Aygues-Vives / La Marmotte

Very peaceful property in a good location. It's worth the effort to get down for a swim in the river (although it's not the easiest to climbs down). Excellent and very helpful communication from the owner.

We have spent a week in Luzenac. The gite is nice, located on the bank of the Arriege river , just close to the village church. The coutryside is fantastic and there are many possibilities of short trips - to a talc mine, the castle, a spa, historical towns. In the gite there is everything you need. The only unimportant "trouble" is the stairs. Not good for families with little children or older people. The owner speaks French and English but his local representant speaks French ONLY, so it is sometimes difficult to manage everything. The place is close to Andorra (cca 30 km) and to Spanish border. We definitely recommend a visit to Foix, the mine (just up the hill), caves (Lombrive, Niaux, etc.) and local markets. It was our second visit to the area and we will return.

We spent 10 lovely days at this property and my only complaint would be that they passed too quickly! Christian was co-operative, easy to contact and communicate with, answering any queries quickly. Madam Gady the property manager lives just around the corner and so is available for any problems (there wasn't). We found her friendly and keen to make sure all went smoothly. If you are English you might want to learn a little basic French as she only speaks a little English but this wasn't a problem even with my poor level of French. The situation of the property we found delightful with the sound of the adjacent Ariege river in the background and the scent of the honeysuckle coming in through the open widows. l personaly found this river quite special, there are dippers which we watched feeding their young, wagtails & ducks but beyond that something else which l cannot put into words but which anyone who has read and understood Herman Hesse's 'Sidhartta' will at once recognise. l should also mention the numerous lizards outside the house, fascinating to watch. The property is charmingly rustic, comfortable and exceptionally well equiped, cool in the heat (and l would assume warm in the cold). All in all it exceeded my expectations and if or rather when we revist this beautiful part of the Pyrenees again we would be happy to return here. One word of warning though. When you arrive, park in the church car park until Madam Gady shows you the correct parking place. l didn't and mistakenly drove down the lane to the property almost getting stuck there - it is as stated not suitable for cars so you will need to walk a short distance but this was no problem. Do be aware that there are some extra charges including for bed linen, towels and a cleaning deposit. the Home Away site doesn't make this clear in English. A great holiday so thank you Christian & Madam Gady