Languedoc Tourism
Take time out while
searching for your dream property for sale in the Aude,
Languedoc, and discover the wealth of tourism on offer
in the Languedoc. There are a plethora of " obvious"
places to visit,covered by many guide books. I have
selected my favourites and some unusual places/events.
Lets quick off with The Romans - and maybe a quick
history lesson to boot!
The
Via Domitia
The Roman road known as the Via Domitia (Domitian Way)
runs from one end of the region to the other, only 15
miles from the sea, providing a fine way to explore the
varied landscapes and history.
More than 2000 years
ago the Roman Republic, surrounded by small kingdoms,
was struggling to survive. One aim was paramount: to
secure Rome’s possessions in Spain. Between Rome and
Iberia, the territories of the Gaulish tribes barred
access by land. In 118 BC, Cneus Domitius Ahenobarbus
crossed the Rhône with his legions. He had to establish
a land axis, and set up garrisons to protect the
colonies, such as Narbonne.
He built a military road which still bears his name:
the Via Domitia or Domitian Way, which rapidly became a
major route for communications and commerce. The Via
Domitia is the oldest Roman road in Gaul. It links Rome
in Italy to Cadiz in Spain, and is part of an immense
road network of more than 70,000 miles, built by the
Romans over eight centuries. The section that passes
through Gaulish territory allowed Rome to administer
the whole of southern Gaul, distributing agricultural
land to Roman colonists and building new towns.
You can see part of this road in Narbonne ( also there
check out the Clos de la Lombarde ), Ambrussum, Pinet,
Loupian and Les Cluses to Panissars
The
Roman builders
Great engineering works, testimony to the skill of
Roman builders, can still be seen in the region: the
aqueduct at Ansignan, the Pont du Gard, the aqueduct at
Gabian, the bridge at Boisseron, the bridge at
Ambrussum, the amphitheatres at Nîmes and Béziers and
other works: the mausoleum at Lanuéjols, Pompey’s
trophy at Panissars, the thermal baths at
Balaruc-les-Bains.
The Roman town of
Ugernum, the present day Beaucaire, was the point at
which the Via Domitia entered Languedoc-Roussillon.
Visit the Mas de Tourelles
and
Pres Bas Roman Villa at Loupian where the Romans had
a profound influence on French culture. They laid
out vast agricultural areas and built villas, some
of them huge, opulent and richly decorated with
mosaics and murals. Check their site
( in
French )
The Oppidum of Ensérune . In the 6th century BC, the
indigenous tribes of southern Gaul had gathered
together in large communities on high ground, called
‘oppida’ (hill forts).Dating from Pre-Roman times, the
Oppidum of Ensérune (Hérault) offers one of the most
spectacular views over the plain and the Canal du Midi,
and over the impressive ‘Etang de Montady’, a lagoon
drained in the 13th century into a network of canals
converging on a central well.
The
Cathars
The Cathar era left its mark in Aude - at the
Aguilar, Peyrepertuse, Puilaurens and
Quéribus citadels around the
invincible fortress of Carcassonne. In the 12th
century, the Cathars rejected the Old Testament and
Catholic rites, founding their own religion and “pure”
church, which earned them the nickname “the perfect
ones”. Also, check out The castle of Usson, The castle
of Montségur, Lavaur, La Cité of Carcassonne, Lastours,
Puivert Castle, Termes and Minerve,
Broadly there are five categories of "Cathar Castle".
Genuine Cathar Castles, advertised as Cathar
Castles: There are very few of these, although
you may find a few vestiges near to existing structures
(eg Peyreperteuse, and Puivert). Carcassonne
probably has the best claim, but this is strangely
underplayed, followed by Cabaret (Lastours).
Later French Castles built on the site of Cathar
strongholds, advertised as Cathar Castles:
Coustaussa, Puilaurens, Montsegùr ,
Queribus, Termes, Aguila.
French Castles with no Cathar connections, advertised
as Cathar Castles: Arques.
Cathar Castles, not generally advertised as Cathar
Castles: Pieusse, Le Bézu, Usson.
Sites of Cathar Castles: Béziers,
Toulouse, Bram, Marmande,
Lavaur, Minerve, Beaucaire,
Castelnaudry.
Read more of the History of the
Cathars
Cities
and Towns of interest
The main cities
( PO Pyrenées Orientales, AU Aude, HE Hérault, GA Gard
and LO Lozère )
Béziers (HE), Carcassonne (AU), Mende (LO), Montpellier
(HE), Narbonne (AU), Nîmes (GA) and Perpignan (PO)
Towns
of interest
Aigues -Mortes (GA), Alès (GA),
Anduze (GA), Florac (LO) , Lodève (HE), Pézenas
(HE), Sète (HE) , Uzès (GA) ,Villeneuve les Avignon
(GA),
Collioure (PO)
Towns
awarded " The most beautiful Villages in
France"
In
the PO
Villefranche de Conflent
,
Evol, Mosset,
Eus and
Castelnou
In
the Aude
Lagrasse
In
the Hérault
Minerve,
Olargues and
Saint Guilhem le
Désert
In
the Gard
La Roque-sur-Cèze and Aiguèze
In
the Lozère
Sainte Enimie
and La Garde-Guérin
Interesting
Festivals
Nautical
jousting The
famous nautical jousting tournaments of
Languedoc-Roussillon take place throughout the summer
on the canals of Sète, Agde Palavas-les-Flots and
Grau-du-Roi.
St Peter's Day in
Gruissan - the
fishermans feast day
The
Transhumance -
when mountain folk move their sheep from mountain to
mountain
St Valentines
Festival in
Roquemaure(GA) steps back to life in 1868
Pailhasses ( HE) mock battles on Ash Wednesday between
the historic Cournonterral faction and the people of
Aumelas
Camargue Bull
fights , also
known as the Rosette race - in villages of the HE and
GA
The Ferias
-basically a bull run
with much music, food and things Spanish. Usually held
on Whitsun, the Feast of the Assumption and wine
festival. They are held in Nîmes, Béziers, Alès and
Céret. Also they are a few smaller ones - like in
Azille ( AU)
Procession of La
Sanch - Good
Friday in Perpignan -
Feast of St John , on top of the Canigou mountain (PO),
held on the Sunday befor the Feast of St John
The Limoux
Carnival - masked
players ( Venetian style) perform in the streets -
every weekend Jan to March
The Colt of
Pézenas - a
folklore colt led through the streets
The Sardana
- traditional dance in
Céret
Festival of
Gargantua - held
in the town of Langogne ( LO) in June- concerts, huge
meals, clog making and more
Legend of the
flying ox - in
July in St Ambroix ( GA)- a legend of a ox beingtaken
through the streets up to the mountain and thrown off.
Festival of the
Bear - in Prats de
Mollo (PO) end of February. Legend has it that a
shepherdess was taken of by a bear who tried,
unsuccessfully, to win her by his charms. She was
rescued by local woodsmen.
In the footsteps of the Drac - in Beaucaire (GA) 3 days in June.
The Drac is a hideous monster hungry for human flesh!!
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