon Vulture reserve at Aste-Beon
• The Needles of Ansabère at Lescun
• Explore the Massif de Néouvielle, south of La Mongie and Barèges
• Extreme watersports (rafting, canyoning, etc) on the River Neste

Our Personal Highlights

• Pic du Midi Observatory on a starry night
• Cycling the infamous Col du Tourmalet
• Taking the kids on the funicular railway up the Pic d'Ayre
• Taking the Cambasque cable car in summer
• Hiking to the Pont d'Espagne

The Local Area: Cauterets (4km)

Cauterets is a very attractive & thriving thermal spa town and much under-rated (and therefore less expensive and crowded) ski-resort. As such, it's something of a well-kept secret and one that we're delighted to have been made aware of! 

In the town centre you will find streets lined with neo-classical buildings, all the daily shops you would need (butchers, bakers, etc), some nice boutiques, bars & restaurants, a casino and two thermal spas. There's also plenty of ski-outlets too of course.

The town itself sits at an altitude of 1000m - the height of Snowdon more or less. There are 25 of downhill pistes via a new main cable car plus 36km of cross-country trails. There are three ski-schools in Cauterets and with slopes ranging from 1350m-2350m altitude, there's plenty of options for beginners and intermediates. In fact, it's very well suited to kids - it's a family resort and member of the Kids Station. The main ski stations are Pont d'Espagne and Cirque du Lys but there's also Cambasque too. There is a free bus service to the Pont d'Espagne station. Cambasque station has a small restaurant, nursery slope and bubble lift to the main ski-lifts at the Cirque du Lys. From there it is possible to ski down to the Cambasque cable car station. The Cambasque cable car (téléferique) also runs in the summer (mid June to mid September) so you can enjoy the views.

Plus there's more than 100 marked footpaths within the national park. The magnificent Pont d'Espagne is the most visited spot in this part of the national park - a beautiful area of mountain valleys, snowy peaks and a stunning lake, all at the border with Spain.

It's the presence of mineral waters here that led to the development of Cauterets as a spa town & resort. In the 18th century, Cauterets became a popular destination for French aristocrats and their influence is visibly present in the neo-classical architecture.

Useful web links:
We don't know too much about ski-ing ourselves, but try this great article about ski-ing in the French Pyrenees from the Saturday Telegraph 14/02/09 for further information about the town, activities in the area and information about planning a ski-ing holiday, please consult the Cauterets Tourist Office.

Local Area:
Enjoy the Pyrénées! Hiking, mountain biking, road cycling (this is classic Tour de France country), fishing, pony-trekking, rafting, climbing and mushroom-hunting in the Autumn! Visit the scenic Vallée d'Aure and Massif de Néouvielle, and Pic du Midi Observatory for stunning vistas. Plus days out to cultural Pau and curious Lourdes. If that's not enough, you can also sample another country - Spain - just over the border in less than 1 hour!

Parc National des Pyrénées
This treasured national park offers a wealth of exciting activities and scenes. Here's a small sample of places to visit.

One of the most-visited sites in the Pyrénées is Les Cirques - a stunning geological site of eroded limestone with spectacular gorges. Head south to Gavarnie (from Lourdes) and you'll be in the highest village in the Pyrénées - the walk to the Cirque to Gavarnie takes about 4 hours. One of the most spectacular sights is the Grande Cascade which, we discovered, is the highest waterfall in Europe.

The Pyrénées are home to some of Europe’s most exotic wildlife including chamois, royal eagles and brown bears, whilst at Laruns there is a 92-hectare reserve for the griffon vulture. Reserve Naturelle de Neouvielle is an especially good place for bird-watching including golden eagles

At Lescun you will find one of France’s most photogenic natural locations, the Needles of Ansabère, an amphitheatre of jagged limestone peaks rising to the summit of Pic d’Anie.

Kids will enjoy the funicular railway up the Pic d'Ayre - apath from the end of the line will put you at the summit in 1.5 hours.

Another essential visit is the superb Pic du Midi Observatory which has one of the biggest telescopes in Europe. There are viewing platforms with superb vistas plus a restaurant too. Access is via cable car at La Mongie.

Explore the Massif de Néouvielle to the south of La Mongie and Barèges, a huge series of lakes and jagged Pyrénéan peaks. In 1935, the massif became France's first nature reserve. This is a favoured spot for bird-watchers and if you're lucky you might see a golden eagle. This is truly wonderful hiking territory. The famous Col de Tourmalet is here too - a favourite, sadistic, stretch of the Tour de France.

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