Country homes Les Aygues-Vives de Luzenac, description

Country homes of Les Aygues-Vives, 8, Church Street, 09250 Luzenac upper-Ariège, France
		Member of Gîtes de France

Magical Pyrenees : sweet and strong, genuine, for ever

The homes :

description, approach, services, links

Pictures

Prices and booking

►The property	►The Home « The Marmot »	►The Home « The Trout »	►The artistic and scientific workshops
►Shops and services	►Sports and Leisure	►How to come	►Links

►The property

The Aygues-Vives country homes (members of Gîtes de France) include 2 lodgings turned towards the south, in the same house but totally independent, each of them having a separate entry and a private garden enclosed out by a wood fence varnished. The two lodgings have in common a yard, the river bank, big rocks and a sand beach. The homes have of a phone line (for the incoming calls only and the urgency numbers) : +33 5 61 04 48 80, and a connection unlimited to Internet by Wifi.

Tree artistic workshops, which use local materials, are available free on request: pebble painting, floated wood carving, inutshuk creation (see below). In addition and on request we can lend a microscope for scientific awareness and provide documentation about a field game called “geocaching” (see below).

The lodging "the Marmot" has a small garden (the garden of the Lime). The lodging "the Trout" profits from a larger garden (the garden of the Fig tree) with fruit trees (plum trees, coing tree, fig tree).

►The Home « The Marmot »

The home “The Marmot”, with a comfort standard classified 2 flowers, has a surface of about 90 m² with 3 bedrooms. The home has 3 rooms, with 2 double beds, 2 simple beds and an auxiliary bed for 2 people. The recommended capacity, which ensures the maximum of comfort, is of 5 persons. The lodging is composed of:

The entry-room, the living-room with a wooden roof, the kitchen-corner, the 3 bedrooms, the bathroom, the toilet;
The yard, shared with the other home, a small private garden (the Lime garden) with a pergola, a barbecue set, a garden table (8 persons), several sun chairs and garden ombrella.

The equipment of “The Marmot” is made by:

The entry-room “The Marmot”: on first floor, with tidying up furniture and cupboard; tiles on the floor.
The living-room “The Izard” including the kitchen-corner: on second floor, with 2 windows facing the river, 1 settee (usable as a bed), 2 leather armchairs, 1 wooden stove, 1 table (6/8 persons), 6 chairs, 1 bench, 1 baby chair, 1 TV set, 1 radio-CD set, 1 Internet connexion by wifi and ethernet cable, 1 refrigerator-freezer, 1 electric/gaz cooker, 1 set of kitchen and table items (for 8 persons), 1 raclette set, 1 fondue set, 1 automatic bread machine, 1 tidying furniture; wooden floor; electric and wood heating.
The toilet, on the first floor.
The bedroom “The Pyrenean Bear”: on the second floor, with a window facing a vegetable garden. 1 bed in 140 cm, 1 commode, 1 chair, 2 bed tables; electric heating; traditional wooden floor.
The kid bedroom “ The Ptarmigan”: on the third floor, with a roof window. 1 bed in 90 cm, 1 folding bed, 1 baby bed, 1 commode, 1 desk, 1 chair, 1 kid lounge corner; carpet on the floor; electric heating.
The bedroom “The Great Grouse”: on the third floor, with a roof window. 1 bed in 140 cm, 1 commode, 2 bed tables; carpet on the floor; electric heating.
The bathroom “The Mallard”: on the first floor, with 1 bathtub, 1 shower, 1 double washbasin, 1 mirror, 1 cloth line, 1 tidying furniture, 1 baby bathtub, 1 washing-machine; tiles on the floor; electric heating.

Pets and other domestic animals are welcomed if they are well educated and controlled.

Car park very close to the Home. Direct access for medium size vehicles (not in case of froze or snow), to load and unload, only on arrival and departure.

►The Home « The Trout »

The home “The Trout”, with a comfort standard classified 3 flowers, has a surface of about 110 m² with 4 bedrooms. The home has 4 rooms, with 3 double beds, 1 simple bed and an auxiliary bed for 2 people. The recommended capacity, which ensures the maximum of comfort, is of 7 persons. The lodging is composed of:

the living-room with a wooden roof and stone walls, the kitchen-corner, 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 toilets;
the yard, shared with the other home, a small private garden (the Figue-tree garden) with a barbecue set, a garden table in teck (10 persons), several sun chairs.

