Personalized Experiences
Where Discovery Meets Delight

Your precious holiday time deserves more than hurried research and hopeful bookings. Let Carl and David, with their decades of hospitality expertise and passionate dedication to this region, transform your stay into something extraordinary through carefully curated, all-inclusive experiences that flow seamlessly into your rhythm at Les Manibelles.

Since establishing our sanctuary, we've immersed ourselves completely in Southern France's hidden treasures, building relationships with local artisans, vignerons, and cultural guardians. These aren't just activities; they're carefully orchestrated moments designed to slow time, spark joy, and create the kind of memories that linger long after you've returned home.

Eliminating any decision fatigue while ensuring every moment serves your personal transformation. This is how true luxury unfolds, not through endless choices, but through perfect curation that anticipates your every desire.

Cultural Immersion
Where Centuries Whisper Their Stories

Medieval Village Discovery Tours

Carl and David have spent time cultivating relationships in the golden triangle's most enchanting bastides, from Bruniquel with its dramatic twin châteaux and Puycelsi perched like a crown above the valleys, to Cordes-sur-Ciel floating among the clouds and Najac commanding the Aveyron gorge. Each tour becomes a personal introduction to places that have captured their hearts, where they guide you through hidden artisan workshops, share stories behind ancient stones, and ensure you experience these villages not as a tourist but as a cherished friend, allowing you to linger where inspiration strikes and discover the authentic rhythm of Southern French country village life.

Abbey & Historical Sanctuary Visits

Step into the profound serenity of 13th-century Cistercian Abbeys, such as the Abbey in Beaulieu-en Rouge where contemporary art graces medieval stone, creating one of France's most moving cultural dialogues. These contemplative moments, surrounded by centuries of devotion and artistic expression, often become the most transformative part of your stay, especially as they transition gently into riverside dining at ancient mills, perfectly embodying their philosophy that every experience should flow naturally into the next, creating a seamless tapestry of meaning and memory.

Ancient stone castle ruins perched atop a tall rocky cliff with green trees at the base and a clear blue sky in the background.
A historic stone church with a tall tower atop a hill, surrounded by smaller stone buildings and green trees, under a clear blue sky.
A historic stone church with arched windows and a round stained glass window near the roof, under a clear blue sky.
Historic stone church or cathedral with arched entrances and tall windows.
Wooden sign with French text and a painted duck, next to a stone wall and pink flowering plant, indicating a butcher shop specializing in foie gras and duck entrails.
Exterior view of a rustic restaurant named Les Arcades with outdoor seating, white umbrellas, potted plants, and a cobblestone courtyard, featuring a multi-story brick and timber building with arched openings.
Stone church with arched windows and a circular window above the entrance in a rural setting.
Interior of a historic stone church or chapel with high vaulted ceilings, arched windows, and sunlight creating a shadow pattern on the floor.

Market Culture & Local Life

Authentic Market Experiences

Join Carl and David for the authentic market days, where they'll share with you the incredible food of the Tarn. Together you'll wander through stalls piled high with seasonal produce delicious tomatoes still warm from the sun, fragrant herbs, local cheeses and just-picked berries. The market buzzes with French conversations and the clatter of café terraces. This isn't just shopping; it's immersion in Southern France's living culture guided by new found friends.

Brocante & Antique Adventures

Exploring the many brocantes and antique markets of Southern France transforms treasure hunting into an extraordinary cultural journey. With experienced guidance, you'll develop an eye for authentic discoveries while learning the stories behind each era's artistic expressions. These excursions lead to encounters with dealers who share their passion for collected treasures. Whether you're seeking that perfect piece for home or simply enjoying the thrill of the hunt, you'll discover the genuine warmth of French antiquing culture among centuries of beautiful objects waiting to be rediscovered.

Two men are talking at an outdoor market stall with baskets of meat, sausages, and other cured meats, near an ancient stone archway. One man is wearing a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, and both are dressed in white shirts.
Farmer's market stall selling fresh vegetables including long white leeks, shallots, and a pumpkin, with a vendor and a customer exchanging money or produce, outdoor setting with other market stalls and shoppers in the background.
Vintage storefront with a sign that reads 'ANTIQUES' hanging above the entrance, on a street with old brick buildings.
Two people walking down a narrow cobblestone street with old stone buildings, one wearing a hat and carrying a basket, in black and white.
Fresh beetroots with green leaves on display at a farmers market.
A man in a red apron and green hat selling cured meats at an outdoor market, smiling while the customer in a white shirt and glasses purchases a sausage.
Vintage kitchen cabinet filled with antique cereal boxes, canned goods, and china dishes, with a note instructing not to touch artifacts.
Interior view of an eclectic, vintage cluttered room with paintings, hats, rolled textiles, and antique furniture.

Culinary Discovery
Taste the Produce of Our Region

Wine & Terroir Education

Through our growing network of local vignerons, we connect you with family-owned domaines where tastings feel more like warm conversations among friends. You'll discover how each vintage tells the story of its year through spring rains, summer heat, and autumn harvest. Our relationships with these passionate producers help you understand the limestone terroir that makes these wines. These aren't just tastings, they're introductions to the families who have been perfecting their craft for generations.

