We enjoyed our stay at Claireâs place in Cucugnan very much. She is a very friendly and helpful Scottish lady, and it was very comfortable to be able to communicate in English. She gave a lot of tips about wine tasting in the surrounding so we brought some nice wines home.
Claire, thanks a lot for your hospitality! Best, Peter and Lieke
Wir wurden herzlich von Claire empfangen. Das kleine HÀuschen war sauber und gut ausgestattet mit allem was man braucht. Wir können die Unterkunft bestens empfehlen.
A lovely appartment in a pretty village offering all you could want for a fantastic holiday
What a delightful time we spent in Claire's appartment in Cucugnan! It is clean, well equipped and very comfortable with a small garden where we sat sipping local wine each evening. Nothing was too much trouble for Claire (She lives above.) and she was not only very welcoming (offering us glasses of her favourite wines accompanied by delicious snacks and home-made savoury tart) but provided us with a 'starter-pack' of basic food essentials. She was also an endless source of local knowledge and useful information. The village, which hugs a hill, with a windmill on top, has a choice of three restaurants and a couple of bars that offer a range of delicious food; a grocery store/post office; a bakery (producing artisanal bread), a few small pottery/craft studios; several little souvenir shops, a winery and a honey producer. There is everything you need on site so sorties to bigger towns are not necessary to buy supplies and gifts. We came home laden with local wine,and honey, colourful bowls and home-made soap. The surrounding countryside is magnificent with stunning views from the village. We walked for miles every day; swam in the cool, clear rivers and did our cultural bit when we visited Queribus and Peyrepertuse Chateaux perched on the top of rocky outcrops nearby. There are weekly markets on different days in surrounding towns and 'vide grenier' events, too. In fact, there was so much to do, that we ended up reading a lot less than usual! To top everything, the weather was superb. We wanted for nothing and we highly recommend both the place and the appartment for a blissful break. Thank you Claire for looking after us so well.
Charming and comfortable apartment in a fascinating and beautiful village
We had a truly wonderful stay in Cucugnan. The village is charming and the area brimming over with history, interesting walks and fascinating places to discover. Tips and local knowledge provided by Claire, the owner, made our holiday even more enjoyable. We would highly recommend not only the area but Cucugnan and this apartment in particular. A memorable week.
Claire is a wonderful host; she met us at the door, and spent time showing us the site, and serving us wine and local information. The small flat is on two levels below the main living area in her house, and has a fully equipped kitchen, shower/bath, separate bedroom. Functional internet. Good heating throughout for our spring stay. The village itself is really quite lovely: fairly busy, boasts a trio of restaurants, a bar, an artisanal boulangerie and a winery, and is an easy trip to several Cathar castles and other day hikes. We had a very nice visit! Thanks, Claire :)
GemĂŒtliches, sehr gut ausgestattetes Appartment in zentraler Lage fĂŒr viele AusflĂŒge.
Nach sehr freundlichem Empfang durch die Vermieterin bezogen wir ein sauberes sehr gut ausgestattetes Appartment (KĂŒche mehr als komplett, Waschmaschine und Gartensitzplatz). Wer gerne auch im Urlaub kocht ist hier bestens aufgehoben (Stabmixer, verschiedene Töpfe und Pfannen, Geschirr, Herd, Backofen und eine Muffinform (!!!!)) bilden die KĂŒchenausstattung. Der ruhige Gartensitzplatz lĂ€d zum morgentlichen Kaffeetrinken ein. Die Vermieterin steht gerne mit Rat und Tat zur Seite und weiss auf Anfrage sehr gute Tips fĂŒr AusflĂŒge, Restaurants usw. zu geben. Vielen Dank dafĂŒr.
Cucugnan ein pitoreskes 137 Seelen-Dorf ist malerisch unter der Chatarer-Festung Queribus gelegen, in der ortsansĂ€ssigen BĂ€ckerei wird hervorragendes Brot (am besten reservieren) aus einer lange verloren gegangenen Getreidesorte gebacken und die Winzergenossenschaft verkauft sehr gute Weine zum tĂ€glichen Genuss. Der Ort liegt zentral fĂŒr AusflĂŒge an die KĂŒste, Perpignan (45min) nach Carcasonne (1,5 Std) oder verschiedene andere kulturelle Orte.
Alles in allem können wir die Unterkunft sehr empfehlen, und werden auch gerne selbst wieder anreisen.
A great place to base yourself in the area. The two castles in the valley both well worth the visit.
A great host and a well presented place to stay in an amazing little hilltop town. Thanks very much.
We recently spent five days here and would highly recommend it as a base for exploring the stunning countryside and historic sites nearby, in particular the Cathar castles. The approach to Cucugnan is very dramatic coming from the south, as there is a steep climb up towards Queribus (the nearest castle, built on a vertiginously high rock), then a descent towards the village, which sits above vineyards. On arrival we found the flat (it's actually on two levels) to be very clean, comfortable and well-equipped, and the owner had thoughtfully bought some fresh supplies for us, besides what was in the store cupboard, including milk, butter and delicious bread from Cucugnan's famous bakery, next to the windmill. She also invited us in for a drink so we could sample a couple of the wines drunk as aperitifs locally, and told us some more about the village and what to look out for. The bedroom, which is on the lower level, opened onto a small terraced garden overlooking the beautiful landscape. Cucugnan is a very pretty village, not overly busy in early July, with three restaurants, all good but one in particular served real gourmet food and we would recommend eating there at least once as a not overly expensive treat. We really enjoyed our stay and would love to go back one day to see more of this fascinating part of France.
I'm happy to write a very positive review of this holiday accommodation. It is described accurately but I would say that this "flat" is almost a house and there is plenty of space. We really appreciated the good quality of the furniture and fittings, the large rooms and the fact that the kitchen, bathroom etc looked pristine and only recently fitted. I must also mention that the owner made us very welcome indeed, even inviting us in for drinks so that she could show us all the best places to visit on the map. Very much appreciated and a nice touch. The village itself is characterful and very picturesque. What makes Cucugnan and surrounding area special though are the amazing views from high on the surrounding mountains and down into deep gorges - really memorable. The two very nearby Cathar castles offer really stunning views of the mountain tops stretching away into the distance. The area is very unspoilt and we saw eagles, stretches of wild flowers and beautiful butterflies. It's probably worthwhile doing some research on the loveliest beaches to visit and we never encountered uncomfortably large crowds of tourists anywhere we visited. We recommend a visit to Perpignan combined with a beach trip and a day in Collioure is a must. Taking the Little Yellow Train up to the top of Mont Louis is a great experience too. Of course, the region is famous for wine producing and vineyards and tastings abound everywhere. The only two points of caution I would mention is that when we visited at the end of June, the weather was sometimes overcast and windy although it was mostly glorious and sunny. Also, it seems to be the local custom to eat early and go home, so we often sat in the back garden in the evening with a book and a bottle of wine. All in all we had a lovely romantic holiday, quiet and relaxing and above all enjoying beautiful scenery.
lee m.
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Vous ĂȘtes reçu par Claire Campbell
I am happily settled in France after several years of wandering in a boat round the French canals and the Med. Before that I was teaching languages in Devon, and I have taken up my teaching again here. A lover of history and of the hills, (and of good food and wine) I am well suited here, and I enjoy talking about the places to visit and their history with anyone interested.
The hills, the beauty, the quiet, and the fact that you can see the stars at night. And France, because I had such wonderful holidays here as a teenager staying in a French family, who are still friends, and because I love the language....
The castles look down from their crags. You can see the stars at night, and there is silence apart from the owls and the nightingales in June. The landscape is rugged and unspoiled. And the people are friendly;