Villa Janet, Fouzilhon, Herault, Languedoc. South West France
Village house with 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and private pool in Fouzilhon, the South of France
From £455 per week
Hilltop village house shaped onto the rock with pool, BBQ patio, sundeck & panoramic views, characterful rooms and well equipped IKEA kitchen. Central to mystique and pleasures of Languedoc
Overview
An authentic French village house, Villa Janet immediately captured our imagination because of its character and location - tucked on high into a secure niche of an unspoilt hilltop village. With views of the vineyards below and the Espinouse Hills beyond, you can sit and relax and watch the world go by. Family friendly as the French community is, the atmosphere is relaxed and fun.
Comfortable and spacious, with sturdy stone walls and insulated roof, inside the house there is cool protection from the hot summer sun.
Ground Floor
Kitchen, dining and snug sitting room are open plan.
The modern , well equipped kitchen has electric , ceramic hobbed cooker, fridge, freezer and dishwasher. Hatches make serving easy both for dining alcove or out onto the path for the garden patio table. Easy too, to unload shopping from the car. There's a washing machine and outside line.
Wood burning stove for winter, with upright comfy and lounging chairs and corner sofa. Alcove with wooden dining table and chairs for eight. Ceramic breakfast bar/chess table with high stools.
Bedroom One - "Palme" Double bed. Bedside tables. Wardrobe and garment shelves.
Bedroom Two - "Rose" Twin beds. Bedside tables. Wardrobe and garment shelves.
Sleeping quarters are secluded and separate, with a toilet and a shower room with handbasin between the downstairs bedrooms.
Upstairs:
Salon - With wide window onto cool foliage of garden and pool terrace. Large corner sofa, easy chairs and coffee table. Book shelf.
Bedroom Three - "Hirondelle" Double bed. Bedside tables. Wardrobe and chest of drawers. Large windows open to balcony.
Bedroom Four - "Espinouse" Twin Futon beds. Wardrobe and garment shelves.
Bathroom - Large primrose cast-iron bath-tub, with shower, basin,bidet, and toilet .
On the terrace level up from the house, infant and pet secure, the patio area has space for loungers and large garden table and chairs. Shaded at lunch , lit at dinner.
A big open fire has a chimney through the rock. It used to be used by vine pruners in winter as a lunchtime gathering place, now serves as a barbeque. There is an additional small barbeque for small parties.
The above ground pool is set into a rocky outcrop and backed by the stub of the old castle wall.
There is a sun deck/belvedere with sun loungers, with a table for meals or refreshments to be served at this level also. A romantic spot.
Longer winter bookings are available at very competitive rates - please email the owner through Villarenters to discuss these.
The village of Fouzilhon
The house is easily reached by car at the top of one of the the old circular roads which wind up through Fouzilhon village. Beyond the house the road continues as a path, through woods and rocks, climbing round to come out at the little church square at the top of the mount. It is a delightful place to take evening strolls in the narrow streets and passageways of the village itself or to venture further into the vineyards on the plains below the village.
There is a small play park for children.
The butcher's van once a week.
Shopping
Shopping is in nearby Magalas and Gabian. Both are 5 minutes drive away. There is an Intermarche supermarket in Magalas. Gabian has a chemist, post office and several local food stores including a bakery with excellent pizzas.
Wine gets better all the time in Langudoc. At Magalas, near Intermarche, the museum and informative staff specialise in local wines, which can be selected and bought at reasonable price. Two producers can be visited, a short walk away on the back road road to Gabian.
In the Locality
The medieval town of Pezenas is the 17th century capital of the region - Langued'oc. The tapas bar in Place Gambetta, a beautiful medieval square, is a perfect place to end a stroll through a tour the architectural gems of the town. There are lots of inexpensive restaurants too.
There is river swimming at Real for all ages with deep diving pools and a shallow beach for small children. (25 mins)
Canoe hire makes for a more adventurous day out. (25mins) at Roqueburn
The Oppidium d'Enserun is a Roman hilltop town in the shade of trees. Below this is a view of the fascinating "dart-board" irrigation pattern created by medieval monks. Nearby in Capestang on the Canal du Midi, at "La Table de Vignoble" in a large courtyard or inside the barn, there is a feast of roasted meat served with the palatable wine, produced by the proprietor herself.
Montpellier is a chic city only an hour by train from Beziers, making from an effortless day out.
The beautiful beach at Portiragnes Ouest plage is only twenty miles away. Here you will find cafes, bars and restaurants. Les Voiles right on the beach is recommended. Brave the banana boating challenge or just laze on the beach. There is a large market on Wednesday mornings well worth a visit.
Near Portiragnes plage you will find riding stables. Horses and ponies can be hired by the hour.
There are beautiful beaches all along the coast.
In Beziers (30 minutes by car) you will find great shopping at the hypermarkets.
In Beziers there are plenty of restaurants and pavement cafés and on Fridays there is a wonderful flower market. In August there is a huge street party, ‘Féria’.
Golf course at St Thomas (Beziers).
Vias - A busy holiday resort with cafes, bars restaurants and Europark for a fun night out.
