Les Contes

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Les Contes Bed & Breakfast, Red Rose Cafe, Notre Dame de Sophia, Sacred Source Living Waters and Goat Ranch Farm! At Les Contes, we believe in inclusivity.

Welcome to our family-run Bed and Breakfast, a wonderfully unique Enchanted Paradise with abundant healing waters, a mystical chapel and inspiring animal sanctuary. Les Contes is notably large and stands out like a gleaming white jewel against the majestic pristine nature of the Occitan French Pyrenees. The property was once a Colonie de Vacances, a summer holiday house for children and adolescents owned by the Catholic Church in the 1930's. Older still is what Les Contes stands on, as it was once a 13th Century Water Mill, hence the meeting place of so many healing waters. The name Les Contes (which means the tales) came about because local women would bring their washing to the waters and catch up on the latest news and happenings. It was a place for exchanging information – and still is! The information we share today is of a spiritual nature, where the conversation around the many pressing issues we face today can be freely explored and inspired. Recently, Les Contes's transformation appeared on the Channel 4 show Help We Bought A Village, documenting its metamorphosis into a thriving bucket-list Bed and Breakfast with wildly spectacular surroundings. Situated in the valley beneath Château de Montségur, a historical location that offers a unique and privileged view of the majestic surroundings. Les Contes finds itself in a 'dark sky' area, a place with minimal light pollution, making stargazing an unforgettable experience. Because of the mountains, we are also in a White Zone, a rare and sought-after area without mobile coverage and electro-smog. This unique feature allows our guests to truly unplug and immerse themselves in nature's healing power, especially those suffering from hypersensitivity to electromagnetic waves or multiple chemical intolerances. Our internet coverage comes through fibre optic, which is much less invasive and far healthier for all life. Our nineteen spacious, elegantly decorated guest rooms are each unique, boasting the magnificent artwork of world-famous artists and hugely talented friends. Keeping the original features of our home, we have embraced the character and history of the space, maintaining its authenticity and personality. Because we are home, not a hotel, you can expect beautiful touches that invite you to feel at home. With zero light pollution, complete and utter silence, and sumptuous bedding, we can ensure you a restful night's sleep. Our central kitchen is open for everyone, fostering a sense of community and shared experiences among our guests. Whether you're a seasoned chef or a novice cook, you can prepare your favourite meals and share them with fellow guests, creating unforgettable memories and connections. Some folks hibernate in the library, refusing to go anywhere as they devour one book after the other in front of the open fireplace surrounded by shelves of books. Every morning, Aletheia offers a Somatic Movement class that is free to all our guests. Breakfast is then served in our Refectory, which overlooks our beautiful and enchanted riverside garden. You can spot our regular visits by the Red Squirrels, Eagles, Herons, and countless other small birds by eating your breakfast on the terrace. Part of our passion is to be as sustainable as possible. We cater for vegans, vegetarians, gluten-free & dairy-free, ensuring everyone can enjoy our sustainable practices. Three powerful places are within walking distance of Les Contes: Château de Montségur, Les Gorges de la Frau, and La Fontaine de Fontestorbes. Les Contes draws inspiration from all these places. Château de Montségur, the emblem of Catharism, evokes powerful emotions as its grandiose history and legacy continue to touch the heart. Due to an underground tremor, the Fontestorbes fountain, a unique geological curiosity, is known for its natural intermittent waters. The Incantadas, beneficent fairies, are said to wash their clothes at night in the limpid waters of the fountain with their traditional golden beaters. Les Gorges de la Frau are part of the Chemin des Bonshommes (Cathar pathway), a 107 km Cathar trail that runs through Ariège and is known as being the escape route for the treasure of Montsegur to higher pastures. Aletheia will gladly guide you to these places and show you the caves and other areas of interest she has discovered at these sites. Les Contes teems with life and is a highly energetic place. Things move fast in these surroundings, and it is a place where important decisions get made. Streams of living waters, symbolising the revival of tumbling, bubbling wisdom, surround the property and even flow beneath it. The source of our great spring is Pic de Soulerac, the Cathar Holy Mountain, whose waters flow into an underground river at the base of Montségur and resurface for the very first time at Les Contes. Layers of history emanate through the stones, craggy rocks, and boulders. Caves, gorges, and underground tunnels drenched in myth and legend are magically close and strangely empty—as if expecting your inevitable arrival. Les Contes produces a large proportion of its food, keeping goats, sheep, pigs, and a collection of poultry and a thriving permaculture garden/food forest. That long, hard work, which requires Aletheia and Pete to be outside in all weathers tending to other living things, as well as a continuing daily need for long walks to explore old, forgotten Cathar paths, caves and mountains, has blessed them with a deep and nourishing sense of connectedness to the spirit of place that they feel drawn to share with others. In the future, we plan to build tree houses, cabins, bell tents, and yurts in our forested areas—for those who love the outdoors and a real sense of peace. Children and Animals are Welcome, creating a warm and family-friendly atmosphere. If you were to stay at Les Contes and not go anywhere else in the region, you would return home, forever changed. Les Contes provides accommodation with access to the garden, riverside, and pathways to the forests. There is also FREE private parking and WIFI! Breakfast is available daily and includes vegetarian and vegan options. From Easter to September, we run the Red Rose Café, a vegetarian/vegan eatery. Contact Us - https://lescontes.eu/

