Vacation rental "La Chaumière" at Pouzol

beautifull holiday cottage

The house and its surroundings

This charmingly renovated farmhouse lies in the ‘lieu-dit’ La Bussière, part of the village Pouzol (postal code 63440, in the department Puy de Dôme). Within 20 minutes of leaving the motorway A75 you will have reached the superb hills of the Gorges de Chauvigny with its river the Sioule. The steep declines of the Gorges interrupt the sloping hills and create ever-changing panoramas.

La Bussière is a collection of old and partly restored houses. The road leading into it reaches a dead end at the end of the village. There is no through traffic; all you hear sometimes are the post van, a local car or tractor. Apart from that, it is just you amidst the quiet French neighbours. If you’re lucky, you can join the village barbeque that is held spontaneously several times each year. An ideal spot for you to read quietly and for (small) children to play carefree.

The house La Chaumière is a ‘maison en pierre’, the walls have been erected from thick stones. The main parts will have been build hundreds of years ago. The house has been entirely renovated but the traditional character has been preserved, as can be seen from the old door- and window frames and from the traditional bread stove in the living room.

The living room can be used to sit around the hearth or to watch television. The house is equipped with French and Dutch satellite TV connections and offers fast (wireless) Internet access. Behind the living room lies a conservatory for a quiet retreat and a view at the hills and skies of the Auvergne region. Next to the living room you will find a fully equipped kitchen, including electrical cooker-furnace, microwave, fridge (with freezer compartment), dishwasher and washing machine, and with a dining table for 6.

On the first floor there are 3 bedrooms, 1 with a double bed and 2 with two single beds each, sleeping 6 people in total. The bathroom with shower, bathtub and toilet is also situated on this floor. A second toilet can be found on the ground floor, behind the garage.

Outside in front of the house is a large stone terrace, of course with table and chairs to relax or to eat outside. A second terrace is situated under the old chestnut, providing for a cool spot in the shade. The sizable lawn (with a goal for football practise) can be used for playing or lying around.

Facilities

The house is heated by means of a wood stove in the living room and, if necessary, with electric radiators. The usage of 8 kwh electricity per day is included in the rent. Extra usage is charged in line with the supplier’s tariffs. A gas fuelled heater in the kitchen supplies hot water, the gas is propane and comes out of small tanks. For your PC connection there is internet on WIFI available with ADSL. Bed and kitchen linen and towels can be rented. Cleaning the house at the end of your holiday period can also be booked at a fee of € 40, -.

Nearby activities and gastronomy


Except to idle in all privacy, the house can be used as a base for all kinds of different activities the region has to offer. You can walk and cycle through fields and forests as much as you like, a walking route and mountain bike route cross La Bussière and run straight past the house. The river the Sioule is nearby to play in the water or to fish. Pont de Menat and Saint Gall (both at 6 km) offer plenty of opportunities for canoeing in the river. To the south, a 1-hour drive takes you to the volcanic mountains of the Central Massive and the famous Puy the Dôme, with an altitude of over 1400 meters. There are many walking routes across the volcano’s. The modern amusement park Vulcania offers excitement as well as information. Excitement and action can also be found in `La forêt des Colettes': in the forest near La Bosse, a beautiful challenge has been laid out in which you move high up in the trees! Such a track is also also available near Chatel Guyon (at `Park Ecureuil').

Those people devoted to real mountains will find tops of more than 1800 meters altitude, at Super-Besse and Mont Dore, at a distance of approximately 95 kilometres. In this part of the department Puy the Dôme there are numerous old villages and beautiful citadels. Finally of course the region has a number of challenging golf courses. Leaflets of these and other places of interest are present in the house.

Should you wish to compensate for all outdoor activities you could consider visiting Clermont Ferrand or the city of Vichy, with its natural springs, both approximately 40 kilometres away.

Other smaller towns nearby are Riom and Saint-Éloy-les-Mines, which offer supermarkets and restaurants at a 20-minute drive. Even closer to home you could stop for a meal at Maître Henri in Pont de Menat, or between this bridge and Ebreuil, along the Sioule, at Restaurant Vindrié or Restaurant Le Beau Site. In the village of Menat there is a local bar or the more festive Restaurant Desmoulin, famous across the region for its excellent kitchen. Chateau de Veauce offers a very exclusive option: in this manor house the interior of the dining room matches the choice of your meal (French, Italian, Japanese or Chinese)!