Les Gîtes du Paquetayre

Contact:
Michel & Michèle Thouzery
Tel: +33 (0)5 61 03 06 29
plantes.et.nomades@wanadoo.fr
www.ariege.com/le-paquetayre/ 

Specialty:  Herbal medicine
Region: Midi-Pyrénées
Languages spoken: FR, EN 

Le Paquetayre is a 20ha organic mountain farm located at 870m at the end of a small road and surrounded by woods and meadows. The farm enjoys an impressive view of the famous Cathar chateau of Montségur. It hosts 100 sheep, 2 horses and a donkey. One can participate in the work on the farm: in summer visit the flock of 70 goats of the race ‘Limousine’ on the high summer pastures, learn about medicinal plants cultivated and gathered in the wild and participate to their transformation on site, or help make bread which they bake in the old wood-fired oven in the house.  

Herbal medicine workshop: the Thouzery family organises medicinal plants workshops every summer. One can learn about medicinal plants or edible ones, understand how to transform them (massage oils, balms and elixirs) via the distillation for example. All plants are grown organically (commitment with the ‘Simples’ Label - network of about 50 ecological farmers). The owners created as well the association “Plantes et Nomades” which aims at studying and conserving of traditional medicine, ancient healing practices, and the creation of medicinal gardens in Mauritania, Senegal or Mongolia. 

Dates: 2 weekends in June and 5 days in July and in August.

Prices: 105 euro for 1 WE including accommodation in gîte/B&B, meals and instruction; 360 euro for 5 days.