Chalabre Vacation Rental chateau / country house

This place is the most wonderful place!! The location in the village and in the region is perfect but why would you ever want to leave the property anyway?

It has everything you could want...or at least that our family could want. An amazing kitchen and dining area, beautiful garden, lots of activities for children, luxurious suites, a ridiculously decadent bathroom that I kept wondering why they didn't turn into another bedroom!, lots and lots of funky so that you feel like you're actually traveling - and living!

Ok, but if you really must leave - the village has the sweetest children's museum that delights even the child at heart. The stream literally has eatable apples floating down it! I have a video to prove it. That was over the top! The church is the best I've ever seen.

The region is also just wonderful. There are 20 wonderful, beautiful and interesting places to see within a very short drive - ranging from go carts (ok, not beautiful or interesting - but some in our group thought it would be fun) to private dining an a abbey.

Oh, and the wine is so cheap, and the locals know how to party. The owners and the staff will make you feel at home and I'm sure proved just that last bit of magic that will make a holiday the most memorable of a lifetime!

Chalabre and Yobabalounge was an absolutely perfect setting for a family wanting to get away from the typical hustle and bustle and overrun nature of southern france during school holidays. We stayed there for three weeks in July 2008 (2 adults and 3 children). It's one of the most relaxing holidays we've had in a long time and the house is so huge we were able to accommodate a number of friends who popped by on their way to other places. So let me start from the beginning: the pictures do not even get close to describing the grogeous garden, huge rooms and simply funky setting that this mansion is in, you never forget that you are in the middle of france in some swanky and ecclectic old mansion, (unlike most mordern appartments we have stayed in in the past). Our children still dream of taking baths in claire's bathroom with the evening sun beaming thru the huge windows. The whole place is very clean and well maintained yet it has not lost it's slightly ruinish charm around the edges. Garden and kitchen are perfect lounging spaces - even when there was 12 of us for a couple of nights.
Location is a little off the beaten track, which is lovelly. If you want more touristy type locations there are loads of activities and places to go and see nearby (you definitely need a car, unless you plan to stay in the garden meditating the whole time). River (down the back lane) and lake nearby (5minutes drive) are perfect for cooling off when it gets hot. Shops and esp. bakery just around the corner are perfect for that breakfast croissant and practicing your french. If in dire need of seeing natives it's fun to go and hang at the local bar drinking pastis or espresso. For the more adventurous there are many activities nearby ranging from white waterrafting, to climbing and hiking. Loads of great castles to go to if you are sightseeing or you just hang in the garden like we did towards the end just enjoying the tranquillity and privacy. Kids loved the trampoline in the garden (spent about three hours on it per day!!) and the billard table and the program (jousting and archery) up at the local Chateau Chalabre. It's just a great location, we loved it sooo much, we're going again. P.S. if you are after a beach holiday then this is probably not apprpriate for you ( nearest beach takes about an hour and a bit to get to)