Mas de la Costete

A Former Silk Farm in the Haut Languedoc Walking Distance to the Gorges d'Héric

Brought back to life after years of abandonment, this ensemble of picture-perfect village structures was reshaped and restored using authentic local materials, among them stone, lime, travertine and waxed cement. The classic structures are punctuated by a pool and several alfresco living/dining zones within a lush, walled, Mediterranean garden.

Situated at the heart of the Haut Languedoc Natural Park, the principal building houses two spacious bedroom suites, one on the ground floor with a private entry and a living area set with an overflow sleeper sofa. The other is upstairs, an instant French classic under timber ceiling beams. A third bedroom suite, with an exposed stone living area below its mezzanine sleep space, occupies the most ancient part of the home, in a structure that previously housed a silk worm cultivation, one of the region’s traditional trades. A large living and dining area extends under an original stacked-stone archway, and the villa’s kitchen is chef quality, with professional grade appliances, double rotisserie ovens, plus an original bread oven outdoors.

An annex apartment fills a separate building, a two-story space connected to the house that boasts its own private entry. A vine-clad terrace adds to the annex’s allure as does its own upstairs living/kitchen area with a private view terrace. It sleeps two adults, with space for small children.

Outside, the garden is planted with flowering rosemary and chevrefeuille, lavender, climbing roses, and blackberry brambles, the latter in homage to local silkworm farming tradition. The triangular pool, surrounded by flagstone terracing, offers big views and an equipped outdoor dining and entertainment area watched over by sentinel cypress trees.

Around

The property is located in the village of Mons la Trivalle, itself a combination of hamlets through which a hiking/cycling path known as Passa Païs passes. There are shops, a tourism office, restaurants/cafes and a church, but the real draw are the Gorges d’Héric, a classified site in the heart of the Regional/Natural Park of Haut Languedoc that can be reached on foot from the property. The River Orb forms natural rock pools in the gorge which was itself formed millennia ago at the junction where the Héric River plunges into the Orb River between dramatic rock walls. There are several dozen hiking trails in the area, ranging from simple walks to serious mountaineering. A tiny hamlet, Héric, within the Gorges features a small open-air café.

About five minutes from the house by car, the medieval village of Olargues has been classified as “one of the most beautiful in France.” The villages of Vieussan and Roquebrun are each about 10 minutes’ drive, both storybook, southern French villages. The nearby spa town of Lamalou les Bains’ thermal waters have been treating aches and pains for centuries, and the village has a weekly market that’s worth timing your visit for. This area is idyllic rural southern France, but the Mediterranean beaches of Valras, Portiragnes and Sérignan, each about an hour by car, make easy day trips. Finally, those seeking the sights of a bigger city should check out Béziers, considered France’s most ancient community, with its dramatic Pont Vieux, ancient cathedral, and remarkable series of canal locks.

Location

Mons la Trivalle, Hérault, Occitanie, South of France. Nearest airports: Beziers (30 miles) or Montpellier (50 miles), for local / European flights; Toulouse (80 miles) or Marseille (120 miles), for international flights

Best time to visit

April to October