A romantic hide away in the French Mediterranean,
near sea and ski

Surrounded by vineyards, peach orchards, palm trees, mimosa and lots of flowers, Maison Catalan offers four luxurious but affordable village houses with wonderful views over the mountains. All houses are situated in authentic medieval villages in the south of the Languedoc-Roussillon region. This area, close to the Spanish border, is also known as French Catalonia.

Maison Catalan: houses with a philosophy

All four houses are renovated with a philosophy:

•   Modern art meets antique furniture:
    light, clear and fresh colours dominate within traditional old stone walls.
• The view is the important thing:
  the houses offer wonderful views from the sunny south facing terraces terraces (garden in Pezilla de Conflent), so guests can fully enjoy the warm Mediterranean climate.
• Northern European (Dutch) comfort and style in a southern European atmosphere:
  all facilities Northern Europeans are used to are integrated in all houses, like all the necessary electrical equipment and kitchen utensils.
• Your own ‘tourist board’ at home:
  with brochures, walking maps, and tourist guides, guests are provided with all the instant information to make their holiday as enjoyable as possible. There are also personal suggestions about, for example, how to reach places or how to get the best out of specific visits.
• Coming home in a home:
  everything you expect in a ‘home’ is there, like books, games (including ‘jeu de boules’ set), cleaning devises, shopping bags etc. You can start your vacation right away and you do not have to buy those things you will use only occasionally.
• Sleeping well is important:
  the houses offer good beds with good quality Wellness mattresses, seasonal duvets, and both hard and soft pillows.
• ‘Small’ house, ‘small’ price:
  the houses are designed for couples or a small family (maximum of four), which means that the price is also ‘small' .... why pay for three bedrooms when you just use one?
• Centrally located:
  the village (and houses) are situated close to shops, restaurants and all major attractions, so you do not need to drive up and down difficult mountain roads to get somewhere.

Medieval villages with Mediterranean charm

Mosset has the official title of ‘Plus Belle Village de la France’, which means it is one of the only 5 ‘most beautiful villages’ in the whole department of the Pyrénées-Orientales. The ‘eagle nest’ Mosset indeed is very special with its impressive castle and thick ramparts as proof that Mosset once was on the frontier between Catalunia and France.

But Estoher, Finestret and Pezilla de Conflent can certainly compete with Mosset and are also unspoiled medieval villages located in the low fruit and wine valley at the feet of the Pyrenees Mountains. Protected by the ‘holy’ Mont Canigou the villages enjoy a strong Mediterranean micro climate with lavender, oleanders, olive trees, Mimosa, palm trees, cork oaks and orange trees, which means that the sunny terraces can be used mostly year round.

All facilities you may need are close by. Mosset has its own restaurant and supermarket and Estoher and Finestret are on just a 5 minutes drive from Marquixanes or Vinça where you will find shops and restaurants. The lovely city of Prades is only 15 minutes away, and the capital of French Catalonia, the dynamic Perpignan, is on a 30 minutes drive from Estoher and Finestret and a 45 minutes drive from Mosset. Pezilla de Conflent is situated on the ‘frontier’ with the large winevalley of the Fenouillèdes, close tot the Cathar country, and offers the possibility to discover two valleys: the Conflent and the Fenouillèdes. Sournia, Ille-sur-Têt en St. Paul-de-Feouillet are important places here.

All four villages are close to many ‘attractions’, like medieval abbeys, thermal baths, the Mediterranean sea, ski resorts, Cathar castles, museums, et cetera. Visit our page 'the region' for a full overview of things to do in the area.

Anya Niewiera,
Netherlands
Owner