Formally a fortified castle “Fort de La Bastide “ was constructed on the site of a Roman military station. The earliest historical mention is 1417 and it's long history includes an invasion in 1584 by Protestants during the period of the Huguenot wars. It is situated about 2 hours 15 mins south of Lyon and an hour and 30 mins from the wonderful towns of Avignon, Nimes and Montpellier. The fort has maintained many original features including the old stone staircase at the front door which is now joined with a chestnut staircase, leading up to a 4 bedroomed loft apartment which takes up the entire 3rd floor. The loft has been recently renovated to offer a total living and sleeping space of 155 m². It is bright and spacious with original chestnut beams and exposed stone walls .There are three generous bedrooms ,uniquely different with their own adjoining bathrooms as well one double bedroom in the tower of the house with an original pebble stone floor and arrow slit window. All the bedrooms have dramatic views over the southern Ardeche mountains. The kitchen/ living area offers a fully equipped kitchen and tv longe area.A large dining table turns into a billiard /pool table.

My husband Nicholas,and I are international opéra singers,originally from Australia and New Zealand. We have lived here with our two children since 2005. For the last seven years the large vaulted music room on the lower ground has been a concert venue for classical and jazz music with an audience of over 1200 each year. Although we come from beautiful countries ourselves, we fell in love with France and the Ardeche with it's natural rugged beauty. We have a deep passion for our house and it's incredible history but it's nice to get out and explore. Our favourite things to do include walking in the mountains , wine tasting and talking to some of our local vignerons,passing a day picnicking beside one of the spectacular local rivers,starting the morning early with a Via Ferrata,enjoying the bustle and colour of the markets any day of the week,cooking the delicious produce for an evening barbeque with friends.......

The house overlooks the village of Uzer, with it’s pub/hotel, mini supermarket, post office, hairdresser and pizzeria. The local river is five minutes walk down the hill. A 15 min drive north takes you to the busy market town of Aubenas while a similar drive south takes you to the colourful and historic market towns of Joyeuse and Les Vans. Fort de la Bastide is situated in the heart of the southern Ardèche with it’s renowned rivers , gorges and caves, including the famous UNESCO Grotte Chauvet only 16 km away. From the house there are walking and bike trails to villages like Balazuc, Voguë and Labeaume classified as «les plus beaux villages « , all of which have their own beaches . Your journey will take you past vineyards , olive groves , rivers and natural rock climbing formations. From picturesque Balazuc ( 4 km away ) you can hire canoes and spend a day or half day canoeing down the famous Ardèche gorge to the spectacular Pont d’Arc. There are vibrant markets open everyday of the week ,olive oil tasting and local boutique wineries all on your doorstep . Come and experience our little corner of french paradise from the comfort of Fort de la Bastide.