Velo Vercors

A gite (cottage) beside the main house which is an historical converted old mill in the charming town of St.Jean-en-Royans. We are located just on the edge of town, a 3 min walk to the centre where there is a good infrastructure of shops, cafes and restaurants. There is also a doctor, 2 chemists, 3 bakers and banks. Its like turning back the clock 30 years and is a very friendly town where its customary to say 'Bonjour' as you pass the locals in the street.

The gite is charmingly rustic and has been completely renovated with new bathroom, kitchen and comfortable furnishings. The gite is attached to another gite on one side.

We run a cycling holiday company called Velo Vercors. www.velovercors.com.
We live in the main house and have 3 gites which accommodate our guests. It is one of our 2 bedroom gites that we are offering as an exchange from April - end of October. It means that we will be on site in the main house during your stay so there is an opportunity to call on us for information on all the best places to visit and glean all our local knowledge. However, you will have all the privacy you need and don't have to speak to us at all if that's what you prefer!

There will probably be other guests in the gites but they will be coming and going on bike daily bike rides and you will be left to yourselves. It means that there will be a relaxed holiday atmosphere around the place and our international guests from Australia, NZ, Ireland, UK, Holland, America and Canada are all lovely.

The gite entrance runs along side a canal which takes water from the Vercors mountains to the organic trout farm below. There is a private terrace with table and chairs and BBQ.

The downstairs layout has lounge area, small kitchen, 1 double bedroom and bathroom. Upstairs there is a large twin bedroom.

As well as the gite and terrace there is access to a large garden with its many flower beds, cobbled paths, vegetable garden and courtyard. There is also a large outdoor barn with comfortable sofas and a wonderful view which offers a tranquil space to relax, large splash pool, swings, boules, badminton.

As we run a specialized cycling holiday business you will have access to bikes, routes and local maps.

We have a 2nd home in Leitrim, West Ireland listed separately which is available from March - November. HE32061

About the location

The Vercors, Drome and Isere region are situated in the Rhone Alps in the SE of France. The Vercors is the gateway to the Alps while the Drome and Isere offer a more gentle rolling hills and the flat valley. Its an absolute hidden gem.

We are situated at 240m in the National Park of the Vercors with its vertiginous limestone cliffs, deep valley gorges, grassy plateaux and numerous rivers and waterfalls.

It is a spectacular region for walkers, cyclists, rock climbers and lovers of flora and fauna. It is a relatively undiscovered region of France so you can enjoy everything it has to offer without the crowds.

It was also a very important region to the resistance movement during WW2 and memorials, a museum records this history.

St.Jean-en-Royans (3 mins walk to centre) is a 'real' working French town with a great infrastructure of shops, cafe's and restaurants. There is also a large supermarket on the edge of town. The town folk are very friendly and enjoy visitors. It has a small food market on Thursday outside the Mairie (town hall) and Saturday (in the town square outside the church and Tourist office),

The nearest biggest town is Romans-sur-Isere (30 min drive) where the Isere river runs through on its way to the Rhone. Boasting an 11th century cathedral, many cobbled streets in the old town, a great selection of shops, cafes and restaurants and also proud to be France's shoe capital of France. There is a fabulous 'food market' every Sunday morning and the array of local produce on offer is second to none.

Grenoble is the nearest city - a 40 min drive from our house or there is a train running from the next village. The proximity of the mountains, as well as its size, has led to the city being known as the "Capital of the Alps".

Lyon - Food Capital of France is a 1 1/2 hour drive or a short 20 min train ride from Valence TGV. Wonderful city to explore on foot with a great heritage.

Conditions of exchange

Facilities

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