The equipment of “The Trout” is made by:

The living-room “The Fario Trout” including the kitchen-corner: on the first floor, with 2 window facing the garden and river, 2 settees, 2 armchairs, 1 wooden stove, 1 table (8 persons), 6 chairs, 1 bench, 1 baby chair, 1 TV set, 1 radio-CD set, 1 internet connexion by CPL plug, 1 refrigerator-freezer, 1 electric/gaz cooker, 1 set of kitchen and table items (for 10 persons), 1 raclette set, 1 fondue set, 1 waffle machine, 1 tidying furniture; tiles on the floor; electric and wood heating.
The bedroom “The Salamander”: on the second floor, with a window facing the river. 1 bed in 140 cm with electric blanket, 1 commode, 2 bed tables; wooden floor; electric heating.
The bedroom “The Tree Frog”: on the second floor, with a window facing the river. 1 bed in 140 cm with electric blanket, 1 futon (2 persons), 1 armchair, 2 chairs, 1 table, 2 bed tables; electric heating; traditional wooden floor.
The bedroom “ The White-throated Dipper” : on the third floor, with a roof window and a window facing the river, 1 bed in 140 cm, 1 commode, 1 baby bed, 2 chairs, 2 bed tables; carpet on the floor; electric heating.
The small lounge/occasional bedroom “The Otter”: on the third floor, with a roof window and a window facing the river, 2 beds in 90 cm, 1 commode, 1 bed table, 2 chairs; carpet on the floor; electric heating.
The bathroom “ The Crawfish” : on the second floor, with a multi-throw shower, 1 washbasin, 1 mirror, 1 cloth line, 1 washing machine; renovated wooden floor; electric heating; separated toilets.
The bathroom “The Pyrenean Desman”: on the third floor: 1 shower, 1 washbasin, 1 mirror, 1 tidying furniture; plastic carpet; electric heating.
One separated toilet on the third floor.

Pets and other domestic animals are welcomed if they are well educated and controlled.

Car park very close to the Home. Direct access for medium size vehicles (not in case of froze or snow), to load and unload, only on arrival and departure.

► The workshops for artistic creation and scientific awareness

We propose workshops for artistic creation to answer waitings of those which like to create starting from the natural and abundant materials found in the river which runs in front of the homes: pebble, small and large, and floated wood. That is also an activity which can be quite useful to occupy the children in the event of bad weather, because it includes the research and selection of materials on the banks of the river, then their shaping.

Our workshops, available on request, are composed of cases including all the instruments required to the activity, a documentation, and a set of stones/pebbles or floated wood to begin with:

Pebble painting workshop: the pebbles, as well polished as possible, are taken in the river in front of the homes or a little further. It is then necessary to brush, wash, make them dry, before painting.
Floated wood workshop: the branches, the stocks, the trunks polished by the floating, left by the river in front of the homes, allow to realize very nice bases of lamps (see picture below), frameworks for paintings, etc.
Inutshuk workshop: the inutshuk are anthropomorphic stone figurines raised on the ice-barrier by the people of the Canadian Far North (Inuit) to mark out the ways. The same name is used for small statues representing of the inutshuk. The basic material is made of small quite polished pebble taken on the banks of the river (see picture below).


An example of lamp realized at Les Aygues-Vives using floated wood an slate	An example of inutshuk

Moreover, we place at the disposal of our guest:

a scientific awareness workshop composed of a microscope and various accessories.
activities to promote geocaching. Geocaching is a collaborative game, aiming at either hiding, or seeking for “treasures” that geocachers have dissimulated in geocaches scattered in the countryside and localizable with their geographical position and with various indications or riddles which can be found on the http://www.geocaching.com/ site. The geographical position is readable on a GPS or a smartphone (such as the iPhone) or, for those who well followed their courses of geography, on an IGN topographic map at 1: 25.000. The closest geocaches from the homes are:

· Les Aygues-Vives, by kiki09250 (code GC28ZHD), at Luzenac (just in front of the homes….)

· Pyrénées romanes : église Saint-Martin, by Betty P (code GC2DQ1R), at Unac

· Lordat : nid d'aigles, by Betty P (code GC2DQ1D), at Lordat

· Le Gérul, by Betty P (code GC2DQ15), at Lordat

· Pyrénées romanes : église Saint-Julien, by Betty P (code GC2DQ1H), at Axiat

· Rocher du Courbas, BG 0901201, by kiki09250 (code GC297DF), at Appy

· La carrière de Trimouns, by Betty P (code GC2DPZJ), at Luzenac

· Les Courtalets, BG0922601, by kiki09250 (code GC2HKWB), at Pech

· Pic de Saint-Barthélemy et le Soularac, by Didji (code GC2BR6W), at Axiat

· Pic Fourcat, borne 0923201, by kiki09250 (code GC296W6), at Caussou

· Pyrénées romanes : église Saint-Blaise, by Betty P (GC2DQ1G), at Verdun-sur-Ariège

· Les sept sources by Betty P (GC20QBM), at Ax-les-Thermes

And a bit further:

· La Coume de Riutort, BG0902408, by kiki09250 (code GC2HMCJ), at Aston

· Pic du Montcalm, 3077m by kiki09250 (code GC2D46B), at Auzat

· Pic d'Estats, 3143m, by kiki09250 (code GC2D2EC) at Auzat sur la frontière France-Espagne

To locate these geocaches, simplest is to go on the front page of the geocaching.com site and to return, in the window “Search for geocaches” the coordinates of our lodgings (see in our front page)….

