Vacation Rentals Home by Owner Worldwide

• Cookware and cooking accessories, Oven, Dishwasher

• Books

• Barbecue

The Pavillon: Completely Renovated House with Bay Windows Looking over the Park The Castle and Gites:Three Stone Built Houses near the castle have been beautifully restored as holiday homes, and decorated in order to keep their original character. Each is fully equipped and centrally heated. Near it there's an open barn that has been converted into a play area with a ping-pong table, swings, climbing ropes, a climbing net, a seesaw and an old hay waggon. There's also an area to play Pétanque, the French national sport of bowls. Each of the three houses is independent, and each has its own terrace with table and barbecue. These houses are situated in the estate of a medieval castle. The houses have been lovingly restored recently.

The Pavillon du Parc dates from the 15th century, restored in 1920. Recently it has been completely renovated with the help of funding from the EEC. Downstairs there’s a sitting room with bay windows looking over the park. The room measures 9m by 6m. Next to it is a dining room with a sitting area to one side lined with bookshelves.

A bay window gives onto a covered porch, once a carriage entrance and now an outside dining area. The kitchen has a professional dishwasher with a 15 minute cycle, ideal for washing glasses or for cleaning between courses, and an 19th century bread oven. To one side is a dining area to sit 8 people.

Following through a doorway you come to a small study with a fireplace and on the east end of the building is a bedroom and bathroom with a shower. Next to this is a laundry. Upstairs on the east are three bedrooms, each with its bathroom en suite. The house is divided by a staircase. To the west of the staircase upstairs is a large multipurpose room. Playroom, work room, sitting room... It measures 35 feet by 25. It has sofas, a ping-pong table and a plasma screen and gives onto a covered balcony. The house is surrounded by lawns. Total surface area: 420m2.

The Park - The castle is surrounded by its own park of 60 acres of fields and woods. It is entirely fenced. Access is by a driveway of 300 yards. The only cars are those that come to the castle, which is not open to the public, and an occasional tractor belonging to the neighboring farmer.

Things To do:

- Swimming pool A private pool on the spot.

- Zoo 15 minutes away the zoo has animals in semi liberty.

- Theme park Just next to the zoo is a theme park that will enchant children of all ages.

- Markets Every day there is a market somewhere nearby. Clothes, clogs, food, cattle, ceramics, local produce...

- Shopping Moulins, 40 minutes away ; Paray-le-Monial, 30 minutes ; Vichy, 1 hour... all have shops to suit all tastes.

- Wine The Mâconnais to the East is one of the main wine growing areas of Burgundy.

- Saint Pourçain, to the west, has fine white wine.

- Restaurants Some fine examples of French cuisine.

- Canoeing You can rent canoes in Digoin, 16 kms away. You will be taken up the river by car and you can canoe down to Digoin again. Choose the distance you want to paddle and the time you want to take.

- Para gliding Glide off the top of the volcano, the Puy de Dôme with a monitor. No previous experience is needed. You will circle the valley at 4,000 feet.

- Biking You just get on and go. The country roads are quiet and there are some wonderful circuits through the forests. Bikes for all ages are available on the spot.

- Antiques 7 or 8 shops within a few miles.

- History The area is riddled with churches and monasteries dating from the middle ages.

- Tennis 10 minutes.

- Fishing The Loire is 5 minutes away. The Canal du Centre 5 minutes away.

Sommery is far from tourists in the very heart of France, surrounded by fields and forests. Nearby there is biking and fishing, a theme park and zoo 20 minutes away are well worth a visit... wine tasting, visiting local markets and castles, medieval towns or just sitting back and relaxing. Wine Tasting,

Gilly-sur-Loire

• Europe
• France
• Burgundy
• Saône-et-Loire
• Gilly-sur-Loire

Other activities:
Fishing, Cycling, Tennis

Relaxation & Comfort:
Restaurants

Visiting & Tours:
Museum