As the French motorway system has opened up, the far South-West has become more accessible to the holiday maker and more people are discovering the enchanting countryside beyond the over visited Dordogne and Lot valleys. Many choose to spend a little time exploring the tranquillity of the unspoilt region of the Tarn.
Les Vignes in the pretty village of Noailles provides an ideal situation from which to enjoy your holiday.

Noailles, TARN
All of the houses in this pretty village are constructed of the local limestone. Reconstruction and renovation have been strictly controlled to preserve the true spirit of rural France. Surrounded by some of the oldest vineyards in France, Noailles is a peaceful haven from the busy tourist industry on our doorstep. Only a few minutes from Cordes-sur-ciel, one of the most photographed villages in France, and only half an hour from the enchanting, red brick cathedral city of Albi, one may explore the countryside of the Tarn and the Aveyron without spending hours in the car.

The vineyards which surround us, cascade over the hills to the town of Gaillac which gives its name to the excellent local wine. You must visit some of the local chateaux to taste a glass or two of Gaillac from the vineyards which have existed here since long before the Roman occupation.

Noailles is well known by ramblers as a centre from which to explore these very varied landscapes. Vineyards, wooded valleys, wide rivers meandering through steep limestone gorges. A huge variety of wild orchids and fields of iridescent sunflowers, all along well marked and maintained pathways. Wild flowers and butterflies, a picnic in one of the largest broadleaf forests in the South west of France or by the side of a still lake. Time stands still and life cannot be rushed in the Midi-Pyrenees.

There is a lot more than rambling here for the more active holidaymaker. Horseriding and kayaking only minutes away or hire a bicycle to explore the maze of country roads. Within half an hours drive at Carmaux, the outdoor leisure complex of Cap Decouvert offers swimming pools, water ski, toboggan run, a death slide and one of the largest dry ski slopes in France, all enclosed in a huge open cast mining crater. The complex is also the venue for many air concerts.

One of the greatest pleasures of holidaying in France is eating at a good inexpensive restaurant and the area around Noailles boasts several of them, if you know where to look. (which we do) Specialities include duck and trout with wild boar stew for those with a really healthy appetite.

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