Orthez

Built in 1773, this amazing property of 470m² comprises a main residence of 350m² in immaculate condition, a self-contained two-storey apartment of 120m² to renovate, a small two-storey outbuilding with a meditation room and a magical garden with an ornamental (plunge) pool fed by a waterfall!

The property is perfect for a large family wanting to be within walking distance of local shops and schools. It would also be ideal for anybody hoping to use part of it for business premises or to set up a boutique hotel, offer Bed and Breakfast or even open a Gîte d'Étape for pilgrims following the Chemin-de-St-Jacques-de-Compostelle, which passes through Orthez.

From the street, an entrance gate leads into a covered entranceway, with room to park a car (more private parking available at the far end of the garden). To the left is the front door into the main residence; to the right is a door into the apartment.

The front door of the main residence opens into an entrance hall with a carved wooden staircase, which leads up to three bedrooms on the first floor and two huge attics on the second floor. To the left of the entrance hall is a lovely reception room with a parquet floor and an open fireplace. A second reception room to the right of the entrance hall also has a fireplace, parquet floor and wood-panelled walls, which conceal a secret walk-in wine cellar!

A small interconnecting room gives access to a guest WC and leads into the light and airy kitchen, which has a door out to the garden. From the kitchen, a couple of steps lead up to an interconnecting room with a second wooden staircase and into a huge third reception room with a marble floor, a fabulous 16th-century stone fireplace and French doors out to the garden.

The main house has six bedrooms on the first floor - three accessible via the first staircase; thee accessible via the second staircase. The first staircase leads up to a master bedroom, which has a luxurious en suite bathroom, and a second bedroom with an en suite shower room and access to the bathroom. A corridor leads to another bedroom, which has an exterior stone staircase down to the garden. The second staircase leads up to the other three bedrooms, two of which have en suite bathrooms. The third bedroom has an adjacent WC.

The apartment (in need of complete renovation) comprises two rooms and a WC on the ground floor and three rooms on the first floor for bedrooms, along with three smaller rooms which could be converted into bathrooms/shower rooms.

The property also has two huge unconverted attics - one above the main house (180m²), the other above the apartment (90m²).

Outside, the stunning landscaped garden has terraces for outdoor dining, a magnificent ornamental (plunge) pool, a small conservatory and a two-storey outbuilding with a meditation room on the first floor!

Situated in the centre of Orthez in the Béarn, the property is close to surfing and family beaches on the Atlantic coast (50 minutes), ski resorts in the Pyrénées (80 minutes) and several rivers for exciting watersports, fishing, picnics... The town's numerous shops, amenities, schools, restaurants and bars are all within easy walking distance. There is even a leisure lake with a beach on the outskirts of the town (La Base de Loisirs d’Orthez-Biron), where you can swim, sunbathe and picnic as if you are by the sea!

THE MAIN HOUSE (350m²)

Ground floor:
- a gated entrance with room for a small car and access to the main house, the apartment and the garden
- an entrance hall with a traditional wooden staircase up to three of the bedrooms on the first floor + attic space on the second floor
- a reception room with an open fireplace (30m²)
- a second reception room (26m²) with a fireplace and wood-panelled walls concealing a secret wine cellar
- an interconnecting room with access to a guest WC
- a kitchen with access to the garden (26m²)
- an interconnecting room with storage cupboards and a wooden staircase up to other three bedrooms on the first floor
- a vast third reception room with a 16th-century stone fireplace and French doors opening out to the garden and dining terraces (49m²)

First floor:
- a master bedroom (19m²)
- an en suite bathroom (15m²), which is also accessible from the second bedroom
- a second bedroom (15m²) with an en suite shower room
- two further bedrooms (14m², 10m²), each with an en suite bathroom
- a fifth bedroom (9m²) with an adjacent WC
- a sixth bedroom with built-in wardrobes and exterior stone steps down to the garden

Second floor:
- two unrenovated attic spaces: main house (180m²); apartment (90m²)


THE APARTMENT (120m²)

Ground floor:
- a room with a staircase up to the first floor
- a room (currently used as a workshop) with door out to the garden
- a WC

Second floor:
- three rooms suitable for bedrooms
- two rooms suitable with plumbing suitable for creating bathrooms/shower rooms
- a WC


THE SMALL OUTBUILDING (with exterior steps to first floor)

Ground floor: utility room/boiler room (20m²)
First floor: meditation room (20m²)


THE WALLED GARDEN

- various dining terraces with extendable awnings for shade
- two large lawn areas linked by decorative stone steps, landscaped and planted with mature trees and shrubs
- a gorgeous ornamental pool deep enough to use as a plunge pool
- a rock waterfall (the water is filtered and chlorinated, making it safe to swim in)
- a small jardin d'hiver/greenhouse/conservatory
- a two-storey outbuilding (utility room/boiler room + meditation room)
- a stone staircase up to the sixth bedroom in the main house


THE POTENTIAL!

