Traditional stone built post house located on the edge of the quiet village of Vernet les Bains 650 meters up the first major peak of the Eastern Pyrenees.

Recently renovated to combine the old world charm of spacious rooms with balconies and wooden floors and shutters,with modern comforts like en-suite bathrooms.

Guests can relax by the stream in the large parklike gardens shaded by palms and protected trees or eat al fresco using the barbeque.There is also a separate pool area where you can swim and take the sun. With 16 bedrooms,11 of which are ensuite, large parties can be accomadated very comfortably.When required even larger parties than staying over can celebrate functions in the dining rooms and the bar.There is also a games room in the basement opening onto the garden.

Located close to the frontier on the ancient pilgrimage trail to Santago de Campostella le Relais Ancien at 123 years old is the oldest lodging house in Vernet. The building has its own history. It opened in the 19th century as the Post and Telegraphe office. More recently during the 2nd world war it was the last staging post on the escape route to neutral Spain used by the local French resistance to smugglle French and German Jews to safety.

From Le Relais Ancien you can walk straight out onto the paths of Mount Canigou which at 2784 meters dominates the Mediteranean coast and straddles the border between France and Spain.It is a sacred mountain to the Catalans.(picture of Canigou from sea).

The Cady a mountain river fed by its meltwaters runs close to the property.On its other side are found the thermal establishement a hydropathic health center which draws upon a nearby source of underground hot water, and slightly further afield the Casino with its restaurant and discoteq housed in a Belle Epoque mansion.

Every member of the party will find something to interest them whilst relaxing at Le Relais Ancien.

THE VILLAGE

The village of Vernet les Bains:
Vernet les Bains is par excellence a ressort for green tourism. It has been awarded the title of
Centre for green Tourism  and it is the first  Village arboretum in France, with over 200 species of trees.

www.stationsvertes.fr
www.villagearboretum.fr

The village of Vernet les Bains enjoys a wonderful climate with on average 300 days sunshine a year.It is a typical French village of shuttered house with a few shops,weekly markets and a number of restaurants and bars. The old town is crowned by its castle, with its spas and mountain location it became a popular resort in the 19th century particularly with writers like Rudyard Kipling and Anthony Trollope. It enjoys a benevolent microclimate so that in High Summer it is not as oppressively hot as on the coast.The altitude also helps avoid the nuisance of mosquitos.With a 40-55 minute drive taking you to either the nearest ski slopes or the coast with its many sandy beaches,it is a perfect base for exploring the region and having a multi activity holiday.An hours drive will also take you to the frontier with Spain.

There are a wide variety of things to do and see locally and for an overview of the many festivals and walks in the val de Cady look at the official office of tourism site. In the town or close by there is horse riding,fishing,white water rafting and climbing and hiking services.For those with less energy there are cafes and restaurants in the square and the old town and the casino.

www.ot-vernet-les-bains.fr

IN THE SURROUNDING COUNTRYSIDE:

Situated close to the sea and yet within 40 minutes of the ski stations it is possible to enjoy both the seaside and the mountains.

The Canigoo massif offers a full range of possible walks, from distance treks.This great mountain of the Pyrenees rises to an altitude of 2,784 meters (about 9.200 feet). For those with less time or energy the mountain can be explored in 4x4 vehicles driven by local guides.

By car you can go up the mountain to the village of Casteil with its zoo and further to take the final walk to the summit.From Casteil an easier ascent can be made to the still active abbey of St Martin du Canigou built over one thousand years ago, a jewel of early romanesque art. In the town or close by there is horse riding,fishing,white water rafting and climbing and hiking services. For those with less energy there are cafes and restaurants in the square and the old town and the casino.

At the base of the mountain where the Cady joins two other rivers you will find the station of Vernet in Villefranche de Conflent, from where you can take the Little Yellow Train.This takes you up into the central Pyrenees on the highest railway in france to to Latour-de-Carol, following a route of outstanding natural and architectural beauty. Villefranche itself sitting behind its complete mediaeval walls is a step back in time and stands across the old frontier with Spain.Above it you can visit the fort that replaced it and was then turned into a prison, or visiting the very impresive three huge natural groups of caves. Alternatively you can take the train through the towns,villages,vineyards and orchards of the valley of the Tet to Perpignan.

