Alès, Languedoc-Roussillon 30100

This is a rare opportunity. The Chateau is a thriving tourism business with high-quality gites and great potential for developing a wedding/events business. It is uniquely combined with an elegant and spacious house. It offers the real possibility of a complete lifestyle change. Alternatively, it could provide a spectacular base in one of France's most unspoilt but accessible regions for a large family or business.The chateau is spectacular and has a history that goes back at least 400 years. It is built of golden stone from the surrounding hills, around a charming central courtyard. In the 1890s, the chateau was bought by a high-ranking French diplomat who renovated and modernized it, adding a beautiful 'Parisian' facade and landscaping the park with its majestic plane trees that slope down to the river. Main House LayoutArriving at the property via a small bridge over the Gardon river, you enter through an iron gate and approach the chateau via a long gravel driveway lined with lavender. This opens onto a wide gravelled area leading to the central stone-paved courtyard, which features a pretty carved-stone pool with a flowing spring. From here, the park and gardens extend down to the river, with lawns and century-old trees.The main entrance doors to the beautiful 19th-century facade overlook the gardens and river. You enter via wide stone steps into an impressive entrance hall with a stone staircase with iron balustrades that ascends to the upper floor. To the right of the hall, double doors open onto the main reception room with high molded ceiling and carved marble fireplace. Large casement windows offer views of the gardens and river.Adjacent to this room is the recently renovated kitchen, high-ceilinged and bright, with an exposed warm stone wall. Large windows overlook the courtyard, the lavender-lined driveway and the pool.The many kitchen units are 'British Standard' handmade by 'Plain English', and the 11-meter countertop is handcrafted from reconstituted and polished stone.The kitchen is equipped with top-of-the-range appliances, making it ideal for professionals or simply for those who love to cook. A wood-burning stove gives this room a real 'heart of the house' feel.From the kitchen, a second staircase leads up to a Guest AccommodationThe property includes five guesthouses, in addition to one guest apartment connected to the main house.Returning to the entrance hall, opposite the main living room doors are matching double doors leading to a private guest accommodation that could also be used as a 6th guesthouse.It comprises a second living space with a small fully equipped kitchen and two bedrooms.Both bedrooms have en-suite bathrooms with walk-in showers, one of which opens onto a private terracotta courtyard with steps to an exterior door offering independent access to this guest apartment.Adjacent to the guest apartment is the largest of the five gites.Les Pins' (120m2) has a large living and dining room with a wood-burning stove built into an inglenook fireplace, a fully equipped kitchen, 4 bedrooms and 2 shower rooms with walk-in showers.Outside, you'll find a large porch and gravel terrace for alfresco dining.Views stretch across the gardens to the river.The main house, including the guest apartment, and Les Pins (the largest of the guesthouses) all have central heating. LocationBRANOUX-LES-TAILLADES is a commune stretching from north-west to south-east along the right bank of the Gardon valley, from the Lozere department to La Grand'Combe.Upstream of Haute-Levade, the Camboux dam has created an artificial lake (lac du Camboux), and upstream of this, a dam has been built to reduce flooding on the Gardon. These floods often hit the town of Ales during the Cevennes period.The commune is mountainous, with the Cevennes dominating the village of Branoux. The mountains are covered with chestnut trees, but pine trees are gaining ground. Mushroom lovers can also pick ceps and chanterelles in the area. Hikers can cr