Holiday home for max. 14 persons
Largentière, Ardèche, France

Le Mas Saint Esprit

OVERVIEW:

MAS SAINT ESPRIT is situated on a sunny hill above the small medieval town of Largentière near the famous Gorges de l'Ardèche, the Pont d'Arc and the unique 'Grotte Chauvet ' with over 30,000 year old cave paintings, which inspired Werner Herzog to produce the 3-D film ' Cave of Forgotten Dreams '

The Ardèche region offers great diversity for holidays. You can enjoy the calm of untouched nature, attend great cultural events like summer open-air concerts, explore beautiful medieval towns and villages or you can pursue many exiting sports activities like cycling, riding, canoeing, rock climbing, caving and canyoning. All necessary equipment can be hired locally from qualified guides.

Regina and Claudio von Planta bought Le Mas Saint Esprit in 2002, because at that time, Claudio filmed the British TV series 'A Place in France' with Nippy Singh and Nigel Farrell as the main characters. Mas Saint Esprit was at the centre of their third series. The film commission, as well as the rural charm of the Ardèche, inspired the von Planta family to leave London for three years and send their daughters to a primary school in Largentière - a highly recommendable cultural adventure!

THE PROPERTY:

Le MAS SAINT ESPRIT consists of 3 traditional stone houses, between 200 and 300 years old, all tastefully restored and furnished. The 3 buildings are situated in a terraced property of 25,000 m2 and have a beautiful and unobstructed view on the castle of Montreal.

6 bedrooms offer space for 6-14 people. During wintertime, the property can only accommodate up to 11 people.

A swimming pool of 12 x 4 m is placed on a terrace within the landscaped part of the garden

MAIN HOUSE: Double height entrance hall cum  living room-1, Generous kitchen, Large veranda: dining room and living room-2 with great views, Spacious master-bedroom-2 on mezzanine, 1 double bed and 1 single bed, Spacious bathroom, bathtub, shower, washer / drier, on 1st floor a new spacious double bedroom with balcony, bathroom, separate toilet for both bedrooms, coffeemaker, separate entrance.

SECOND HOUSE: 2 bedrooms with double beds and 1 bathroom. On terrace level: another bedroom, with 2 single beds, WC + open-air shower, spacious Summer kitchen going out on terrace with great views

THIRD HOUSE - THE TOWER: 1 single bedroom under vaulted stone ceiling with kitchenette and open-air shower; on first floor: 1 double bedroom + en-suite bathroom; covered Terrace with great views

A gardener-cum-caretaker with a friendly dog has lived in a room underneath the veranda of the main house for 10 years. In the mornings, he does his round of the garden and the pool, and only on request has contact with the guests.

SPORTS:

The river valleys in the Ardèche region, with their interesting rock formations, are famous for canoeing, in particular on the Ardèche River from Vallon-Pont-d'Arc through the picturesque Pont d'Arc and from Les Vans down the quieter Chassezac River. All the equipment can be hired locally. There are qualified guides who organise canyoning expeditions with swimming, abseiling , etc.

The calcareous mountains hide huge cathedral-like caves such as l'Aven d'Orgnac and the Cocalière, which are open to tourists. Experienced speleologists guide private groups into less well-known caves.  The most spectacular is the Caverne de Pont d’Arc near Vallon Pont d’Arc with world famous rock paintings, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Booking on the website is required:  

The many curvy mountainous roads are fun to explore with bikes and to tackle with mountain bikes.

EXCURSIONS & CULTURE:

Old and picturesque villages and towns, with their churches and castles from the middle ages, provide the opportunity for excellent excursions. Voguë, Balazuc, Labeaume, Joyeuse, Les Vans, Vals-Les-Bains, Antraigues-sur-Valane and, of course, Largentière are particularly attractive. About 40 km from Largentière, more in the mountains, is Thinnes, whose ancient chapel is still today a stop-over for pilgrims on the way to Santiago de Compostella.
 
Most of the towns and villages have markets where you can buy the specialities of the Ardèche such as goats cheeses, ham sausages, cailletes and chestnuts in every possible form. Yet, the market of Aubenas, les Vans and Largentière are particularly lively and colourful.

Restaurants:

Some charming restaurants that produce excellent country cooking are in more remote villages. During July and August reservation is essential:

1) 'Le Mas de la Madeleine' above Largentière, 10 minutes on foot from Mas Saint Esprit
2) 'Auberge de la Tour de Brison' in Sanilhac, 7k per Auto
3) 'Le Loupiot' in Largentière, 20 minutes on foot downhill from Mas Saint Esprit, offers simple but excellent food and is owned by a couple who also appeared in the series 'A Place in France'
4) 'La Table du Moulin' in Brès-Payzac, 30 min by car from Mas Saint Esprit, is connected with an olive mill, the 'Moulin du Vincent', which has an attractive shop with lots of good local products.
5) Domaine de Bournet: Restaurant La Bergerie and Grill La Ferme, 45 min by car and a very beautiful drive; is connected to the vineyards and hotel of the Château de Bournet.
6) 'La Bastide de Sanhilac' in Quartier Laval, 07110 Sanilhac, restaurant, bar, hotel, 30 min by car with beautiful views
7) L'Olivier de Païolive, route d'Alès, 07140 Les Vans, GPS: 44.396263 - 4.169073. Nice restaurant above the lovely town of Les Vans. Excellent cuisine with very generous helpings.
8) La Boucharade, Café-Restaurant, Lieu-dit Le Gua, sur la route D203 entre Joyeuse et Valgorge. Small and charming place with traditional Ardèche cooking in a beautiful old village.
9) Restaurant la 'Roseraie des Pommiers', 200m from town centre of Ruoms. The restaurant is open on all sides - African style - to the beautiful rose garden and opens from Mai to September. The food is excellent - French with African influences - and often is accompanied by a jazz band. 

