When the current family owners took on the property in 2008, the ancient stone and timber were once more tenderly, renovated, restored and romanced back to life, revealing a labyrinth of chambers and alcoves, libraries and lounges, a theatre at the helm, a colossal dining and kitchen space, a tower, a spa, and a long dormitory that rests beneath a roof and exposes itself to the outside.
There’s even a tiny chapel where mystic echoes of song can be heard from the thirteen singing monks that once gathered in prayer, many hundreds of years ago.
Situated just outside the ancient town of Girona, surrounded by forests and mountains, this outlandish hideaway captivates the cockles of our travelling hearts.
With its deeply rooted history and pacifying spirit, Las Heras embodies the Spanish way of life from sunrise to siesta, and well into the night. Dutifully honouring the Catalonian climate and its changes, the thick stone walls warm and cool with the seasons, the Romanesque windows welcome and wane the light, the corners and crevices of each chamber simultaneously segregate and unify, allowing for an endless flow of celebratory family fun, vivacity and repose.
Las Heras carries its heritage beyond the stone walls, around the courtyard with its pond and fig tree, under the sunny terraces and into the gardens beneath the soaring oaks, the pines, beside the vines, the olive and lemon trees, and all the way into the forest.
Many hours will be spent exploring the natural woodlands with its wild pigs roaming around sniffing for truffles and the local deer discreetly sauntering by.
You’re spoilt for choice with activities in and around the property from road biking routes – no more than 10 minutes from the property, traversing the tracks of the Tour de France greats – to donkey riding through the woods or electric bikes along the steep mountain roads for those that enjoy an easier pace.
Your days may begin with a rejuvenating morning walk from the farmhouse and into the forest for an ancient Japanese tradition known as forest bathing, where you wander the woods in silence, observing the stillness of nature, with intermittent moments of meditation, amidst the mountain air. After which a dip into the warm waters of the cosy hot tub in the spa invigorates an appetite for lunch.
Perhaps a bit of afternoon foraging with the Herbologist through the forest, munching on some wild garlic and learning all about the produce of the region would tickle your fancy. The best part of the experience is returning to the farmhouse kitchen with your findings and cooking up a feast with the resident chef.
As with the rest of the ingredients that are all sourced from the land; veggies from the garden, eggs from the chickens, cheese and chorizo from the local livestock, artisanal jams and oils, and truly local honey.
The surrounding area may entice you with cities full of art and culture, fabulous food and frolics, ancient cathedrals and adventures to forgotten beaches along winding roads – there’s an essence to this hideaway that is as alluring as the sights that surround.
It intrinsically encourages you to savour the Spanish hours of the day, and the pace at which they should be savoured, surrounded by people that bring us the most joy, through a way of life that brings out the best in each other.