16/10/2026

RESTORE MY CROSS

An invitation to filmmakers, supporters, and willing hearts to help carry Les Contes' story forward.

Beloved Friends,

High above the house at Les Contes, perched on a craggy peak, stands a white wooden cross at seven metres high, visible throughout the valley. Its wood is rotten; it sways in storms, weathered and battered by the bitter winters of these mountains.

It is time to restore the cross: to raise a new one in its place, catching the light and standing as an emblem of faith, hope, and Christ’s enduring love.

This undertaking began with a quiet, inward conversation.

In prayer, I heard the words:

*“Restore My Cross.”*

Then came:

*“Lay It All Down.”*

And I knew that meant the last of my money…

The answer I heard was simply:

*“Yes.”*

Those words have stayed with me. I knew I had to act quickly, so yesterday I pitched the project to our team, who lit up like Christmas trees at the idea of taking it on. The guys got busy with measurements, timing, the soon-coming winter, and manpower needed. The women thought about oils, prayers, restorative dates and beauty.

Together we get it done.

And this brings me to the very human task of asking for a witness, to document what may be the last of my contributions to Les Contes. An investment that could easily endure one hundred years.

In January 2021, I bought Les Contes, a great white mountain house between Fougax-et-Barrineuf and Montségur, in the wild beauty of the Occitan Pyrenees. Springs emerge from the mountainside, woodland paths climb through the valley, and water accompanies our days.

Les Contes means *the tales*, or *the stories*. Local tradition tells of women gathering beside the source to wash their clothes and exchange the news of village life. I love that image: hands in the water, the washing getting done, lives being shared.

The house has its own stories, many of which we are still uncovering.

The history handed down to us speaks of 6-8 young Jesuit priests living in the Presbytère, the earlier stone house, before the colonie buildings were added, with Père Antonie remembered as the main priest. Later came the Colonie de Vacances Saint-François-Régis. Our scrapbook of black-and-white photographs preserves an opening celebration in 1935, connecting us with generations of children who spent their summers here.

We are still searching for the cross’s origins. I would love to discover who first raised it, whose hands shaped it, and what hopes accompanied its place above the valley.

Today, Les Contes is a guesthouse, sanctuary, and place of pilgrimage. There are nineteen individually designed guest rooms, a library with an open fire, permaculture gardens, and our seasonal Red Rose Café. There are rescued animals to care for, meals to prepare, guests to welcome, and the endless demands of an old mountain house.

There is a community dedicated to living alongside these daily tasks. The goats need feeding. A room needs tending. Someone needs a little company.

For me, these things are part of prayer. Faith takes shape in the care we give, the patience we practise, and the welcome we offer.

At the heart of Les Contes is Notre Dame de Sophia — Our Lady of Wisdom, our chapel dedicated to the Holy Spirit and the good works of Mary Magdalene. Alongside it are baptisms at the source behind the house, our Living Prayer Ministry, and a fledgling community learning to share a life of faith.

We welcome people of every background and belief. There is room to arrive with questions, sit quietly, listen to the waters, and find words for what is stirring within.

