Le Pigeonnier - Self-catering barn in Gironde

It is rare indeed to visit an empty house in midwinter and experience an instant warmth that brings the place to life. Your French/German hosts – Valérie and Frank – come from the world of performing arts (she a dance choreographer, he a set designer) and have now turned their attention to viticulture and making your stay special; they have the gift of hospitality tenfold, leave you cherries and walnuts (in season!) and love to share their passion for producing organic wine. Your space? A beautifully renovated, 400-year-old ochre-washed 'pigeonnier' with a sun-drenched terrace on an idyllic old farm among vines, a five-minute walk from the village. Step through a glazed door to a stylish yet cosy vaulted and beamed living room with a cool stone floor, minimal high-quality furniture and old walls. The kitchen is simple, the bedroom is fresh and light, and there are single beds on the mezzanine. There's a pool to dunk in (yours from 10am to 6pm), Saint Émilion is close, the beaches of Arcachon and the boulevards of Bordeaux are an easy drive, and in summer Castillon gives a re-enactment of the last battle of the Hundred Years War.