Valras Plage – Watersports, restaurants, bars and nightclub. Serignan - Large Hyper U open all day everyday during the summer.
Vendres - go-karting.
Agde - a beautiful fishing port with winding streets, traditional markets, colourful houses, great restaurants and cafés.
Cap d’Agde - Beaches, harbour, waterside restaurants, golf, huge water-park ‘AquaLand’, boat trips, water sports, casino, nightclubs, discos etc..
Narbonne - Visit this town for its Roman ruins and Gothic cathedral.
Sete - A busy and interesting old harbour town with lots of seafood restaurants and the museum Paul Valery.
Carcassonne - The largest walled city in Europe with wonderful medieval spectacles and performances during the summer.
You do need a car for this holiday. Car hire is reasonable at airports.
There are 2 adult bikes at Villa Janet for your use.
Details of all these possibilities with directions will be left at Villa Janet.
Reviews
31 verified reviews
30 out of 31 people recommend staying here
Scott
Villa Janet is in a great spot. Great views from the pool and terrace area which are maybe 15 metres from the house. Kids loved the pool. The kitchen is good, had everything we needed. The area around fouzilhon has lots to do. The house was sparse on entertainment, bring your own, but it was good to be away from 24hr news and internet and get the kids off their phones. I would recommend the property for staying in this wonderful part of France. The owner Michael was very prompt, helpful and easy to deal with.
Julie
We had a lovely stay at Villa Janet. The village setting is peaceful but there is easy access to beautiful countryside as well as the seaside.
Villa Janet is spacious with a very usable kitchen and a lovely sitting room. There are fantastic views of the surrounding countryside and the pool was very welcome on a hot day.
Ruth
We had a lovely week at Villa Janet. The setting is idyllic and very peaceful. Our young boys enjoyed exploring around the castle walls and when we werent relaxing by the pool we had a lovely trip to the closest beach which was well worth it.
Jane
We stayed at Villa Janet for a week at the end of June 2013. Our party consisted of 2 couples. We all had a wonderful week, none of us had ever visited that area of France and we felt very lucky to have experienced staying in such a delightful part of Europe. We had fantastic weather, just before it went really hot.
Villa Janet is a lovely house to stay in. We enjoyed every aspect - the village, the local people, the location of Villa Janet with its own approach, the fabulous terraces with the pool that really was the icing on the cake. We had so much fun with the pool and the views from the pool are breathtaking. We had no disappointments with our stay apart from the fact that none of us wanted to leave.
We enjoyed the family of cats that visited us each day. We tried for about a day not to feed them but they soon got us into their way of thinking!! They were a joy to have around but we didnt allow them into the house.
The caretakers Gilbert and his lovely wife were always at hand and were ideal for the task never intrusive. In fact we used to enjoy Gilbert coming to sort the pool out each day as he didnt speak English so we would try out our French and have a laugh with him.
We all hope to stay again some time. We thought even in winter it would be great with the fire on in the lounge. Villa Janet is very French and rustic and would make a great base for a family party. There is a very inviting atmosphere that draws you in and you are hooked.
The owner, Michael is a very lucky man!
Thank you!
Karen
We had a two week holiday to Villa Janet in July 2010, 6 adults and an 8 year old dog. On arrival my parents were met by the caretaker and shown everything they needed to be shown. The house was very charming, with plenty of room for us all, in fact the upstairs lounge wasnt used at all! The weather was fantastic and very hot, and although there was a fan in the downstairs lounge, each bedroom could have benefitted from having a fan in it, as on some nights it was quite uncomfortable in the heat.
Barney our crossbreed dog had a great time keeping guard for the cats that came looking for a treat and he made two friends - a couple of local dogs who came to call for him each morning and took a shine to his new football!
The garden/pool area was great and every night apart from two (because of the wind and one night a burst of rain) we ate out and used the bbq. The pool was attended to most days by the caretaker and well maintained. There were only 3 sun loungers available to be used which meant we had to have a rota system! However purchasing a couple of lilos solved that problem and allowed us to catch a few rays and keep cool in the pool at the same time! The views over the vineyards were stunning and listening to the church bells above ringing out, it was like being on a film set!
The village itself is beautiful, very quiet, friendly locals and lovely walks round the winding roads. We didnt venture very far really, going to the beach a couple of times (Serignan allows dogs) and the river at Roque Brun or Real for a change of scenery. We used the well stocked supermarket at Magalas and purchased some excellent wine from the local "cave"!!
If you want to experience true France we would all recommend Villa Janet. Lounging in the sun listening to the crickets, watching the swallows dive between the houses and lying in bed listening to the "little owls" tooting! Heaven! There is something about the house, village and area that will draw you back and we hope to return again to experience another wonderful holiday.
Hervé
The villa Janet and its garden is a very pleasant place. We went to Fouzilhon during a very cold week of March, and the house, with very thick walls, was a bit difficult to heat but, the beauty of the house and of the village clearely appeared. The household equipment rate is good, and the garden very nice.
We should definitely recommend Villa Janet from spring to autumn.