My own life here is centred on Christ. Restoring the cross is a personal act of faith, offered freely to this valley.

Living beneath Montségur also means holding the memory of the Cathars with tenderness and honour. History suggests their understanding of the cross differed from mine. I honour their way of life, their devotion, and the suffering endured here, while expressing the faith I live now.

I often say that I envision Les Contes becoming another Lourdes. Something France can be proud of. A more discreet, humble sanctuary of Living Waters, Shepherds and appearances of Our Lady and Lord.

I think of Mary Magdalene, Martha, Lazarus, and the first disciples: the intimacy of knowing Him, loving Him, and allowing that love to change a life.

That is the possibility I want to nurture here.

We've already shared our journey through Channel 4’s Help! We Bought a Village**. More recently, I appeared in the Belgian series **Dwars door de Pyreneeën**, sharing my connection with the Cathar caves at Ornolac. A TV show soon to be aired in the Netherlands, a country and people deeply moved by this region in France.

I am now seeking a production company or documentary filmmaker interested in following this next chapter: the search through photographs and memories, the making and raising of the new cross, and the unfolding life of the house, chapel, waters, and community.

There is beauty here, uncertainty, financial pressure, affection, and laughter. I would welcome a filmmaker willing to approach it all with curiosity and sensitivity, following the story as it happens.

I am also seeking financial support as we build the 'manpower' to assess the existing cross, plan its replacement, and make and erect the new one with care. I welcome conversations with those drawn to support the chapel's wider work, the Living Prayer Ministry, and our growing community.

I have given Les Contes my heart and much of my resources. To carry this next stage well, I need others beside me.

Perhaps you have a practical skill to offer, can contribute financially, or know a filmmaker who would feel drawn to this story.

Please get in touch. I would love to walk with you beside the waters, open the chapel door, and show you the cross we hope to restore.

My prayer is that one day we will look up together and see it shining above the valley, grateful for every willing heart and pair of hands that helped it rise.

With love,

Aletheia (Anaiya) Sophia
Les Contes, Ariège, French Pyrenees

Photo of our old cross taken by Alex Smith.

Donate HERE https://www.gofundme.com/f/seeds-of-wild-love

02/10/2026

Good Morning From Les Contes!
This is us with our beloved guests from Utah!
Sat on the front door step, drinking coffee, watching the wee birds take the last of the sunflower seeds as the fingers of mist caresses the fir trees. Big exhale…. It must be autumn.

26/09/2026

Tonight at Les Contes - plant medicine concert!
7.30pm, Saturday 26th of September.

In 2018, Sara Evans and Damien Papin discovered plant music technology and, through improvisation, a fascinating interaction emerged—almost like a new language.

Since then, they have traveled the world to perform and share their recent discoveries, notably at the International Festival of Plant Music, where they deepen their exploration of botanical music each year alongside scientists, musicians, growers, and physicists.

A powerful and magical encounter, at the dawn of a new form of communication and a new way of approaching the plant world—where science and art meet.