In immaculate condition and in an excellent town-centre location, this superb mansion comprises 350m² of living space, making it perfect for a fantastic family home or a luxurious holiday home, especially since it is halfway between beach resorts and ski resorts... and with six bedrooms to choose from, you will have plenty of room to accommodate your friends and family when they come to visit you!

You might also want to renovate the self-contained apartment (120m²) for accommodating grandparents or for renting out on a long-term basis. If the grandparents prefer a one-bedroom studio apartment, the detached outbuilding of 2x 25m² would also be ideal!

If you work from home, several of the ground-floor rooms have separate entrances, so would be ideal for using as an office or consulting room, as would one or both floors of the outbuilding.

The apartment would also be perfect for transforming into business premises or for hosting yoga classes and retreats, cookery and wine-tasting courses, theatre workshops, corporate seminars/team-building events... There would also be more than enough room for setting up a beauty salon and spa, a restaurant, a cosy teashop or even an art gallery!

If you are hoping to find an excellent-value property that could be rented out, the apartment (3 bedrooms) would be perfect to convert into a gîte for families or the main house (6 bedrooms) could accommodate larger parties. In addition, the detached outbuilding could be converted into a studio apartment to accommodate couples.

With four of the six bedrooms upstairs having en suite bathrooms/shower rooms, it would also be easy to offer wonderful Bed and Breakfast accommodation to holidaymakers - or even to incorporate the apartment into the main house to create a boutique hotel. You could also offer luxury accommodation to pilgrims who are walking the Chemin-de-St-Jacques-de-Compostelle, since the pilgrim route passes close by in the town. Pilgrims are looking for accommodation all year round - and they are particularly delighted if you are able to provide hearty suppers when they arrive, delicious breakfasts and even picnic hampers for lunch, especially if they are full of local delicacies!

The area’s proximity to the Pyrénées and the Atlantic coast brings many visitors to the Béarn, many of whom are looking for top-quality accommodation all year round, but particularly during the summer months, the skiing season and at Christmas and New Year. In addition, this property's gorgeous walled garden will guarantee your guests complete peace and tranquillity throughout their stay. The addition of a hot tub or use of the plunge pool would obviously be an additional attraction for guests...!


SERVICES & TECHNICAL

Telephone + cable internet connection
Mainly double-glazed
Electricity
Mains gas
Mains water
Mains drainage


THE LOCAL AREA

This beautiful residence is located in the centre of Orthez in the beautiful Béarn region in south-west France. It is not far from Pau, Lourdes, the Atlantic coast and the picturesque Basque Country. The cities of Toulouse, Bordeaux, San-Sebastián and Bilbao are all within easy reach.

Popular with tourists all year round for hiking, mountain-biking, white-water rafting and fishing, the region has numerous ski resorts just 90 minutes away, which offer a range of winter sports: downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, snow-shoeing... For those who prefer beach-based activities, the Atlantic coast is about 50 minutes away, where you can swim and surf at Biarritz, St-Jean-de-Luz, Hendaye, Hossegor...

If your interests are gastronomic, visit the daily markets throughout the Béarn and Basque Country to sample the locally produced Jurançon wines, tasty Bayonne ham and fabulous brebis, which is a cheese made using milk from sheep. The famous “Ossau-Iraty” brebis can be bought direct from farms in the Vallée d’Ossau to the south of the property, or you’ll find it at any of the farmers’ markets in the local towns and villages.

Airports: Biarritz, Pau, Tarbes-Lourdes
Train: Orthez, Puyoô
Ferry: Bilbao, Santander

Ski: Issarbe, La-Pierre-St-Martin, Iraty, Val-d’Azun, Gourette, Candanchú (Spain)...
Beaches: Biarritz, St-Jean-de-Luz, Hendaye, Hossegor...

Attractions: Base de Loisirs d’Orthez-Biron, Aqua Béarn, Parc’Ours, Grottes de Bétharram, Gorges de Kakuetta, Passerelle d’Holzarte, Le Train de La Rhune...