Le Rêve is situated near the centre of the stunning village of Roquebrun, with views of the surrounding landscape. Roquebrun nestles in the hillside above the River Orb which has a beach and safe area for children to swim just 3 minutes walk from the house, as well as rapids with canoe hire for those wanting an adventure. Roquebrun features as one of the top five river swimming spots in France and there are also several quieter river beach spots nearby. There are plentiful opportunities for walking and cycling in the surrounding area and some great sea beaches 50 minutes drive away. The village is known for its microclimate and Mediterranean garden, with orange trees, cacti and mimosa. There are several restaurants, a bar, a bakery/ice-cream shop, grocery store, post office and small weekly market. There is a cooperative wine 'cave', and several excellent independent wine producers.
Le Rêve is an air-conditioned property (sleeping ten) which has been sensitively and beautifully converted to a very high standard from a large wine cave. The house is very spacious with a huge open plan living area, an extremely well equipped kitchen, dining area and lounge with doors opening onto a partly shaded terrace with beautiful views, garden and swimming pool. There are four large bedrooms, a study and games room. Parking is available directly outside the property.
Ground floor
Open plan living room, kitchen and dining room (9m x 6m) with high vaulted arch ceiling opening out onto the terrace with views out towards the river. Toilet, separate shower room and utility room. Games room (4.9 x 4.7m) with table tennis table.
First floor
Light hallway opening out onto four spacious double bedrooms (sleeping 10) and a study. The master bedroom is ensuite. There is also a separate family bathroom and an additional toilet.
Outside
Terrace (4m x 10m) with dining table, partly shaded by jasmine and wisteria covered pergola. Stairs down to garden and south facing pool (9m x 4m x 1.4m deep) with sun terrace which is accessed through a lockable gate.
Facilities
* Heated pool (9m x 4m x 1.4m)
* Lockable, child-proof gate to the pool
* Sun loungers and pool furniture
* Games room
* Air-conditioning and heating on both floors
* Wood burning stove
* Dishwasher
* Washing machine
* Dryer
* Two large fridges
* Freezer
* Stair gate (available on request)
* Private parking
Bedrooms
Master bedroom (5.1 x 5.1m) - kingsize bed with ensuite
River view bedroom (5.9 x 3.6m) - kingsize bed
Family bedroom (4.0 x 3.6m) - two single beds/double bed and bunk beds
Twin bedroom (4 x 3.5m) - two single beds/double bed
The house sleeps ten comfortably. A cot and single sofa bed are also available on request.
Roquebrun
Roquebrun is in the Hérault department of Occitanie (Languedoc-Roussillon), about 30km inland from Béziers, which has an international airport and train station.
Roquebrun is a charming village with old, winding streets and original stone houses, beautifully situated on the River Orb. It is known for its microclimate and its lush, mature and well-visited Mediterranean garden, which have led to its nickname 'Le Petit Nice'.
At the very top of Roquebrun stands La Tour de Guet, an 11th Century Carolingian watchtower, once a grand lookout castle protecting the village but now a solitary tower with stunning views across the Orb river and valley.
The small weekly market is on the Esplanade, where boules are played and the village fetes are held.
Canoe trips may be booked at the local canoe centre near the village beach, in both directions on the river Orb.
Roquebrun is renowned in the area for its wines, due to the rich soil and microclimate – locals claim the mineral-rich soil enables the grapes to ripen even at night! It has a well-known award-winning Cave Co-operative, as well as other excellent independent wine producers in the village and surroundings.
The “Fete de la Mimosa” (The Mimosa Festival) takes place every year in the village in mid-February, which is a beautiful time to visit and see the bright colours of the trees in bloom, as is the grape harvest in September with the autumn colours, when temperatures still reach 25°.
Local attractions
Roquebrun is in the heart of the Orb valley and Regional Park, with good walks in all directions from the village. The gorge to the north leads up to the pretty village of Olargues, and the spa town of Lamalou-les-Bains, and to the south towards the small town of St Chinian, 15 minutes away, which has a very good twice-weekly market. Spain and the Pyrenees are 2 hours drive further south.
The towns of Agde and Sète lie at each end of a salt water lake with its oyster and mussel beds, and long sandy beaches may be found all along the Mediterranean. The nearby city of Béziers is 30 minutes away, and each August holds a bullfighting and flamenco festival.
To the east are Montpellier and Pézenas, and to the west the UNESCO-listed Citadel of Carcassonne and the Cathar country, with its mountain-top fortified castles. The pretty village of Minerve is the first Cather site, just over 40km away.
Getting Here
The closest international airports are Béziers Cap d'Agde (40km/45 minutes) and Carcassonne (90km). Other nearby airports are Montpellier (103km), Perpignan (122km) and Nîmes (150km).
Béziers train station is 30km away.