►Shops & services

Commercial facilities:

In the village : 2 groceries-bakeries, newspapers-tobacco, bars, hotels and restaurants, gaz station;
At 10 km: supermarket, pharmacy;
Traditional markets : Ax-les-Thermes, Les Cabannes, Tarascon ;
Big supermarkets : Foix, Pamiers.
At 39 km : Andorra.

Services :

In the village : practitioner, physiotherapist, tourism office, train station, post, hairdressing, bank with ATN (cash dispenser) ;
At 8 km: specialized practitioners, dentists, cyber-café, casino, disco, cinema.

►Sports and Leisure

Leisures at the village or close to it:

· Angling and bathing in the river (on the spot with the small beach of the Aygues-Vives);

· Tennis (at the village);

· Bicycle and mountain byke (departure from the home);

· Walk with asses (at Unac, 3 km);

· Equestrian excursions (at Bestiac, 5 km);

· Horsemanship (in the valley);

· Summer swimming pool at the camp-site of Luzenac and at Ax (8 km);

· Casino with money machines at Ax (8 km);

· Shopping at Le Pas de la Case, in Andorra (39 km).

Hydrotherapy and thermoludism:

· Hydrotherapy: rheumatisms and respiratory deseases, at Ax (8 km);

· Hydrotherapy: psychosomatic diseases, stresses, neurological deseases, fitness and back to shape, at Ussat-the-Baths (15 km);

· Natural hydrothermal hot springs at Mérens-le-Haut (18 km);

· Thermoludism and thalassotherapy: Couloubret at Ax, Caldea Center at Andorra-the-old (63 km).

Mountain sports (do not hesitate to ask the Guides of Ax for more information, see the link below):

· Cascades of ice: area of the Peak of Montcalm, area of the Peak of Rulhe…. ;

· Alpinism: Peak of Estat (3143m), Peak of Montcalm (3077m), Puig Carlit (2921m), Peak of Cabanette (2818m), Cylinder of Escobes (2779m), Peak of Serrére (2912 m), Peak of the Port (2903m), Peak of Rulhe (2783m),…. Refuges of Rulhe, Pared, the Pond of Pinet, of Chioula, Beys… ;

· Hiking, departure on the spot :

Ways of Great Excursion (GR) : county GR « Tour du Massif de Tabe » ;

· Hiking, access in the vicinity :

GR 107, Chemin des Bonshommes, sentier Cathare, « de Foix à Berga en passant par Montségur » ;
GR 7, d’Alsace en Andorre ;
GR 10, Traversée des Pyrénées de la Méditerranée à l’Océan ;
GR de pays « Tour des montagnes d’Ax » ;
HRP, Haute Randonnée Pyrénéenne, de la Méditerranée à l’Océan.

· Ski free riding, access in the vicinity: Saint-Barthélémy/Les Monts d’Olmes, Montagnes d’Ax/Bonascre ;

· Alpine ski, snow board : snow slopes of Bonascre (Ax 3 Domaines) at 16 km, of Porté-Puymorens at 35 km, of Pas de la Casa in Andorre (Grandvalira) at 39 km ;

· Nordic ski, telemark, skating : snow plateau of Beille (22 km), of the Chioula (18 km) ;

· Climbing (about one dozian of km) : the tooth of Orlu (many wyas equipped), the Quié de Sinsat (210 ways equipped)

· Spéléo (from 15 to 30 km) in the limestones monts of high Sabarthès (close to Tarascon) and in the Olmes county;

· Parapente (from 10 to 20 km) : Beille plateau, Bonascre

· Canoë/kayak (from 10 to 30 km) on the river Ariège ;

· Canyoning (from 30 to 50 km), in the Auzat county, in the Vicdessos area, and at Mérens ;

· Angling in montain lakes : ponds of Trou de l’Ours, Appy, Diable, Tort, Béseil, Campauleil, Goulours, Laparan, Embizon, Fontargentes, Bleu, Comte, Couart, Albe, Vidal, Pédourrès, Régalécio, Sisca, Joclar, Montaut, Ruilles, Cabaillère, Coume de Varilhes, Mirabail, Castellasses, Noir des Castellasses, de Peyre, …

Acrobranche course (tree climbing) : at Orlu (14 km), see the link below.