The ski resorts are by road less than one hour drive, Font Romeu at 50 kms, Cerdagne Puigmal 2900 at 61 and Les Angles at 65 kms are the closers, and a little further you can reach Andorra.

www.lespyrenees.net/en/

The skiingdomaine covered by the Neiges Catalanes includes 190 runs,110 ski lifts,wich are situated an altitude of between 1600 and 2500 metres. There are over 480 kms of down hill runs or cross country tracks. One ski pass covers all the ressorts so that you can change ski ressorts whenever you wish. List of ski ressorts :Font Romeu, Pyrénées 200, Espace Cambre d Aze, Cerdagne Puigmal 2900, Porte-Puymorens, Les Angles, La Quillane, Formiguères and Puyvalador.

Closer still is St Thomas les Bains, where you can bathe in open air hot springs.
40 kms of fine sandy beaches can be found less than 60 kms ( 40 minutes )away at Argeles and Le Canet area.

Catalan Perpignan or Fidelissima Vila de Perpinyà, those are the official names of the city of Perpignan( 43 kms away ). This city is undoubtedly one of the center of the Catalan, Roman and Mediterranean culture is worth exploring for its architecture,museums and shopping. Collioure at 69 kms away, an idyllic place on the rocky coastline, the picturesque village is nestled in an authentic environment. Its small Catalan harbour is sheltered by a quiet bay where the chain of Pyrenees meet the mediterranean sea. Picasso, Matisse,Derain,Dufy,Chagall and Marquet immortalized this small village and harbour in their works. Across the border with Spain you are in Catalonia.At Figueres you will find the Museum of Dali.The Costa Brava and Girona.

Cuisine of the region/typical dishes Catalan. The fertile land of the Roussillon plan, with its exeptional sunshine, is why the Horts or Catalan gardens have such rich harvests of succulent fruits and vegetables.

The highlights of Mediterranean cuisine: fish soups,ancholades,ajoli, Boles de Picoulat(spicy meat balls in olives sauce), the queen of soups: L' Ollada, a hearty winter soup and the Cargolade ( snails are grilled, with local sausages, black pudding and lamb chops, all grilled over a fire from pruned vines) the most convivialof all picnics.

The Languedoc Roussillon region produces the largest volume of wine in the country. It is home to a wide variety of wines which have been  increasing in quality over the last twenty years, as the regions viniculturalists have made more fine wines. The region is ideally located for cultivating the wine and all types of wine are found here: from fine tu full-bodied, light to intoxicating, and hints of pastel to the deepest garnets.

GETTING THERE:

BY AIR :
Direct Flights can be taken to Perpignan from 3 airports in the Uk,2 in Germany and Paris.The transfer time to Le relais Ancien is about 40 minutes.We can arrange both flights,transfers and car or bus hire.
Perpignan PGF ( 40 minutes away), flights from :
            Birminghan BHX and Southampton SOU with FLYBE
            London Stansted STN with RYANAIR
            Manchester MAN with BMIBABY
            Paris Orly ORY with AIR FRANCE

Carcassone CCF ( 80 minutes away), flights from :
            London Stansted STN and Brussels Charleroi CRL with RYANAIR

Girona GRO ( less than 2 hours), flights from
            many Europen airports with RYANAIR (Girona is their southern Europen hub)
            Brussels International BRU with JET ONLY
            Rotterdam RTM with TRANSAVIA

We are happy to advise and book flights so that you can travel cost effectively and easily.

BY TRAIN :

Villefranche de Conflent (45 minutes away from Perpignan), several liasons with regional train. 

TGV to Perpigan from Montpelier-Paris and the rest of Northen Europe.
And from 2008, TGV to Perpignan from Barcelona.

BY CAR :

From Montpellier A9 to Perpignan, 90 minutes away,
From Spain border A9 to Perpignan, 15 minutes, first exit avec PEAJE,

after 35 minutes drive on the N116, direction Andorra, up to Villefranche de Conflent,
then less of 10 minutes drive on D116 direction Vernet les Bains

Location Vernet Les Bains , Location vacances Pyrénées-Orientales