Beat Häfliger had always been driven by a desire to share his love of horses. A passion that resonated from his childhood in Switzerland and was inspired by a summer trekking in the wild terrain of British Colombia. He became determined to create a unique “green” holiday experience and planned to create a hotel and restaurant based around trail-riding in wide open spaces.
After scouring the south of France for the ideal location, Beat immediately fell in love with the Domaine de Fraisse when it was presented to him in 1991. Not only did it fulfil all his criteria with the amount of land and number of rooms, the Domaine was also in the most incredible setting. It was minutes from the medieval citadel of Carcassonne and the hills of the Corbières, under the gaze of the Pyrenees on the horizon.
Shortly afterwards, Beat fell in love yet again: he met Marie-Claire whilst hiking in the Corbières and a successful partnership was born. Complementing Beat’s knowledge of horses and tourism, Marie-Claire’s feminine touch and natural sense of hospitality helped turn the Domaine into a little corner of paradise.
Beat and Marie-Claire lovingly restored the 300 year old mansion into a cosy hotel and equestrian centre unique to the area. It became an instant success. The same amount of care is still put in every year to ensure that it is maintained up to a high standard so that your stay is as comfortable as possible.
