Christian Holiday Apartment, Alpes-Maritimes — A Perched Village Retreat
Le Laurier Rose is a genuine Christian holiday apartment, Alpes-Maritimes, break: a spacious two-level apartment in the perched medieval village of Bouyon, with balconies on both floors giving unspoilt mountain views. Sleeping five or six across a double room, twin room and sofa bed, it’s a comfortable, well-equipped base for exploring the wider Christian holidays in France, just over 30 minutes from Nice yet a world away from the pace of the Riviera. Bouyon itself has a grocery shop, bar, restaurant, creperie and a summer community pool, all within easy walking distance of the apartment’s own pedestrianised square.
Bouyon has been settled a great deal longer than its quiet streets suggest. First recorded in 1155, it became in 1364 the fief of the Grimaldi family, the same dynasty that still rules neighbouring Monaco today, before passing to the House of Savoy and eventually joining France in 1760. An earthquake in 1887 damaged much of the village and its church, since rebuilt, though remnants of the medieval château and its wrought-iron gate survive. Each spring the village keeps a gentler, older tradition alive: a candlelit procession through its streets and squares, historically held to pray for a good olive harvest, pausing at small oratories along the way.
Just over 25km away in Vence stands the Chapelle du Rosaire, better known as the Matisse Chapel. In his late seventies and in failing health, Henri Matisse spent four years designing every element of this small Dominican chapel, from its stained glass to the priests’ vestments, at the request of a former model who had become a nun there. The windows use only three colours, yellow for the sun, green for the vegetation and blue for the sea, flooding the plain white interior with shifting colour through the day. He called the finished chapel, without exaggeration, the summary of his “entire active life,” and the Dominican Sisters still pray there daily.
Nearby Saint-Paul de Vence, one of the Riviera’s best-preserved medieval walled villages, drew Chagall, Matisse and Picasso in their lifetimes; Chagall lived and is buried here, and the Fondation Maeght, founded in 1964 just outside the walls, holds one of Europe’s finest collections of 20th-century art, from Miró and Braque to Giacometti, set among gardens and courtyards designed specifically for the sculptures they display. Grasse, the world’s perfume capital, and the glamour of Cannes, Monaco and Antibes are all within reach for a day trip, alongside countless smaller galleries dotted through the surrounding hill towns.
Walking in the surrounding mountains, a play park with an adult outdoor gym, and a pétanque court keep things simple back in the village, while the ski slopes are just over an hour away in winter and the beaches of the Côte d’Azur a little further in summer. In August, Bouyon’s own village fête brings a travelling circus and community events to the square right outside the apartment. Clergy and church staff receive a 10 percent discount for stays of a week or more, making this a genuinely restful, well-placed base for a longer break in the South of France.
Perfect for:
- Clergy and church staff, with a discount for stays of a week or more
- Art lovers, with the Matisse Chapel, Fondation Maeght and Saint-Paul de Vence nearby
- Walkers, with mountain trails for all levels of energy right from the village
- Winter breaks, with ski slopes just over an hour from the apartment
- Families, with a play park, pétanque court and summer community pool in the village
- Longer stays exploring both the Riviera coast and the hill villages inland
- Couples or small groups wanting a peaceful, pedestrianised village base
Location
Le Laurier Rose, Bouyon, Alpes Maritime, South of France
Bouyon is a perched medieval village just above Nice.
How to get here: Fly to Nice, or arrive by rail to Nice, or drive. There is a daily bus service to Nice and a bookable bus to Vence but it is useful to have a car to get around. These can be hired at the airport or rail station or bring your own.
Nearest Towns: Carros 11km; Vence 25km; Nice 35km; Cannes; Monaco; Ville Franche; St. Paul de Vence; Grasse; Antibes. There are lots of art galleries and museums dotted around Nice and surrounding towns.
Facilities
The apartment sleeps 5- 6 and has a spacious feel. There is a double room with ensuite, a twin room next to a family bathroom and a single sofabed in the lounge. Additionally, there is a single fold-out bed suitable for a child or small adult and a travel cot.
The property is on 2 levels which are accessed via internal stairs. The twin room, family bathroom and large kitchen diner are on the 1st level and the lounge and double bedroom are on the 2nd level. Both floors have balconies with unspoilt views of the mountains.
There is a well-equipped kitchen, washing machine and bedding and towels are provided. There is a TV and DVD player, and selection of DVDs games and puzzles. Younger visitors are very welcome and stairgates are available if needed. It really has everything that you need.
There is no wifi but there is good mobile reception and you can easily access the internet via a mobile phone.
There is no parking directly outside the apartment as it is in a pedestrianised square but there is free parking in the village car-parks a short walk away and you can park nearby to unload luggage etc.
Additional Photos
Click to enlarge
Costs
One week £400-£600 per week.
There is a 5% discount for two weeks and further discounts for longer stays. Please ask.
10% discount is offered to clergy and church staff staying a week or more.
There is £150 deposit payable on booking.
Energy Provision: Electricity and heating provided
Availability
Available all year round.
Arrival and Departure times: Arrive after 2pm and depart before 11am. Earlier or later times can be negotiated with the owner outside of busy times.
Booking arrangements: Arrival dates are flexible and I will consider short breaks with minimum 3 night stay outside of the school holidays.
Pets: Sorry no pets.
Contact the Owner
If you are interested in making a booking, or you would like further information, please get in touch using the following details:
Name: Jane Hemmings
Phone Number: 07891 977383
Email Address: thedauphin@hotmail.co.uk