A WONDERFUL LOCATION AND BASE TO EXPLORE SOUTHERN FRANCE. Our beautiful bastide maison de ville, built in 1353 has recently been lovingly restored while preserving it's original features and resulting in a very comfortable and stylish home with all the charm of medieval life in France. Living in one of France's 100 Most Beautiful Villages you have the opportunity to enjoy the many fetes, festivals and markets which take place in the Monpazier square - just 50 metres from our front door and the great variety of restaurants, galleries and other attractions within the village. The experience of having the opportunity to stay inside the walls of Monpazier has exceeded all our expectations and we know it will for you too! While built in 1353 and having been an Epicerie (grocery and haberdashery) the house has a great layout and is perfect for up to 4 couples or combined families. The entrance hallway leads you to the open plan lounge, dining room and kitchen area, as well as a downstairs bathroom and an easy flight of stairs to the first floor. The open plan lounge and dining room has a large fireplace that is perfect for winter evenings, and is adjacent to a modern and well appointed kitchen with scullery, laundry and storage areas (all separate rooms) and is linked to a charming outdoor stone walled courtyard. The lounge has a luxurious studded leather lounge suite which comfortably seats 8 adults and has a 55' TV with English & French TV programs, stereo and Wi-fi. The large square dining table seats up to 12 people on high back leather chairs. It's perfect for entertaining or enjoying lovely family meals! The first floor includes 4 bedrooms dressed with high quality linen and décor, and each with ensuite bathroom including a shower, vanity and toilet. The landing lounge area has seating and chaise lounges to relax in - a lovely space on those hot summer afternoons! Monpazier was founded in 1284 and built by the English in the reign of Edward 1. It was called the ‘Pearl of the English XIIIth Century Bastide Towns’. While much has happened over the history of time…. that hasn’t changed as it is still referred to as ‘the best preserved bastide in France’. It may seem small however as a well preserved, beautiful bastide and working village it has a great range of shops, restaurants, artisans and attractions. Cuisine is a big focus of the area and as such, you have 10+ restaurants in the village ranging from casual pizzerias, a creperie and bistros, through to elegant fine dining. Basic provisions are well looked after by the 2 mini-markets (SPAR & Casino) within the village walls and then there's a great range of specialty goods that can be found at the 3 patisserie/boulangerie shops and 2 charcuteries that have an excellent range of meats and deli goods. There's also a wine cellar, organic produce shop, a pharmacy, beauty salon and masseuse..... and the list goes on. You'll be very well catered for and all within walking distance! Monpazier also has a strong artisan community with a range of wonderful galleries and showrooms including - wood turners/stone craftsmen, glassblower where you can watch your creation being made, a clockmaker, handmade leather goods, traditional soap & perfumery, ceramics showrooms, and ostrich egg engraver, an excellent marquetry display and much, much more. Monpazier has a colourful weekly market on Thursday mornings. Many of the neighbouring villages have weekly markets on different days of the week making it an excellent way to visit the surrounds and get a flavour of the region. Markets are largely based around the glorious local cuisines and specialty produce of the region – seasonal fruits, mushrooms (cepes), nuts, honey, duck, goose, foie gras and the most luxurious of all….. truffles! Summer music festivals in Monpazier and most nearby villages are a delight. There are also the many fetes and festivals held throughout the year in our own village square: Summer: - Regular Night Markets - Summer Brocante Market May: - Annual Flower & Rose Festival July: - Bastille Day Bodega & Fireworks Display Autumn: - Guided walks (randonees) in nearby Forests - Autumn Brocante Market October: - Cepes Markets December: - Truffle Fete - Christmas Market January: - Truffle Fete Situated in the south of the Dordogne (one of the most beautiful and most popular areas in France), it’s an area known as ‘The Land of 1001 Chateaux’. Close by you can visit Chateau Biron (8kms), Lanquais (28kms), Milandes (36kms), Castelnaud (38kms) and Beynac (43kms)… to mention just a few. You can also visit the prehistoric cave paintings and limestone caves at Gouffre de Proumeyssac (32kms), Grotte du Grand Roc (40kms), Grotte de Cougnac (57kms) and Grotte de Lascaux (70kms). We have a lot of information on attractions of the area at Bastide 1353 however the local Tourismo/Information Office is extremely helpful and again – just 50 metres from our front door.