Le Haut Repaire opens its doors for the first time this summer and invites visitors throughout the year.
From the privileged setting in the the coombe between St Robert and Coubjours, Le Haut Repaire, translated as The High Lair, is an ancient settlement surrounded by the most idyllic countryside. Across the valley, sounds of the ancient bells chime as the eye is drawn inevitably to the far reaching landscape, laying before you, in a hundred shades of green. The cows and sheep gently graze unknowing that above them, the blue sky holds gliders or hot air balloons silently floating on the summer breeze. The evening sun melts lazily into the horizon.
The traditional Perigordian farmhouse sits in ten hectares that are yours to enjoy while you stay. Why not take a sniff around the truffiere; laze under the trees in the walnut avenue as your children climb and explore the canopies of the trees and the ancient tombereau; cleanse your mind in the 12m infinity pool; stroll through tracks mown through wild meadows; walk woodland paths that link to routes carrying you further afield; saunter through the vineyard with wine in hand; play all day on the shaded games lawn; perch in a hammock in the dappled shade of a walnut tree; harvest totally organic vegetables from the patch or herbs for fresh tisanes from the garden; collect your own eggs from our flock of hens. Here, there truly is space to breathe. And, as a thank you to those of you that have adopted one (or several) of our truffle trees, we offer 10% discount. This discount applies to the whole year, not just during the truffle season.
Courses:
This is a place for time to stand still. It is a place of nature, beauty, calm. But there is also fun and adventure here if you want it. We offer a multitude of courses that led by ourselves or by other local artisans. These courses shall become more extensive so be sure to check in regularly for the most up to date list.
This year, we will be offering the following courses:
A truffle tour and cooking with truffles (fresh or preserved depending on the season).
Lime plastering; lime hemp insulation.
Arboristry and Forestry - felling trees safely and efficiently and managing woodland.
Sawmilling - Take part in turning trees into beams and planks.
Green oak furniture making - working with beautiful material to create enduring indoor or outdoor pieces.
Woodturning - Enjoy the meditative and satisfying process of turning a lump of wood into a thing of beauty. Why not build your own piece of furniture whilst you are at it? At Le Haut Repaire, we have a large supply of freshly cut and seasoned oak and walnut timber available.
Furniture restoration - how to sensitively bring a piece of mistreated furniture back to life. This will also include an introduction to 'French polishing' (with shellac).
Walking tours and orchid spotting - depending in the time of year (May and June being particularly impressive), it is very possible to spot around 20 different varieties of wild orchids in this 'Eden' of landscapes.
Pick your own walnuts - come for the walnut harvest and collect your own AOP Perigordian organic walnuts.
Liqueur making - have a go at starting your very own taste of the Dordogne with a historic recipe for Vin de Noix, a delicious and warming drink made from green walnuts.
For the kids: bow and arrow making; den building; cooking; ice-cream making; making Christmas decorations - for example, forage for your own materials before building your own Christmas Reindeers.
Services we offer:
Taxi - fancy popping to a local restaurant and both fancy having a drink? No problem. We can pick you up.
Breakfast of pastries collected from the local Boulangerie. The bakery at Saint Robert offers the best sourdough bread for miles around and their almond croissants are a marvel.
Dinners - have a break from cooking and enjoy local recipes cooked by us and brought to you. Just give us some warning and we will be delighted to share with you some of our favourite dishes from this gastronomical region.
Prepared picnics which you can take off to enjoy in one of the many beautiful vantage points Le Haut Repaire has to offer.
We are very passionate about all that we do here. We love to create things of beauty and share with others what brings us deep satisfaction and reward. We are not looking to make a 'quick buck' - we do not seek riches. Our aim is to create and share memories with our visitors, friends and families that will last a lifetime.
How to book:
As I write this we are feverishly renovating and preparing for guests. Much of the summer has already been booked out but there is still so much to see and do during the other months of the year. In future, we will set up our own booking system on blackdiamondtruffletrees.com,
but in the meantime you can find us on Airbnb. You will also soon find the courses that we offer on the 'Experiences' section of their website.
We hope to welcome you here soon - your tree, and we, are looking forward to meeting you!