Historic buildings:

· Roman churches of Lombardy-Catalonia style classified by the Inventory of the Historic Buildings:

Unat, church St Martin: building (11th century), bell, various liturgical objects, monumental painting;
Axiat, church St Julien: building (11th century);
Mérens, vestiges of church: building (11th century), various liturgical objects;
Verdun, church St Blaise: building (12th century), statue, monumental painting of the chorus;
Vernaux, church St Marthe: liturgical building (12th century), bell, objects, monumental painting;
Urs, church: building (12th century);
Sinsat, church: building (12th century), statue;

· Ax-les-Thermes: basin of the Misers (13th century), church St Jerome: various liturgical objects, tables and statues;

· Cathar castle of Lordat (at 5 km);

· Castle of Foix (at 35 km);

· Cathar castle of Montségur (at 55 km by car, 6 hours walking through the collar of the Hole of the Bear).

Prehistoric sites:

· Cave of Bédeilhac: single in the world low-reliefs and magdalenian parietal art, bisons, horses, reindeers of 15000 years ago;

· Cave of Niaux: madgalenian parietal art (Black Lounge), horses, stags, bisons, ibexes, of 13000 years ago;

· Cave of the Cow: vestiges of a camping of prehistoric hunters (Monique Room), tools, weapons, bone of game, of 12000 to 15000 years ago;

· Cave of the Mas d’Azil and its museum: many tools and hunting weapons of the Magdalenian.

Natural curiosities:

· Cave of Lombrives at Ussat-the-Baths, vastest of Europe: a karstic system out of the commun run, 39 km of galleries, immense rooms, many stalactites and stalagmites, concretions multicoloured, to be visited in 1, 2, 3, 5 hours;

· Underground river of Labouiche: visit on boat at 60m under ground on 1500 m;

· Talc career of Trimous, the largest in Europe.

Discovery parks:

· Pyrenean park of prehistoric art in Tarascon-sur-Ariège;

· Pyrene Forging Mills (museum of the iron and old trades) at Montgailhard, close to Foix;

· Heliodyssée Scientific park, at the solar furnace of Odeillo, close to Mont-Louis (Eastern Pyrenees).

Stag roaring, in the forests of the Consulate (Foix-Tarascon), from mid-september to mid-october.

►How to come

Address : 8, Church Street (rue de l’Eglise), 09250 Luzenac. Access: see the maps below. While arriving at Luzenac, at the red light take the direction of Unac, park your car close to the church, take the small street of the Church, on the left of the building, and go down walking towards the river. The house is at the n°8, it is the last one.

By car :

From Toulouse to reach Luzenac use the A66 motorway then the road RN 20. Distance 121 km including 102 in motorway or expressway, duration 1:15.
Access from Bordeaux, via Toulouse, in 3:30. ·
From Montpellier the fastest access is by the A61 motorway, leave in Bram after Carcassonne in direction of Mirepoix and Pamiers, then take the road RN 20, distance 305 km, duration 2:45.
Access from Marseilles, via Montpellier, in 4:30.
From Barcelona the easiest access is by Manresa, Berga, the Tunnel of Cadi, Puigcerda, Porté-Puymorens and Ax-les-Thermes, distance 208 km, duration 3:15.
From Saragossa take the road towards Lérida, Seu-of Urgell, Andorra, Soldeu and Ax-les-Thermes, distance 364 km, duration 4:00.

The village is located on the RN 20 between Tarascon-sur-Ariège (at 20 km in the North-West) and Ax-les-Thermes (at 8 km in the South-East).

By train :

From Paris, direct access to the village by the line Paris - Ax - Hospitalet (duration 7:40). 1 train with slipping cars by day.
From Bordeaux and Toulouse, direct access to the village by the line Toulouse-Barcelona (4h15 from Bordeaux, 1:45 from Toulouse). A dozen of trains each day.
From Barcelona, access to the village by the Barcelona-Toulouse line, with a connexion at Latour de Carol (duration 5:00). A dozen of trains each day.
From Montpellier, access via Toulouse or access via Perpignan and Latour de Carol with the Small Yellow Train (but interminable correspondences!).

Walking :

Using the GR, see above.

Source : www.viamichelin.com

Source : carte IGN

►Links (partners)


Gîtes de France	Commune de Luzenac	Bureau des Guides d’Ax	Parcours Acrobranche d’Orlu


IHA.com	Chambre des Métiers de l’Ariège, Route de l’Artisanat et des Métiers d’Art

►Informations :

M. Christian CREPEAU, tel : +33 (0)6 81 54 85 78

Email : aygues_vives_luzenac@yahoo.fr