Chateau in Issarbe - Pyrénées-Atlantiques

Chateau Issarbe - Issarbe

€595,000 - £503,846**

Although in need of complete renovation, this huge, historic property of 590m² has huge potential, either for business purposes or as a stunning country residence for the new owners, with plenty of room for accommodating family and friends!

Set in an estate of nearly two acres and with excellent views of the Pyrénées, the château would be perfect for a boutique hotel or a stylish Bed and Breakfast business - and the "relais de poste" (post-house) would make an adorable guest cottage or gîte for holidaymakers.

Located in the heart of Jurançon wine country and with chic Atlantic beaches to the west and Pyrenean ski resorts to the south, the property would be ideal for hosting sports and activity holidays, wellness and yoga retreats, art workshops and - of course - Jurançon wine-tasting and gastronomy courses… as well as atmospheric Escape Games and Murder Mystery weekends!

The château would also be perfect for using as an art gallery or a sport, cultural or performing arts centre...

This magnificent, historic property is in desperate need of renovation and some Tender Loving Care! Located in a rural hamlet in the beautiful Béarn in South-West France, the 17th-century château, the 16th-century relais de poste (post-house) and the vast outbuildings are perfect for creating a splendid country residence for the new owners, or for transforming into a tourism-related business, a corporate HQ or even a centre for sport, arts and culture...

Set in an estate of 7,939m², the various buildings form a U-shape around a grassy courtyard shaded by pollarded plane trees. The relais de poste with adjoining barn is to the left of the courtyard, a vast two-storey barn is to the right of the courtyard and the small château and a decorative pigeonnier are straight ahead, along with two garages (which you may prefer to demolish).

The château (366m²), the relais de poste (224m²) and most of the outbuildings still have many of their original, centuries-old architectural features, including a magnificent south-facing glazed gallery on the first floor of the château and a traditional Béarnaise sink on the château's ground floor, along with a sitting room, a dining room, a huge kitchen and two "arrière-cuisines".

On the first floor of the château, a south-facing glazed gallery extends along the length of the building and has doors into several of the rooms. The first floor comprises a sitting room, a kitchen, a study/office/guest bedroom, four large bedrooms, a dressing room, a bathroom and a WC.

The second floor is a partially converted loft space with sloping ceilings. Two bedrooms have been created, but there is plenty of space for additional rooms.

The relais de poste is the perfect size for a family, or could be used as a guest cottage or gîte. The ground floor comprises two double-size reception rooms; the first floor has three large bedrooms; the second floor is unconverted loft space of 90m². At the back of this building, there is an adjoining two-storey barn, which has two rooms on the ground floor. This barn would have been used as stables when the building was used as a relais de poste.

The vast two-storey barn to the right of the courtyard has an ancient pressoir on the ground floor. The barn is divided in two on the ground floor, each with its own entrance door, but is completely open-plan on the first floor.

Between the barn and château is a decorative pigeonnier, which is accessible from the château and the courtyard.

From the courtyard, the grounds extend behind the château, where you might like to install a swimming pool (permission required), a summer kitchen, a barbecue area, a children's play area, a boules piste...

Set amidst the rolling hills of the Jurançon wine country, the manor house is in a perfect location for anyone who loves both the mountains and the sea, with a choice of Pyrenean ski resorts to the south and chic Atlantic beach resorts, such as Biarritz and St-Jean-de-Luz, to the west. The city of Pau is just 30 minutes away; Toulouse and Bordeaux are a little over two hours away.