Private Culinary Experiences

Transform your evenings into intimate culinary journeys at Les Manibelles, where our carefully selected chefs create bespoke menus celebrating the season's finest local ingredients. Each course unfolds with perfectly paired wines beneath ancient oak trees or beside the glowing pool, accompanied by stories of the local producers. Every detail is orchestrated to perfection, creating magical evenings that often extend late into the night, as exceptional food and wine naturally encourage the kind of meaningful conversations that transform strangers into lifelong friends.

Wine cellar with stone brick arches and wooden wine barrels stored on racks.
A large white horse sculpture outside a building with a sign reading 'Chateau de Saur'. There are two tall cypress trees, potted plants, and outdoor benches.
Black and white photo of a large outdoor dinner party at night with string lights, decorated table, and people celebrating, some with hands raised or clapping.
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A cheese, fruit, and charcuterie board with grapes, crackers, cheese varieties, olives, and nuts, with a bottle of rosé wine and two empty glasses on a white tablecloth.
Two people holding empty wine glasses over a wooden bar counter, with additional glasses and small cups nearby.
Table setting for many guests in french countryside
People at an outdoor wedding reception, sitting at a long decorated table with candles and greenery, under string lights, exchanging a bottle of rosé wine.

Artisan Encounters
Create Something Beautiful

Traditional Craft Workshops

In medieval workshops, discover the joy of creation through pottery or painting with master artisans. Whether shaping clay on the potter's wheel or capturing landscapes with brush and canvas, we arrange sessions with talented local artists who make learning both fun and memorable. Feel the clay respond to your touch or watch colors blend to capture Southern France's golden light. We handle all the booking details with our trusted artisans, ensuring perfect conditions and engaging instruction. The pieces you create, ceramic treasures or painted memories, become lasting reminders of your creative time at Les Manibelles.

Photography & Creative Retreats

Whether you're capturing the golden hour light on medieval stone or learning to see the landscape through an artist's eyes, we arrange expert-led creative experiences that awaken dormant passions. Our network of professional photographers and artists guide you, providing both technical instruction and cultural context. These skilled practitioners help you develop your eye while sharing their favorite spots and techniques, ensuring you create a visual diary of your Southern France journey that tells authentic stories.

Man smiling while working with pottery on a wheel in a studio.
Collection of small paintings featuring sunflowers, landscapes, and abstract art hanging on a string against a stone wall, with some plants and furniture below.
Two women are taking photos with cameras outdoors, with one woman in focus looking through her camera lens and the other woman in the background looking at her phone.
A smiling woman with curly hair, wearing a leopard print jacket and a striped headband, arranging white flowers and green foliage in a vase against a stone wall.
Group of women gathered around a table painting ceramics and eating, some wearing hats, with painting supplies and plates on the table.
A painted sunflower with yellow petals and a red center against a gray and blue background.
A woman with dark brown hair smiling while leaning out of a window on a balcony in an urban area with trees and buildings in the background.
Black and white photo of an outdoor market with vendors selling vegetables and flowers, and people shopping and taking pictures on cobblestone street.

Active Adventures
Set Your Heart Racing

Countryside Cycling Expeditions

Glide effortlessly through countryside that reveals new secrets around every bend, from morning mists rising off the Aveyron to afternoon light dancing through vineyard rows. Cycling offers a completely new perspective on this breathtaking landscape, the e-bike's smooth assistance letting you cover distances impossible on foot while moving slowly enough to truly absorb the beauty. Routes tailored to your comfort level lead you to family-owned vineyards and village bakeries where locals gather. The electric boost transforms ambitious routes into leisurely adventures, giving more time to pause at panoramic viewpoints along the way.

River Adventures

Float downstream from Saint-Antonin through timeless landscapes where limestone cliffs tower and ancient mills adorn the riverbanks. The gentle current carries you naturally past medieval bridges and hidden swimming holes, each bend revealing new wonders of this historic waterway. The journey flows at its own peaceful pace, concluding perfectly at a riverside restaurant where local cuisine and warm hospitality awaits, the ideal ending to your river adventure, sharing stories and exceptional food with fellow travellers.

Five people in cycling gear, wearing helmets, standing with mountain bikes on a gravel path surrounded by trees and greenery.
Four people wearing helmets stand with mountain bikes in front of an old stone house with purple shutters.
A group of people at a river, with some getting ready to go kayaking. Two women at the front are descending a portable water slide, with one wearing a sunhat and sunglasses, and waving.
Two men sitting in a yellow and blue kayak, with people standing around on a grassy area holding paddles, preparing for a kayaking outing.
Five people with bicycles posing in front of a historic stone building with arched doorways and windows, and a sign that reads "Hotel" in a brick-paved square.
Three people riding bikes on a gravel path through a lush green wooded area.
A woman kayaking on a river surrounded by green trees with other kayakers in the background, smiling at the camera.
A group of people kayaking on a river surrounded by trees and hills during daytime.

Your Transformation Awaits

Every experience flows naturally into your rhythm at Les Manibelles, where mornings might unfold with gentle adventures and afternoons dissolve into poolside tranquility. Carl and David have done the searching, the coordinating, the relationship-building over decades of dedication to this magical region.

Ready to discover your perfect Southern France story?