10/09/2026

The Quiet Season at Les Contes
An invitation to live in simple, prayerful community.
There are seasons when a great vision asks to be named, built and carried into the world. And there are seasons when that same vision asks only for a fire to be lit, a table to be laid, a house to be tended, and a small circle of people to live faithfully together.
This is such a season at Les Contes.
Almost a century ago, young Jesuit priests found a home at Les Contes, seeking silence, solace and a life shaped by prayer and work upon the land. Under the devoted care of Père Antoine Lafont, the house became a place of shared Christian life. Something of that foundational intention still speaks through its stones.
Now, beneath the steady, radiant gaze of Montségur, in the wild heart of these Cathar lands, another chapter is beginning. The wider landscape of southern France carries cherished traditions of Mary Magdalene, the Troubadours and Good Christians of the Cathar Faith. Here, those associations invite us to contemplate our own discipleship: how we follow, how we love, and how we make room for the risen Christ within the ordinary life we share.
During the quieter months, from October onwards, I am welcoming people for month-long stays in warm, prayerful and clear-hearted community. This invitation is for sincere followers of Christ, and for those whose curiosity is drawing them closer- people wishing to encounter His presence through the daily experience of living together.
Men and women, younger and older, are welcome. You may arrive with a lifelong faith, a newly awakening devotion, or a quiet question. Christ will be at the centre of our shared life, with room for each person to approach freely and sincerely.
At the heart of this invitation is the Body of Christ: many members, each precious, each bringing something particular to the life of the whole. We learn to receive one another’s gifts, honour one another’s limits, share joy and bear burdens with tenderness. Belonging becomes something we practise in how we speak, how we listen, how we make room at the table, and how we attend to someone having a difficult day.
I feel drawn to the simplicity of the earliest Christian communities: bread shared, prayers offered, lives brought into relationship through love of Christ.
The greater vision for Les Contes is a Mystery School. Yet I am only just coming through a season of wave after wave of loss, and gentle community is the truest 'yes' I can offer now. The larger vision can grow from this living foundation, at the pace that love and care can sustain.
Our way of life will be simple.
We will share prayerful meals and the ordinary care of the house. Cleaning will become an act of welcome: tending each room with the intention of receiving Christ more deeply into our home and into our dealings with one another. A swept floor, a freshly laid table, a room prepared for another person, small gestures through which love becomes tangible.
Mornings will bring somatic prayer and embodied practice, allowing Scripture, breath, movement and stillness to find expression within us. In the evenings, we will gather for prayer beneath the home tree, returning the day to God.
The waters of Les Contes will accompany us. Springs rise upon this land and supply the house, weaving water into the most ordinary moments of our lives. There will be time to sit beside them, listen, pray and give thanks. Our chapel offers another quiet place to return to: a place for a candle, a whispered prayer, or simply sitting in Christ's presence. Spring water is part of its devotional life, drawing our attention towards renewal and the gift of living water.
The animals belong to this household too. They welcome gentle touch, patient company and the daily kindness of care. Their presence brings us back to the life immediately before us: a warm muzzle resting against a hand, a familiar greeting, the quiet pleasure of being recognised.
Soon the fires will be lit again. We will gather in the library for cosy evenings, books, conversation and companionable silence. There will be space for solitude, and the warmth of people to return to.
We live together. We move together. Each person brings their own life, and together we tend the life we share.
A month at Les Contes is an invitation to settle deeply: to loosen the habits that keep us hurried, to become more attentive to God and one another, and to discover what grows through a simple rhythm faithfully lived. Close, connected, held within the Spirit of God.
Prices begin at €1,000 for one month, for a single private room with shared use of the whole house (breakfast included).
If your heart recognises something here, I warmly invite you to write to me.
Come for a month. Come close to the fire. Bring your gifts, your questions and your willingness to share in the tending.
Let us discover what Christ may make of our life together.
Aletheia
This photo, taken a few years ago with my beloved friend, Melinda Kinzie, captures the "Spirit of Joy" that I know is coming!

04/09/2026

Sacred Sound Ceremony with Angelina this Sunday, 6th of September, at 7.30pm at Les Contes. By Donation (suggested amount: no less than 10 euros). A beautiful ceremony to prepare you for the New Moon arriving on the 11th.

04/09/2026

Autumn Equinox Water Fast 5 Day Retreat
19th - 24th of September 2026 (Autumn Equinox)
at Les Contes

Dearest Friends,
Do you need to get 'crystal clear', hear the voice of God, and re-orient yourselves within days?

Water fasting creates a rare and spacious pause, a time when the usual rhythms of consuming, digesting and reaching outward become quiet, allowing our attention to turn inward.
Across ancient spiritual traditions, fasting has served as a threshold practice: a deliberate emptying that creates space for prayer, clarity, renewal, and deeper listening.

Fasting also lies close to the heart of the Christian contemplative tradition. Jesus entered the wilderness and fasted for forty days before beginning His public ministry, and the earliest Christians continued to fast as part of prayer, discernment and preparation.
Over the Autumn Equinox, as the Earth moves through the beautiful balance of light and darkness, we enter this threshold consciously.

For these days, water becomes our central companion. And of course, not just any old water, but a water source associated with the Book of Love, the Gospel of Mary Magdalene and Jesus Christ, held by the Cathars.
We drink slowly. We listen deeply. We simplify. We pray. We rest.