Location
Distances to locations
Prices and availability
Updated 25 May 2024
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Changeover days and minimum stays
- 22 November 2024 - 22 November 2025: changeover day is Saturday, bookings must be for whole weeks only and the minimum stay is 7 nights.
- 1 June - 5 July 2026: changeover day is Saturday, bookings must be for whole weeks only and the minimum stay is 7 nights.
- 27 July - 28 September 2026: changeover day is Saturday, bookings must be for whole weeks only and the minimum stay is 7 nights.
- 1 June - 5 July 2027: changeover day is Saturday, bookings must be for whole weeks only and the minimum stay is 7 nights.
- 27 July - 28 September 2027: changeover day is Saturday, bookings must be for whole weeks only and the minimum stay is 7 nights.
Early booking discounts
- Receive 5% off if the booking is made 16 weeks before the arrival date.
- Receive 10% off if the booking is made 20 weeks before the arrival date.
Late booking discounts
- Arrive between 1 June - 31 August and receive 5% off if the booking is made within 2 months of the arrival date.
Long stay discounts
- Receive 20% off if the booking is for 2 months or more.
- Receive 10% off if the booking is for 3 weeks or more.
If more than one discount matches your arrival date, please be aware that only one discount of the highest amount will be applied to your booking.
Facilities
Bedrooms
4 bedrooms, Sleeps 8:
- 1 double bed
- 1 double bed
- 2 single beds
- 2 single beds
There is also 1 cot
Bathrooms
2 bathrooms, 2 Separate WC's
Swimming pool
Private pool, Size 10m x 5m, Depth 1.2m to 1.2m
Entertainment
CD player, Radio
General
Living area seats 8, Dining area seats 8, Open fire, Hair dryer, Iron / board, Towels / linen, Washing machine, High chair, Car hire essential
Kitchen
Cooker, Crockery, Cutlery, Dishwasher, Fridge, Freezer, Glassware, Kettle, Microwave, Oven, Pots / pans, Toaster
Outside
Balcony or terrace, Barbecue, Outside lighting, Parking, Private garden
Suitable for
Children, Infants, Pets , Parties and events
Extra information
Hilltop house in ancient village with medieval walls. spacious accommodation. Private 15 by 30 foot (4.5feet deep) above ground pool set in rocky outcrop by patio with table and chairs for outside eating. Sun deck above pool with wonderful views. Sun loungers and deck chairs and sun umbrella. Mix of sun & shade in pretty garden. Old stone summer house with big open fire for bbqs. Seperate small barbarque also available. Cosy in winter - woodburning stove and mix of electric oil radiators and electric wall heaters. Wood and electricty bills additional to rental in winter only. 2 adult bikes. Delightful countryside for strolls. Canoe hire/river swimming with shallow beach for small children/fishing in season. All in spectacular surrondings. Long sandy swimming beach - Cap d'Adge (45 mins even in peak summer.) Local medieval town - Pezenas with old courtyards open to public - lovely evening strolls & excellent restaurants.tourist information.
Michael
Private Owner From Carluke, United Kingdom Member since Nov 2004
Michael and Claudia have been owners of Villa Janet for 18 years. We were looking to buy somewhere to do up near family living near Pezenas. We were very lucky to discover an old vigneron house the hilltop village of Fouzilhon. First we fell in love with the view. Then saw the potential of the house if renovated and made open plan. There was also space across small cul-de-sac for pool and sun deck next to the lovely old stone semi open building where the vineyard workers of psst times used to come and have their midday break by the fireplace with a merry blaze. Michael, with family and friends old and new, English ans French. took a year to go up the house. It has been a family holiday home ever since and also a holiday home for regular returners. Many children have grown up coming here every year. The house has also welcomed retired couples, a group of trainee priests, a group of artists exhibiting locally and essential workers. There are so many places to visit within striking distance that we still haven’t got to all the ones we want to! That’s partly because we’ve enjoyed lazing by the pool and having bbqs as well as maintaining and upgrading Villa Janet . We hope to welcome you to a stay and are eager to advise you about the locality and help to make your stay a great one in any way we can.
Past bookings: 63 bookings
Last logged in: 5 months ago
Number of properties: 1
Michael and Claudia have been owners of Villa Janet for 18 years. We were looking to buy somewhere to do up near family living near Pezenas. We were very lucky to discover an old vigneron house the hilltop village of Fouzilhon. First we fell in love with the view. Then saw the potential of the house if renovated and made open plan. There was also space across small cul-de-sac for pool and sun deck next to the lovely old stone semi open building where the vineyard workers of psst times used to come and have their midday break by the fireplace with a merry blaze. Michael, with family and friends old and new, English ans French. took a year to go up the house. It has been a family holiday home ever since and also a holiday home for regular returners. Many children have grown up coming here every year. The house has also welcomed retired couples, a group of trainee priests, a group of artists exhibiting locally and essential workers. There are so many places to visit within striking distance that we still haven’t got to all the ones we want to! That’s partly because we’ve enjoyed lazing by the pool and having bbqs as well as maintaining and upgrading Villa Janet . We hope to welcome you to a stay and are eager to advise you about the locality and help to make your stay a great one in any way we can.
