Who we are ?
Two lovers of life in search of a radical change after many years spent working in de large international groups. We want you to discover this magnificent region and offer you a privileged holiday setting in the middle of nature but close to all places to visit.
We are of very different geographical origins: for me the Drôme and its famous shoe capital: Romans sur Isère; for my husband Sicily, the Etna region, but we share the values of welcome and friendliness that are dear to us. A little extra: we speak perfect English, German in addition to French and Italian and have good knowledge of Spanish!! These linguistic tools will enable us to offer all our guests an "à la carte" service.
We arrived at La Bastide-Clairence in March 2021 and immediately started the renovation work on our home (a way to get our hands dirty before starting the big construction site). This old farmhouse requires all of our energy and investment to restore it to its original beauty and to carefully prepare each room to welcome you.
The village
La Bastide-Clairence is ranked among the 164 most beautiful villages in France
It is a small typical village located in the French Basque Country in the department of Pyrénées Atlantiques; it is one of the bastides founded in the South-West. It was because in the 12th century, Navarre needed commercial access to the sea that La Bastide Clairence was founded in 1312. A port on the banks of the Joyeuse which then flows into the Adour and the Atlantic Ocean.
The village revolves around the Place des Arceaux and its white facades striped with green or red remind us that we are in the Basque Country.
At the bend of its small streets, you can discover all the essentials of the village:
- the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption
- The Notre-Dame-de-Clairence Chapel
- The trinquet of La Bastide-Clairence has the particularity of being an old tennis court converted into a trinquet. It is the oldest trinquet in France(the wood of the beams allow us to date it to the year 1512)
- The laundry
- The workshops of the various craftsmen (trimmings, jewelry creation, framing, wood carving, stone engraving and carving, work on ceramics)
Finally in July and August, you can discover the farmers' market which takes place every Tuesday morning from 9 am to 1 pm.
For more information and a guided tour of the village, you can also contact La Bastide Clairence tourist office.