As your feet touch the grass or red soil typical of this area, you will hear the sounds of nature and your shoulders will drop as you take a deep, relaxing breath. Our talented chefs will allow you to feel nourished throughout your stay. Let the community of your group envelope your soul, as nature all around brings you back to yourself and the energy that’s present here will gently rock you to sleep at night. That’s La Roane.
The emphasis is on wellbeing as a whole and creating community is a part of that. We believe in the importance of building friendships and mutual support.
Long lasting friendships are formed at la Roane resulting in people returning together year after year.
PEACEFUL & SECLUDED
La Roane is set in a 20 acre woodland retreat with wonderful walks to explore, a paradise for nature lovers. Here you will find an abundance of wildlife: deer, hare, buzzards, singing frogs and butterflies – over 40 species of butterflies identified recently – and wild flowers.
‘Roane’, pronounced ‘ro-anne’ means ‘red’ in the local patois and the name is taken from the colour of the soil.
There are many walks in the woods which are especially welcome when the sun shines as it’s cooler under the trees. You will find a tree house at the entrance of the woods (usually where the group leader stays), two labyrinths, a sweat lodge used for Amerindians rituals in Spring and plenty of spots for quiet reflection.
The labyrinths were built during courses here and they are used as a metaphor for life.
Journeying the labyrinth clears the mind and gives insight into our life journeys. It calms those in the midst of transition and helps us to see life in the context of a path. It also stirs creative fires and provides us with clarity to move forward with courage. The journey is different for everyone, as is life, for we each bring different raw material to the labyrinth. We bring our uniqueness and often depart with a greater sense of oneness and unity. It’s a place of meditation and mindfulness.
There is also a spectacular cave twenty minutes walk away that was used as a hideout during the Resistance and that offers impressive views over the Gorges de l’Aveyron.
Flowing though St Antonin is the River Aveyron, ideal for picnicking, swimming and, for the more adventurous, canoeing down the river.
The area around La Roane is great walking and cycling country (bicycles available free of charge) with the spectacular Gorges de l’Aveyron just a mile away. For the experience of a lifetime, visit the prehistoric caves that were used by resistance fighters during the last war. Or perhaps you would like to try rock climbing?
Our local town, Saint Antonin Noble Val is less than 5 Km away; a magical medieval town, which retains its original charm. It boasts the oldest civic building in France, the 11th century Town Hall (now a museum), La Maison d’Amour (a medieval bath house, probably a brothel!), and it is the scene of a very colourful market every Sunday. It ranks in the top three most beautiful villages in France according to a French survey.
It was the setting of the film ‘Charlotte Grey’ with Cate Blanchett and the Spielberg film ‘The Hundred Foot Journey’ starring Helen Mirren.
We believe offering healthy nourishment prepared with love is essential.
We offer organic and locally sourced food wherever possible.
The food we serve is vegetarian and is one of the highlights of La Roane. It is prepared with love, attention and artistry by our wonderful chefs Mia and Enzo. They are artists whose medium is food.
Buffet breakfast is a wide selection of porridge, cereals, home made jams, home made peanut butter, the neighbor’s bread, yogurts, seasonal fruit, local cheeses, honey and sometimes eggs, croissants or chia pudding.
Lunch is served buffet style with a selection of freshly prepared hot and cold dishes.
Dinner is also served buffet style, a mix of colours and flavors to enchant your palate. Good local wine is provided at no extra cost with the evening meal.
Coffee, a wide range of teas, juices, fruit and biscuits are available free of charge at any time of day or night. We will make sure you do not go hungry at any time!
In order to foster a sense of community, guests are asked to take turns helping to clear the tables.