And perhaps we hear the words of Christ again:
“If anyone thirsts, let them come to me and drink.”
— John 7:37

This is therefore more than a fast from food. It is an invitation into intimacy with water, its simplicity, purity and movement through the body while contemplating the profound place of Living Water within the teachings of Jesus.

As the season turns toward autumn, we too make space to release what has been completed, gather what is essential, and return refreshed to what matters most.
We empty ourselves of excess.
We become quiet enough to listen.
We come to the waters.
And we drink.

A Note on Health & Suitability
This retreat includes a period of water-only fasting, which can place significant demands upon the body. While fasting has an ancient spiritual lineage, it is not appropriate for everyone.

...

01/09/2026

We've started a 'thing' today at Les Contes. Evening Prayers under the Home Tree. A quote from an Irish Guest
"I can't wait to get 'home' for evening prayers!"
Home?
She only arrived yesterday!
This brings the biggest smile ever known to man to my face. Thank you, darling, for letting me know that this place feels like home.
God Bless and Good Night to ALL.

27/08/2026

Beginning Next week! 2nd September
The Healing Way of Water
https://shiftnetwork.isrefer.com/go/sswwAS/a27086/

In my new 7-week live course, Aletheia Pistis Sophia will guide you into a more conscious and mystical relationship with water through timeless teachings and devotional practices of prayer, blessing, ritual, and sacred service. She’ll invite you into an extraordinary experience you can carry into your home, your community, and your everyday life.

It time to go down to the River to Pray...

Drawing from Christian mysticism, ancient water traditions, and years of devotional work with springs, wells, rivers, and healing waters around the world, Aletheia’s approach is both deeply mystical and beautifully practical.

Through spoken Aramaic prayers, contemplative listening, journaling, sacred imagination, restorative water practices, and simple acts of devotion, you’ll begin discovering that ordinary encounters with water can become moments of genuine communion.

You'll also travel, through sacred imagination, to some of the world’s most revered waters — including Mount Shasta’s Panther Meadows, Te Waikoropupū Springs, St. Brigid’s Well, Chalice Well, Lourdes, and Bethany Beyond the Jordan.

Through Aletheia’s evocative storytelling and contemplative guidance, you’ll experience the atmosphere of each place while bringing its unique gifts of healing, wonder, devotion, and hope into your own life.

Over time, these practices may begin changing more than your spiritual routine. They can help settle an overburdened nervous system, make your home feel more peaceful and beautiful, deepen your trust in your own inner knowing, and remind you that you belong to something far larger than the noise of the world around you.

Seven Weeks Together To Go Down To The River To Pray https://shiftnetwork.isrefer.com/go/sswwAS/a27086/

13/08/2026

If you came to Les Contes and never travelled beyond the valley, you would still discover a world unlike any other.
There is a quiet rhythm to this place.
The mountains invite you to slow down.
The waters invite you to listen.
The land invites you to remember.
Whether you arrive for a single night or stay a little longer, our hope is that you leave feeling rested, renewed, and just a little more at home, both in the world, and within yourself.

09/08/2026

Welcome to Les Contes, a sanctuary, guesthouse, and place of pilgrimage nestled in the wild beauty of the Occitan Pyrenees, beneath the sacred gaze of Montségur.

A Sanctuary of Living Waters, Belonging, and Wonder
Once a Catholic children's summer home in the 1930s, this gleaming white haven has been lovingly restored into a place of quiet hospitality, contemplation, and renewal.
Here, ancient springs rise from the mountainside, animals wander freely across the land, and guests are invited to slow down, breathe deeply, and rediscover the simple grace of living in harmony with nature.

The name Les Contes means "the tales" or "the stories." Long ago, local women gathered beside the river to wash their clothes and share the stories of village life. Today, those conversations continue in a different way—through meaningful encounters, contemplative silence, heartfelt conversation, and the sharing of life's deeper questions.

Featured on Channel 4's Help! We Bought a Village, Les Contes has welcomed visitors from around the world who have followed its remarkable restoration. Yet television captures only a glimpse of what makes this place so special.
Thank you Kevin Major for our Les Contes teaser oozing with so much tantalising imagery.
Come and stay with us https://lescontes.eu

Adresse

160 Impasse Des Coussats
Fougax-et-Barrineuf
09300

Téléphone

+33786762000

Site Web

https://lescontes.eu/

Notifications

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