Gardens:

La Roseraie de Bertie, Collection de rosiers anciens, route de Berty, 07110 Largentière,open in May/June

Le Jardin de Nelly, exceptional garden, Bouteillac, 07710 Rocles
Concerts:

July and August: the festival 'Labeaume-en-Musique' - wonderful open-air concerts near Labeaume in front of huge rock formations

Wineries:

Domaine des Lèbres in Banne

Domaine de Bournet, in Bournet, 07120 Grospierres. Vineyards, hotel, restaurants & golfcourse at 45 minutes by car from Mas Saint Esprit. Beautiful drive and ensemble. Very decent wines.

Maison Louis Latour at La Téoule, 7400 Alba-la-Romaine; Vineyards around beautiful town of Alba at 40 minutes by car from Mas Saint Esprit. State of the art winery: Ardèche Chardonnay; Grand Ardèche, Duet, a Chardonnay-Viognier, Viognier.

Short description 1
Number of kitchens : 3
Other rooms : Summer kitchen with large terrace and unobstructed view.

Living room 1
Other living room features : > fire place > high ceiling > sofas

Bedroom 1
Other bedroom furniture : > TV with satellite dish > WiFI > 2 desks > printer > 1 inbuilt cupboard > 1 chest of drawers

Bedroom 2
Other bedroom furniture : > Big cupboard > desk > > shelves > ensuite bathroom

Bedroom 3
Other bedroom furniture : > 1 desk and shelves > stereo

Bedroom 4
Other bedroom furniture : > table > cupboard > shelves > bench > sheltered outdoor shower and washroom from terrace.

Bedroom 5
Other bedroom furniture : > Kitchenette, fridge > dining table > external shower with view over the valley > own terrace

Bedroom 6
Other bedroom furniture : > desk > cupboard > shelves > TV with satellite > ensuite bathroom accessible with steep stairs

Bedroom 7
Other bedroom furniture : > new annex above garages > 2 cupboards > stereo > desk > ensuite bathroom > sitting area > espresso machine > underfloor heating > extra bed on mezzanine > balcony > own entrance via spiral staircase from parking

Living room 2
Other living room features : > veranda with large windows > big dining table

Bathroom 1
Other bathroom equipment : > ground floor bathroom in main house > separate toilet > washing machine > dryer

Bathroom 4
Other bathroom equipment : > Waschroom for bedroom onto the summer terrace > protected outdoor shower

Bathroom 5
Other bathroom equipment : > in new annex > underfloor heating > separate toilet > marble tiles > big mirrors

Kitchen 1
Other kitchen equipment : > big table

Surrounding
Nearby sports facilities : Bike tours, Canoeing, Climbing, Fishing, Mountain climbing, Riding possibilities
Rental Facilities : Boat rental service

Surrounding 1
Excursion possibilities : The many old and picturesque villages and town with their churches and castles from the middle ages are excellent excursions. Voguë, Balazuc, Labeaume, Joyeuse, Les Vans, Vals-Les-Bains, Antraigues-sur-Valane and, of course, Largentière are particularly attractive. About 40 km from Largentière, more in the mountains, is Thinnes, whose ancient chapel is still today a stop-over for pilgrims on the way to Santiago de Compostella. Most of the towns and villages have markets where you can buy the specialities of the Ardèche such as goats cheeses, ham sausages, cailletes and chestnuts in every possible form. Yet, the market of Aubenas, les Vans and Largentière are particularly lively and colourful. Restaurants: Some charming restaurants that produce excellent country cooking are in more remote villages. During July and August reservation is essential: 1) 'Le Mas de la Madeleine' above Largentière, 10 minutes on foot from Mas Saint Esprit 2) 'Le Relais Fleuri' in Laurac, 15 minutes by car from Mas Saint Esprit. Claudio filmed the second TV series of 'A Place in France' TV Serie in the Relais Fleuri 3) 'Le Loupiot' in Largentière, 20 minutes on foot downhill from Mas Saint Esprit, offers simple but excellent food and is owned by a couple who also appeared in the series 'A Place in France' 4) 'La Table du Moulin' in Brès-Payzac, 30 min by car from Mas Saint Esprit. It is connected with an olive mill, the 'Moulin du Vincent', which has an attractive shop with lots of good local products Concerts: In August the festival 'Labeaume en Musique' offers an impressive programme of open-air concerts next to the river and in front of huge rock circles
Location description : Largentière is a charming medieval town and, today, a sub-prefecture of the Ardèche department in the Rhône-Alpes region of Southern France. This keeps the city busy all year round, which is crucial for the survival of local shops and businesses. Thus, all supplies for your holidays can be found in Largentière. There is a baker, a butcher, a household and hardware shop, various restaurants and bars, 2 banks, 2 small supermarkets and, most importantly, a wine merchant. You also find a tourist office with lots of useful information about local events The name Largentière refers to the silver mines, which were exploited from the tenth to the fifteenth century and were controlled and fought over by the Counts of Toulouse and the Bishops of Viviers.
Other leisure facilities : The river valleys with their interesting rock formations in the Ardèche region are famous for canoeing, in particular on the Ardèche River from Vallon-Pont-d'Arc through the picturesque Pont d'Arc and from Les Vans down the quieter Chassezac River. All the equipment can be hired locally. There are qualified guides who organise Canyoning expeditions with swimming, abseiling , etc. The calcareous mountains hide huge cathedral-like caves such as l'Aven d'Orgnac and the Cocalière, which are open to tourists. Experienced speleologists are guiding private groups in less known caves. The many curvy mountainous roads are fun to explore with bikes and tackle with mountain bikes.

Garden and outdoor
Garden facilities : Grill
On-site leisure facilities : Swimming pool