Aquitaine, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France

This superb 18th-century Basque townhouse is in an excellent location in the centre of St-Jean-Pied-de-Port with shops, bars and restaurants all on your doorstep... along with a weekly farmers' market!

Built in 1765, this immaculate three-storey townhouse of 121m² has a wonderful garden, which has been beautifully planted with mature trees, shrubs and flowers. From a dining terrace next to the kitchen, a gravel path leads you past a sunny sitting area with wooden seats, down to comfortable wooden benches at the far end of the garden - the perfect spot to enjoy an early evening apéritif as the sun starts to set...

From the cobbled street, the front door opens into a spacious sitting room. Beyond this room is a light and airy kitchen with a cosy dining area and doors out to a covered terrace and beyond to the garden. There is also a WC on the ground floor between the sitting room and the kitchen.

A lovely wooden staircase leads up to the first floor, which has a master bedroom with an en suite shower room, a second bedroom and a family bathroom. The master bedroom has a small wooden balcony overlooking the garden.

The second floor has two further bedrooms, one of which has an en suite shower room. This floor would be perfect for accommodating friends and family - especially if you have grandchildren! It would also be ideal for creating a B&B family suite.

Exquisitely restored and renovated over the last few years, this gorgeous townhouse combines original architectural features with a stylish, contemporary décor, making it perfect for a couple or for using as a family home or a holiday home. You could also rent it out as a gîte or offer Bed & Breakfast... and best of all, you can move in straight away - there is absolutely nothing which requires work!

The townhouse is located in the historic centre of St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, which is in the Basse-Navarre province of the French Basque Country. The coastal resorts of Biarritz and St-Jean-de-Luz are about 55 minutes away to the west, Pyrenean ski resorts are about 35 minutes away to the south-east and Spain is just 10 minutes away, where you can buy cheap petrol and Spanish delicacies at several ventas on the border.

The inland Basque-Country is a true delight... rolling hills dotted with pretty farmhouses with dark red or dark green shutters. The fields are often grazed by sheep, which are milked twice a day. The milk is then used to make cheese called "brebis", which is eaten with dark cherry jam from Itxassou. Other famous local delicacies are red piments (chilli peppers), Bayonne ham, Gâteau Basque and Chaumontais - a speciality from one of the town's famous pâtisseries...

THE TOWNHOUSE

Ground floor:
- a dining terrace next to the kitchen
- a garden equipped with wooden seating
- a spacious sitting room (20m²)
- an open-plan kitchen (23.5m²) with a dining area and access to the terrace and garden
- a WC

First floor:
- a wooden balcony overlooking the garden
- a master bedroom (19.8m²) with an en suite shower room and access to the balcony
- a second bedroom (13.8m²)
- a family bathroom

Second floor:
- a third bedroom (11.5m²) with an en suite shower room
- a fourth bedroom (9m²)


THE GARDEN

- a terrace for dining alfresco
- a gorgeous garden of 100m² beautifully planted with trees and flowers
- sunny sitting areas equipped with wooden benches
- a small utility room (accessible from the terrace)
- a small shed at the far end of the garden


THE POTENTIAL!

In perfect condition, this splendid townhouse can be moved into straight away!

For families with children, there are schools for all ages in the town - and the property is within easy commuting distance of St-Palais, Cambo-les-Bains, Hasparren, Bayonne and Biarritz. For anyone who works from home, one of the bedrooms would be ideal to use as an office.

If you are hoping to find an excellent-value property that could be rented out to long-term tenants or to holidaymakers as a gîte for short-term stays, the townhouse will have excellent income potential thanks to its ideal location in the centre of St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, as well as its proximity to the Pyrénées, the Atlantic coast and Spain.

If you prefer to offer B&B, one or more of the bedrooms could be used for accommodating visitors to St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, along with pilgrims following the Chemin-de-St-Jacques-de-Compostelle.

If you would like to generate additional income, you might like to provide meals to your guests, especially during the out-of-season months when bars and restaurants in the town are often closed for annual leave. As well as offering delicious breakfasts, you could also offer hearty suppers, pub lunches, afternoon teas... You might even like to provide delicious packed lunches or luxurious picnic hampers, especially if they are packed full of delicious Basque delicacies, such as Chaumontais...!


SERVICES & TECHNICAL

Cable internet available
Electric heating
Mains water
Mains drains
Free parking nearby


THE LOCAL AREA

Located in the historic centre of St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, this gorgeous three-storey property is close to the river, the church and numerous restaurants and bars. This popular tourist town is just over 30 minutes away from the nearest Pyrénées ski resort, 55 minutes away from Atlantic beach resorts and just 10 minutes away from Spain.

St-Jean-Pied-de-Port has many amenities, including a swimming pool, a cinema, excellent schools, regular trains to Bayonne and a bus link to St-Palais. As well as food and craft fairs throughout the high season, the town has a large outdoor farmers' market every Monday, along with a smaller market for local crafts and food producers every Thursday.

The town is the most famous departure point for pilgrims walking the Chemin-de-St-Jacques-de-Compostelle - or for those who have been following the route from other departure points, it is the final resting place before they start to climb the steep hills and mountains of the Pyrénées... and the "Pied-de-Port" part of the town’s name means the "foot of the pass", which refers to the "Roncevaux Pass", where pilgrims finally cross over the border into Spain.

Airports: Biarritz, Pau, Tarbes-Lourdes
Train: St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, Bayonne, Orthez
Coach: Biarritz, Bayonne, Pau
Ferry: Bilbao, Santander

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

Attractions: Le Train de La Rhune, Grottes de Sare, Grottes d'Isturitz et d'Oxocelhaya, Gorges de Kakuetta, Passerelle d’Holzarte, Aqua Béarn, Le Petit Train d’Artouste, Parc'Ours, Chemin-de-St-Jacques-de-Compostelle, Route d'Artagnan...