Gardoussel

Gardoussel Retreat lies in a private estate of 45 acres, of which 15 acres is meadow land at the edge of a river and the rest is woodland and mountains.

The land is dynamic - both soft and hard, open and closed, bright and shaded. So there are plenty of places to find an undisturbed spot for meditation, reading or sunbathing.

St Andre de Valborgne

Our local village is 1 km away along a small country road... see the photos on the right. There is a large natural swimming pool at the foot of a waterfall just 5 minutes' walk towards the village, with picnic tables, benches and diving rocks: truly spectacular!

The village has a grocer's, a bakery, a butcher's, two cafés, two restaurants and a tourist information office. It also has a craft shop selling items made of schist (the local stone) and a pottery studio which offers drop-in sessions and workshops (English also spoken). There is a yoga class every Thursday morning.

The local area

There are approx. 12 marked hiking trails in and around the village, one of which crosses through the edge of our property. We have maps with full details, available from the local tourist office, which sometimes organises free guided walks.

Mountain bikes can be hired from another local village, as can donkeys for accompanied treks (great for children, baggage and novel company!)

There is a public tennis court in the village, and a Sunday morning market from March - November. Trout can be fished from a local natural fish farm.

The area is abundant in wildlife. Buzzards, falcons, woodpeckers and occasionally even eagles can be glimpsed - or heard - among the trees. The valley is also a favourite haunt of wild boar, badger and other woodland mammals.

Further afield, the Cévennes National Park covers an area of 910 sq km. The park's headquarters are close by in Florac, as well as a museum dedicated to the park's natural history.

The Cévennes straddle three of France's departments: the Gard, Lozère and Ardèche. Famous for its remarkable scenery, it is typified by grassy terraces, sweet chestnut trees (known as the 'bread tree' due to its important role in the area's economic past), the granite peaks of Mont Lozère, limestone plateaux and the crystal clear gorges running below.

Abroad, it is probably best known for being the area crossed by Robert Louis Stevenson on his donkey Modestine in 1878, later immortalised in his book 'Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes'.

Gardoussel lies just outside the national park but shares the same lush, wild scenery, tiny shale-built hamlets and quiet, unhurried way of life.