It was the tranquillity and natural beauty of the cévennes national park that attracted one dutch family to start a new life in lozère, as stephanie sheldrake finds out.
It takes a certain type of guest to make it to La Source de Castagnols. Nestled in the heart of the Cévennes National Park, far from major roads and towns, the remote chambres d’hôtes is a haven for those who seek a quiet stay, surrounded by the untouched natural beauty of this ancient forested land.
This was precisely what attracted Dutch couple Henk-Jan and Marjoleine Spruijt to this unspoilt green enclave in the south of France. The couple had been living in the Netherlands where Marjoleine worked as a surgical assistant in a hospital and Henk-Jan ran his own architect business.
It was during a holiday in the late 1990s when the couple discovered the Cévennes National Park. “We were looking for a family holiday somewhere surrounded by nature, with no hustle and bustle and far from major roads.
Mont Lozère appeared as a green spot on the map and caught our attention,” says Henk-Jan. The holiday reminded them of a feeling they had during a world tour in 1993 when they stayed in a remote village near the Afghan border in north-east Pakistan. “The energy there was strong and the landscape stunning,” remembers Henk-Jan, who felt the same energy in Cévennes. “This ancient land is full of energy and steeped in history, with unrivalled silence, abundant nature, no pollution and dark nights. It was an extraordinary experience.”
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