Holiday South France - Regional information
The Languedoc region of France has so much to offer the intrepid traveler and when you have just one or two weeks to sample its delights you want to hit the ground running, so here are some ideas for you. Heading towards Toulouse from Castelnaudary on the motorway the first exit is known as the Port de Lauragais.
It is a very pleasant site with easy parking, a delightful restaurant, café and shop full of interesting local products at a range of prices and styles, but for me its greatest attraction is that it's on the canal du midi and you can take a canal boat to a little, remote village where you can go for a walk, have a cup of coffee, lunch or a picnic and relax before heading back again.
Further down the motorway, you come to the Cite de l'Espace, a treasure trove of ideas and interactive learning for young and old. Tour the Mir space station, pit your wits against Ellen Macarthur on a computer sailing programme, communicate with your family across a room without shouting, see the stars and learn a bit about them and much, much more.
If the Canal du Midi captivated you, you can cycle along its towpath from Bram or take a motorboat out for yourself. This incredible canal joining the Atlantic to the Mediterranean was the brainchild of P-P Riquet. The Lac de St. Ferreol in the Black Mountain area near Revel is the reservoir that 'feeds' the canal and it also provides a beautiful area for recreation, with walks, a beach for swimming and dingys and pedalos for those who don't like to get wet!
You liked swimming, try the beach at Narbonne, the beautiful town of Gruissan nearby with its variety of beaches provides something for everyone and further down that coastline the beautiful artists’ village of Collioure is a real find. A great place to swim, relax in the sunshine, eat seafood on the seafront and enjoy a bottle of local wine. Visit the anchovie factory, or buy a picture to remind you of your visit.
Above all this is a land of history, prehistory and medieval history. There are many caves and ancient places to visit, cave drawings to view and prehistoric settlements to see. The Mas D’Azil near Foix is a cavern so vast that you can drive right through it following the river, and yes early man lived here too. There are prehistoric exhibitions, again near Foix, and a bison farm.
More recent history, that of the Cathares and their break from Rome explains the many castles that perch on hillsides and even medieval villages like Saissac where the early fortifications are still very visible. These castles tell the story of a country ravaged by Crusades and the feud between the papal view of the world and the Cathares. Visit Montsegur, Arques, Puivert, Peyrepertuse and Queribus to get a real feel for these mountain spaces. This will also take you through the Corbiere, some fantastic gorges and of course wonderful wine.
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The Languedoc produces more wine that any other French region and a wide variety too. Down near the coast it is more fortified and richer and back in the Malepere, our region, a little lighter. The famous sparkling wine of Limoux is like Champagne and some will claim predates champagne in its creation. Whatever the case a good bottle of Limoux will be about 8 euros and be every bit as good as champagne! We have several great place to try wine near us, perhaps the one we like best is Domain de la Fort, 5 minutes away, but there is also Arzens, Razes and Chateau de Robert.
Perhaps food is what draws you to France, well the markets around us brim with fantastic foods from the region and further afield. Monday market in the medieval town of Mirepoix is a delight, as is the Saturday market in Revel – near to where John Burton Race took his ‘French Leave’. In addition, during the summer there is a night market in Limoux, which attracts people from all over the region.
Now, children get a special focus for there is a lot for them to do and not just sight seeing. The Cite de L’Espace, already mentioned is a great family day out. There is a safari park on the coast which is also great fun as well as the Cite of Carcassonne. Here youngster can buy model swords and shields and pretend to storm the castle – this is where part of the Robin Hood film was shot and is one of Europe’s most beautiful fully functioning medieval cities, complete with turrets and fortifications. Children can also enjoy canoeing, canyoning, and rafting as well as ‘Forest Grimp’. Down by Quillan in the high valley of the Aude River is a great aerial playground of ropes, bridges and walkways just for the younger visitor. Caves can also entertain children but the best might be an underground river, La Riviere Soutrerrain at Labouisse, near Foix, is Europe’s longest journey by boat underground!
On a final note, some people just come to relax and if all this sounds like a lot of work it does not have to be. You can stroll into Fanjeaux across the fields, eat in the restaurant, drink in the café and pick up supplies from the Boulangerie and the Epicerie. Our garden enjoys stunning South and North facing views and from the pool the mountains sparkle on a clear day. Each Gite has loungers, a private patio and a bar-b-q.
We cannot cover everything to see and do but hope that this has got you excited about the possibilities of a stay in one of our gites in our lovely old farmhouse, Brunet.