THE CHÂTEAU (366m²)

Ground floor:
- an entrance hall
- a sitting room with an open fireplace (29m²)
- a dining room with an open fireplace (29m²)
- a kitchen (30m²)
- two "arrière-cuisines" (17m², 10m²)
- storage rooms
- stairs down to three cellars (53m²)

First floor:
- a south-facing glazed gallery (40m²)
- a sitting room (12m²)
- a small kitchen (6m²)
- a study/office/guest bedroom (9m²)
- four large bedrooms (29m², 22m², 19m², 12m²)
- dressing room (6m²)
- a bathroom
- a WC

Second floor:
- two bedrooms (16m² - Loi Carrez: 10m²; 13m² - Loi Carrez: 8m²)
- two unconverted loft spaces (floor areas: 45m² & 27m²)


THE RELAIS DE POSTE (224m²)

Ground floor:
- an entrance hall
- two double-size reception rooms (53m², 39m²)
- two further rooms in the adjoining barn (19m², 13m²)

First floor:
- three bedrooms (34m², 33m², 19m²)

Second floor:
- unconverted loft space (90m²)


THE GROUNDS (7,939m²)

- a grassy courtyard shaded by pollarded plan trees
- south-facing gardens and meadowland behind the buildings
- a decorative pigeonnier (18m²)
- two garages (41m², 14m²)
- a small two-storey barn/stables (76m² + 100m²)
- a vast two-storey barn (ground floor: 114m² + 88m²; first floor: 200m²)


THE POTENTIAL!

This delightful country residence huge business potential for a tourism-related business. There is much demand for top-quality holiday accommodation in the Béarn and the château could be transformed into a boutique hotel or a chic B&B - and the relais de poste is the perfect size for a gîte. This area is extremely popular with tourists who want to be located halfway between the Atlantic coast and the Pyrénées. Demand is especially high during the summer months, the skiing season and for Christmas and New Year.

Easily accessible from the airports at Pau, Biarritz and Tarbes-Lourdes, the property would also be an excellent location for an impressive business headquarters and could be used for hosting corporate seminars and events, with the additional advantage of being able to offer accommodation to participants.

Hosting larger groups as a "gîte de groupe" might also be a possibility, as well as with offering upmarket leisure activity holidays, such as painting and photography workshops, tours of the nearby Jurançon vineyards, wine-tasting and cookery courses, yoga and mindfulness retreats or music, dance and drama courses. Murder Mystery weekends and Escape Games would also be fun!

Alternatively, the property could be used as a wellness centre and spa… or even transformed into a beautiful tearoom or restaurant - and the possibility of offering overnight accommodation or relaxing weekend breaks to restaurant diners is something that is very popular throughout the Béarn and the Basque Country.

NB: please note that permission will be required for any change of use.


SERVICES & TECHNICAL

Three-phase electricity supply
Mains water
Septic tank system (needs replacing)
Well


THE LOCAL AREA

Situated in the beautiful Béarn in South-West France, the property is not far from the Atlantic coast and the Pyrénées. The cities of Pau, Bordeaux, Toulouse, San-Sebastián and Bilbao are all within easy reach.

The Béarn is popular with tourists all year round as the perfect place for hiking, mountain-biking, white-water rafting and fishing. There are also numerous ski resorts (60 minutes away) offering a choice of winter sports, including downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding and snow-shoeing.

For those who prefer beach-based activities, the Atlantic coast is about 70 minutes away, where you can swim and surf at Biarritz, St-Jean-de-Luz, Hendaye, Hossegor...

If your interests are gastronomic, the property is surrounded by Jurançon vineyards, where you can sample the locally produced wines. You can also sample them at the daily farmers' markets throughout the Béarn and nearby Basque Country, along with tasty Bayonne ham and fabulous Brebis cheese, which is made from ewe's milk.

Airports: Pau, Biarritz, Tarbes-Lourdes
Train: Pau, Orthez
Coach: Pau, Orthez
Ferry: Bilbao, Santander

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

Attractions: Aqua Béarn, Aventure Parc Aramits, Parc’Ours, Grottes de Bétharram, Gorges de Kakuetta, Passerelle d’Holzarte, Le Petit Train d’Artouste, Chemin-de-St-Jacques-de-Compostelle…
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Information about risks to which this property is exposed is available on the Géorisques website : https://www.georisques.gouv.fr