La Maison Suisse - A Country Home away from Home

Description of Property:   La Maison Suisse (it has been Swiss-owned for decades) was built in the early 1970s by the French proprietor of a construction firm in Besançon, as his out-of-town residence. The house stands on a secluded plot, a discreet distance away from a traffic-free residential side road in the village of Nans-sous-Sainte-Anne – peaceful, uncrowded, where old-style values and pace of life still prevail.

Home is on the first floor, from where the views can truly be described as idyllic and spectacular. A laundry room and indoor storage space are on ground level, which also houses a service apartment occasionally used by the house owner in his capacity as janitor and gardener.

The kitchen is fully equipped (see below), with ample cookware, tableware and cupboard storage space. You can either eat right there, or at a full-sized dining table in the living room that seats six, or even ten if fully extended.

Two bedrooms, one with a hand basin, respectively sleep 2-3 and 2 together with a baby. Both bedrooms have wardrobe storage. A further guest couple could be accommodated on a sofa bed in the downstairs lobby. Bed linen is provided.

The bathroom features an effective pressure shower over the tub and a large central heating radiator. Towels are available on request.

Come the cold season, the living room can be made cosier still by an open fire. Entertainment is in good supply: HD television with satellite receiver (British/French/German free-to-air channels on favourite lists) and Blu-ray disc player, flanked by a good vintage stereo system. Vinyl aficionados will appreciate the turntable; modern folk can connect via Bluetooth. For live music, there is an upright piano. The bookshelves hold an eclectic mix of literature, science fiction, art and travel volumes. Also available is a repository of local information and maps.

Outside Amenities:  The twelve metre balcony, facing west and long as the house itself, affords a panoramic view of 300-metre-high crags, woodland, cattle pasture, and beyond that the church and village centre. The western skyline, too, never ceases to fascinate with its forever advancing cloud formations and often spectacular sunsets. Balcony furniture includes an outdoor table, chairs, and a sun awning.

Down at ground level, the fenced-in and dog-proof plot encloses a large lawn planted with fruit trees and bushes to the south side, and a small apple orchard at the rear of the house. A large forecourt provides parking space for as many as three vehicles and sheltered outdoor storage beneath the balcony overhang. There is an outdoor water tap with hose, and electric power sockets at either end of the house.

The village has a shop selling local cheeses and some everyday sundries. There is a popular restaurant and an outdoor activities centre/hostel which serves as a base for walkers, climbers, cavers and more.

Surrounding Area:  Nans-sous-Sainte Anne (altitude: 367m, population: 145) nestles at the head of the Lison valley, some 300 metres lower than the surrounding terrain, circled by hilltop vantage points. The river’s source is a spectacular waterfall that gushes straight out of a sheer cliff face at the end of the valley gorge, just a short walk away from the house. The site rates 2 stars in the Green Michelin Guide. From one hilltop above the village, the view on a clear day can extend as far as Mont Blanc, 160 kilometres distant.

Forested, undulating topology makes for ideal hiking and mountain-biking country. Indeed, the GR 590 walking route passes through the village. GPS aficionados may be interested to know there is a confluence and several geocaches in the vicinity. The area is a magnet for rock climbers and speleologists alike: hidden in the limestone cliff faces are entrances to one of Europe’s largest cave systems.

For all the natural beauty, man-made attractions and necessities of modern life are reasonably close by. Salins-les-Bains, an ancient salt-working town overlooked by two fortresses, provides thermal baths, supermarket and high street shopping as well as a weekly market, all just 15 minutes’ drive away.

The town of Arbois, 25 minutes away, is a hub of the nearby wine-producing region. There are plenty of opportunities to taste, and you can visit the house that Louis Pasteur made his home and laboratory.

Attention art lovers: nearby Ornans, a town on the river Loue, is the birthplace of French artist Gustave Courbet. There is a fine museum in his honour that houses various summer exhibitions.

Also within easy reach on a day trip are Switzerland, Alsace, Burgundy and Haute Savoie. The highest peaks of the Jura (1600 metres and more) are an hour’s drive away; from there you can gaze across at the Alps. Two hours’ driving takes you to the beautiful historic cities of Geneva, Lausanne, Neuchâtel, Berne, Dijon and Besançon.

Activities:

Nans-sous-Sainte-Anne is the perfect base for all kinds of outdoor activity. The young and fit who feel up to climbing or going underground can hire the requisite gear from a hostel right in the village. Caving groups arrive here from all over Europe to explore tens of kilometres of subterranean passages. The list goes on: cycling, mountain-biking, horse-riding, canoeing, swimming (river and pool), tennis, para- and hang-gliding, and tree-top adventure parks can all be found within 20 minutes’ drive of La Maison Suisse. Lakes for organised water sports are 40 minutes away.

Children staying at the house will find a natural playground on the doorstep, where they can quite safely let off steam.

Older folks will find satisfaction in gentler walks and motor touring, visiting caves and grottoes in the region that are secured for general public access, golf (35 minutes away), wine-tasting, and dining at «Chez Marie», the village restaurant.

Snow permitting, there are cross-country ski trails a short distance away in various directions. Serious downhill skiing can be enjoyed with just a 45-minute drive. There is much in favour of visiting here out of season: the absence of foliage lays bare the underlying forest floor on the hillsides; deer and wild boar occasionally come foraging within a stone’s throw of the house; even wet days have their own special scent and beauty.

One last thing worth mentioning: in Nans-sous-Sainte-Anne there is no light pollution. So the clear night sky is, indeed, cosmic to behold!

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Heating system:	Central heating (oil-fired). Open fire
Services / Facilities:	Mains water. Mains drainage. Electricity. Telephone. WiFi Broadband Internet Access. Television. Satellite TV. DVD. Hi-fi.
Kitchen Facilities:	Conventional oven. Hob. Microwave. Combined Fridge/Freezer. Washing Machine. Tumble Dryer. Outdoor clothes line. Use of additional ground floor freezer space by special arrangement.
Additional Info:	Children welcome. Smokers accepted. No smoking indoors, though! Pets may be allowed by prior agreement. Cot is available. Suitable storage facilities are available for furniture etc. Use of garage storage space by special arrangement. Off-road parking.

Distance to Nearest (in kms):

Pricing Info:  Long term lets: A deposit of one month’s rent secures your tenancy. Subsequent months payable in advance.
Short lets MAY be possible: weekly rates from €450 (winter) to €550 (summer) + utility costs as published on the house website. Vacationers pay a tourism tax (taxe de séjour), collectible on the spot by the landlord. The maximum tariff is 5% of the basic rental amount, with steep discounts should your party include children.
Bed linen provided; towels on request.
Owing to a lack of suitable domestic help out in the country, renters are asked leave the house in as far as possible the same clean state it was in when they arrived.

Availability: This property is available year round for longer lets.

Current availability is also shown on the house website, see link below.

This property is available for weekly summer holiday rentals.

Please check availability first before contacting the owner - Click for Availability -  

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