A day out for fans of all things cherry

Isla - Receptionist 2015 - La Maison de la Cerise

I spent a lovely afternoon visiting La Maison de la Cerise (The House of Cherries) in Paulhe, about 10km north of Millau, and took part in the guided tour of the cherry orchards.

The magnificent painted entrance of La Maison de la Cerise

En route, we stopped off at the simply scrumptuous Comptoir Paysan nearby in Compeyre, which sells some of the luxurious products created at La Maison de la Cerise. The shop also has an outside terrace, where the chef prepares un plat du jour between 7 and 8 euros.

The beautiful Maison de la Cerise itself, with its pink blossom themed decorations and cherry-filled boutique, was a picturesque place to start the tour. Even the trail from the car park up the hill and through the village (following signs pointing to La Maison de la Cerise) was picture-postcard perfect. There is also a small museum, which we visited after the tour, which elaborates on some of the information about the cherry-picking process offered during the tour, but can equally be visited before the tour if you prefer. 

The interior of the museum

The tour itself begins at 4pm, and lasts around 2 hours, although this really depends on how many questions you have for the well-informed guide, who is full of interesting anecdotes about the flora and fauna, the cherry-picking process itself (with the opportunity to taste some cherries straight from the tree of course), the history of the region and even the fantastic wildlife there is to see on the tour. I should clarify though that the cherry season officially finishes at the end of May, so there won't be many left to taste across the summer. I don't want to give too much away about the history of the tour, but I will tell you it included Roman settlers, British ransackers in the 100 Years War and France's fluctuating relationship with wine between the great wars. As if this wasn't enough, the walk itself is breathtakingly beautiful with views across the Tarn Valley and to the beautiful (former medieval fortified) town of Compeyre.

Tasting cherries straight from the trees

One of the many historic sites presented during the visit

Some practical advice for the tour; it involves a lot of climbing at the start, and crossing multiple terrains, so bringing closed, suitable shoes is a must. Even at 4pm the weather can be very hot, so a hat, sun cream and a bottle of water are also imperative. The tour is free but you need to book in advance to make sure a guide is available. You can also do the walk yourself at any time, following La Maison de la Cerise signs, but if you are available for the tour I would highly recommend it for the invaluable information you are given.

So whether you are a cherry enthusiast, a history fan, a hiking fanatic or just enjoy a good view, this tour has something to offer you. 

The view over the Tarn Valley from the top of the mountain.