Venasque holiday rental

Special prices only available through BRW - no commission payable

Sleeps 8/10, 2 bathrooms
Private swimming pool, enclosed garden
TV with DVD and Satellite, Wi-fi
Laundry facilities
No pets, no smoking

The house (click on first two pictures to see an enlargement)
   
The Venasque holiday house is located in a small square ("La Planette") near to the church. It has a picture window which offers one of the valley's most stunning views of Mont Ventoux. It has been renovated artfully, combining modern effects with original features. The ground floor is open plan with a well-equipped, modern kitchen, dining area and a separate living area with leather sofa and fireplace (for winter visitors - this place is every bit as stunning any time of the year).

There are four bedrooms on two floors, each with a double bed and both floors have a well-equipped bathroom. There is a second living room on the first floor for watching TV or getting away from it with two sofas which can also be used to accommodate two more guests (usually children. Note, however, that there is an open staircase so these beds are not recommended for sleep-walkers!).

The garden is divided into three sections: closest to the house is the terrace for outdoor dining and a small grassed garden with olive and apricot trees. Through a gate and down a few steps is the swimming pool and at the far end of the garden is a gravelled area with seating, the perfect spot to enjoy a pre-dinner glass of wine whilst watching the sun go down over nearby Carpentras. This is a wonderful place to stay: luxury, serenity and beauty all wrapped up in one place. Contact details Pricing

Venasque and its environs

According to the sign as you enter the village, Venasque is one of the 100 most beautiful villages in France. We couldn't agree more. It was from here, in 1995, that our great passion for wine was aroused after all. We have been visiting the region and staying here almost every year since then (strangely, the only summers we haven't been have been 1997, 2002 and 2008, all lesser years! Perhaps Inter-Rhône should bring us here for our holidays)

Venasque is perched on a rock with the ruins of the medieval fortifications at one end (with a superb view of the region and a great children's play park) and, at the other end, a picture postcard 11th century church built on the remains of a 6th century baptistery, itself constructed on the ruins of a Roman temple, once the area's cathedral, hence the old name for the region, the Comtat Venaissin.

For such a small village (most of the inhabitants live in the Notre Dame de Vie convent in the valley), Venasque is well provided for with a bread shop open every day except Monday (when there is a small market in St Didier, 3 miles away) and a small shop open every morning except for Mondays. There are three restaurants offering, between them, everything from haute cuisine to pizza.

For the more athletic (or anyone feeling guilty after all the fine food and wine), there is a sports area on the edge of the village including a tennis court and the walk around the rock should be a daily ritual.

Apart from St Didier, the town of Carpentras is only 10 minutes away and has supermarkets, restaurants and one of the very best markets every Friday when traders take over the town centre. Avignon is half an hour away and for those who, like us, want to explore the region viticulturally, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas and most of the great wine villages of the Vaucluse are not more than about half an hour's drive. We would be happy to make recommendations of places to visit according to your preferences, wine budget, language needs etc.

What makes Venasque so perfectly situated is all the above together with its proximity to the Luberon, a region which is home to many other spectacular villages (including Gordes, Roussillon and Lacoste, home to the Marquis de Sade) as well as the beautiful working monastery, the Abbaye de Senanque (which sells the best honey in the world).

You must be aged 18 or over to purchase wine.
© The Big Red Wine Company, Barton Coach House, The Street, Barton Mills, Suffolk IP28 6AA, UK. Tel +44 (0) 1638 510803