Whether you are a small group of hikers, bikers or strollers, then 'Joyeuse' is just the base for you....or if you’re a couple who wants somewhere comfortable to relax after a day of sampling the region’s history, countryside , coast and gastronomy . Small family reunions have enjoyed the house’s facilities when the sun shone in summer and celebrated a warm Christmas in the gentle chill of a Languedoc winter.

'Joyeuse' is large spacious early twentieth-century 'maison de maitre' situated beside a historic sixteenth-century fortified church. The upstairs bedrooms will sleep nine. Two of the bedrooms are en-suite and there is a well-appointed bathroom for everyone else, as well as a downstairs toilet and shower. If there is anyone in the party for whom the staircase could be a problem, there two single beds in the study downstairs.

The kitchen is well equipped for meal preparation; the lounge is comfortable with TV and wifi connection to stream entertainment to your devices. There is also another reception room for those who need to spread out their maps or play a board game.

Cruzy is surrounded by vineyards and hills; take a couple of hundred steps from the house and you are in the open, surrounded by vineyards with the opportunity to walk for kilometres into the surrounding hills. It has a splendid butcher/ charcuterie, a baker, épicerie and small café-bar. Nearby Capestang on the Canal has supermarkets and restaurants, just ten minutes’ drive away (or a few stops on the local bus) .

If you want a gourmet restaurant there’s one of the best in the region within a short walking distance (2km 15 mins walk) and another on the Canal du Midi just three miles away. A little further afield but still within less than half an hour’s drive there are small towns and villages with their auberges, cafés and bistros.

Above all, Cruzy is brilliantly situated for those who want to visit interesting places or have more vigorous activities in mind – as well as those who want do wine-walks or tasting (or buying!) of Saint-Chinian, Minervois, Fougères and many more.

A ten-minute drive brings you to the Canal du Midi, with its tow-path stretching for miles in each direction, taking walkers and cyclists through small villages and towns. One such is Le Somail with a couple of restaurants, boat trips and an amazing second-hand bookshop. If you fancy a swim, there is a small natural lagoon in Bize.

Further afield but still only a half-day trip will take to you to major towns, each with their own history. Beziers is one of the major centres of Cathar history. Its castle and cathedral dominate the surroundings and a must-see in the area is the cascade of nine locks on the Canal du Midi.

Narbonne’s history goes back to Roman times. It has a brand-new Museum of Antiquities, and a Museum of Contemporary Art. It’s just five minutes’ drive from the town’s spectacular Market Hall; you’ll need to take several supermarket carrier-bags to stock up with the local produce. From there, it’s only about twenty minutes’ drive to the coast with sandy beaches and endless fish restaurants.

For those who want a day out the choice is sans pareil whether your bag is history or physical activities. Minerve, the Cathar village, is poised high above a gorge. Go east to the spectacular Pont du Gard, a fifty-metre high aquaduct built by the Romans to supply water to Nîmes where the wonderful Roman amphitheatre hosts jazz and other concerts in the summer.

For walkers of all abilities there are trails and rock-climbing opportunities in the Gorges d’Héric. If it gets too hot then there are rock pools to cool off in.

Bonnes vacances!