France gite & B&B Mercantour National Park
| country: | France |
| location: | Mercantour, French Alps |
| trip type: | Self guided, moderate / strenuous walking holidays |
| departures: | Gite accommodation available year round (ideal base for both summer & winter activities) Summer/Autumn availability: Sep 6 - Oct 3 and Oct 11 onwards |
| price: | From £18 per person per night (gite sleeps 5, B&B for 2). Short breaks and holiday packages also available. Special rates for families with young children |
read 5 travellers reviews
the amazing things you'll be doing
The Vésubie valley is an ideal place from which to explore the magnificent Mercantour National Park, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2005. The area is an unspoilt Alpine wilderness but yet just an hour from Nice and the bustle of the Riviera. Ease and value of access here makes it an ideal place for a short break. The area is blessed with wonderful scenery, (more than 80% of the Park is higher than 1800m) and year round outdoor pursuits, to say nothing of the richness of its flora and fauna. Visitors are drawn to the famous Vallée des Merveilles, and its 37000 Bronze Age carvings which lie in the shadow of the impressive Mount Bego, and more recently to the Alpha “the time of the wolf” Scénoparc in Le Boréon. 
The gite is a ground floor apartment within our house, La Zourcière, in Berthemont les Bains, which is a small hamlet with little other than its own thermal baths. Gite accommodates up to 5 people plus the option of another ensuite room which can sleep up to 3. B&B is also an option.
We are on hand to help you plan your adventure here, or to offer a glass of wine if it is R&R that you are after. The gite is well equipped and centrally heated. The house is at 860m with fine 360 degree views and 6 acres of grounds. The nearest village is some 5km away, but local produce (organic fruit and veg, cheese, milk and honey are available within walking distance.
Skiing accommodation: We are only 20 minutes away from downhill at La Colmaine and cross country skiing in Le Boreon – with plenty of opportunities for great snow shoeing. We’re at 860m and are only troubled by snow lying on the ground for 4/5 days a year. Tougher stuff like ski touring, ice climbing and so forth is also available for the keen. It is also possible to escape to non snow walking areas just half an hour south and to the spring temperatures on the French Riviera. Larger ski resorts of the Alpes-Maritimes such as Isola 200 and Auron can also be accessed easily.
Organic produce: Here at the house guests are able to help themselves to organic vegetables from the garden in season. There’s also organic veg available just down the road, plus cheese, meat, milk and honey. When we do dinners all produce is organic (for carnivores, vegetarians and vegans) and sometimes only sourced from the Vesubie valley. Luc and Christine, our accommodation partners in Valdeblore also do organic and locally sourced ingredient meals.
Activities: See the Mercantour section for tailormade and set date activity holidays in this glorious national park.
facilities
The gite is a ground floor apartment within our house, La Zourcière, in Berthemont les Bains, which is a small hamlet with little other than its own thermal baths. Gite accommodates up to 5 people plus the option of another ensuite room which can sleep up to 3. B&B is also an option. We are on hand to help you plan your adventure here, or to offer a glass of wine if it is R&R that you are after. The gite is well equipped and centrally heated. The house is at 860m with fine 360 degree views and 6 acres of grounds. The nearest village is some 5km away, but local produce (organic fruit and veg, cheese, milk and honey are available within walking distance.
Skiing accommodation: We are only 20 minutes away from downhill at La Colmaine and cross country skiing in Le Boreon – with plenty of opportunities for great snow shoeing. We’re at 860m and are only troubled by snow lying on the ground for 4/5 days a year. Tougher stuff like ski touring, ice climbing and so forth is also available for the keen. It is also possible to escape to non snow walking areas just half an hour south and to the spring temperatures on the French Riviera. Larger ski resorts of the Alpes-Maritimes such as Isola 200 and Auron can also be accessed easily.
Organic produce: Here at the house guests are able to help themselves to organic vegetables from the garden in season. There’s also organic veg available just down the road, plus cheese, meat, milk and honey. When we do dinners all produce is organic (for carnivores, vegetarians and vegans) and sometimes only sourced from the Vesubie valley. Luc and Christine, our accommodation partners in Valdeblore also do organic and locally sourced ingredient meals.
Activities: See the Mercantour section for tailormade and set date activity holidays in this glorious national park.
how to find us
Berthemont les Bains is just an hour’s drive north of Nice airport, easily accessible from most UK airports. Access by public transport is possible but limited.travellers' tales
The trip was 5 star born again, Liz and Mel were fantastically welcoming, extremely well informed on all aspects of the area and able to provide a very relaxing environment. (more)
how this holiday makes a difference
 Food air miles are limited here as fresh organic produce, fruit and veg, milk, cheese and honey are available within walking distance. Our water comes straight from the hill. We also grow our own vegetables, which we are happy to share with our guests. We recycle as much as possible and have longer term development plans for the house to install solar panels and replace current heating systems. Visitors are encouraged to spend their money in local shops and restaurants and thus aid the local economy. Information is provided to our guests to enable them to enjoy the Park to the maximum while showing the utmost respect for the environment. We only use local, qualified guides who are passionate about the area that they live in. They are paid a living wage for their excellent services. We are 100% focused on creating awareness of this magical corner of South East France. Visitors can enjoy an unspoilt mountain environment and appreciate a traditional rural way of life. As permanent residents we are fully integrated into the community in the Vésubie valley. Our gite As we await permission to fulfill our vision for our centuries old farm house and land, we are keen to implement as many environmentally sympathetic measures as possible. We encourage the preservation of our pure water which comes straight off the mountain and use our splendid climate for laundry drying outside. As much waste as possible is re-cycled, including pony manure which goes straight onto our vegetable patch. We aim to be as self sufficient as possible from your own garden. Gite guests are welcome to help themselves to fruit and vegetables. When meals are provided they are prepared with local produce only, often solely from the Vésubie valley. Vegetarians are willingly catered for. Energy efficient bulbs are used throughout the house. We try to minimise the use of paper in our office. Guests are encouraged to shop locally and of course to respect the integrity of the National Park. Working relationships We only work with qualified guides for all activities. These passionate locals create a genuine and rich experience for our visitors. They are paid the appropriate rate for professional guides. Our local accommodation partners are chosen for their warm welcome and a willingness to share their love for the region. Business development In the longer term we will use abundant natural resources (wood and sunshine) for heat and light as well as providing alternative accommodation on our land. A project for three bases in the Alpes-Maritimes is underway. This would provide an inspiring holiday venue for young and old alike. Access for the handicapped would be included. We are planning to use pack animals so our guests can share their adventures with a faithful companion, and leave directly from Berthemont. |
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