Destination Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées

Transcription

SUMMER 2016
SUMMER 2016
GABARIT UNE PLUS DOS CARRE - AN _Mise en page 1 01/06/16 15:12 Page1
DESTINATION
LANGUEDOC ROUSSILLON MIDI PYRÉNÉES
Absolutely
Sud of France!
River tourism
From the Canal du Midi
to the banks of the Rhône
Rambling, sailing, mountain biking,
the whole gamut of sensations
www.monnouvelhorizon.com
DESTINATION LANGUEDOC ROUSSILLON MIDI PYRENEES - ABSOLUTELY SUD !
Moving
Mediterranean
From the Côte Vermeille
to the Camargue
Good living
From the gates of Gascony
to the Camargue, wine
and gastronomy as standard
Towns
Toulouse, Montpellier :
capital “Sud”
Heritage
From Gavarnie
to Pont du Gard,
unique experiences
THE MAGAZINE OF TOURISM IN LANGUEDOC ROUSSILLON MIDI PYRÉNÉES
2 DE COUV DESTINATION_Mise en page 1 09/05/16 11:48 Page1
Département Communication Sud de France Développement - 05/2016
Crédit photos : C. Deschamps, P. Thibault, D Viet
LANGUEDOC ROUSSILLON MIDI PYRÉNÉES
LES NOUVEAUX HORIZONS
Languedoc-Roussillon
Midi-Pyrénées
monnouvelhorizon.com
SDF-1-5 - SOMMAIRE-EDITO-CARTE - GB_Mise en page 1 01/06/16 15:17 Page1
CONTENTS
MEDITERRANEAN ............ p 7
• Petite Camargue, Aigues-Mortes ..............p 8 - 9
• Etang de Thau, Sète .............................p 10 - 11
• The Clape and the Narbonnaise ..................p 12
• Catalan coast .............................................p 13
• Along the coast - TOUR .........................p 14 - 15
• Collioure and the côte Vermeille..................p 16
TOWNS ......................................................... p 17
• Mende........................................................p 18
• Nîmes.........................................................p 19
• Montpellier ..........................................p 20 - 21
• Béziers .......................................................p 22
• Narbonne ...................................................p 23
• Perpignan ...................................................p 24
• Rodez et Millau ...........................................p 25
• Toulouse ..............................................p 26 - 27
• Albi et Gaillac.......................................p 28 - 29
• Cahors et Moissac.......................................p 30
• Lourdes ......................................................p 31
• Auch...........................................................p 32
NATURE
p 33
.....................................................
• National and regional nature parks ......p 34 - 35
• Causses and Cévennes ........................p 36 - 37
• The great lakes of the Pyrenees
TOUR .......................................................p 38 - 39
• Canigou and the Catalan Pyrenees ..............p 40
• Pic du Midi of Bigorre..................................p 41
• Great Pyrenean cirques ...............................p 42
HERITAGE ............................................. p 43
• Pont du Gard et Uzès............................p 44 - 45
• Santiago de
Compostela pilgrimage routes..................p 46 - 47
• Vauban fortresses.......................................p 48
• Conques, Cajarc..........................................p 49
• Canal du Midi ......................................p 50 - 51
• Medieval city of Carcassonne ...............p 52 - 53
• The Cathar castles – TOUR ....................p 54 - 55
• Rocamadour, Valley of the Dordogne ..........p 56
• Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, Valley of the Célé .............. p 57
• Cordes-sur-Ciel,
Villefranche-de-Rouergue............................p 58
• The ladies’ cave in Niaux.............................p 59
• Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges ....................p 60
ART OF LIVING ...................... p 61
• Wines: the most varied vineyards .........p 62 - 63
• Wines: from rosé wine to sparkling wine ..p 64 - 65
• Wines: the map of the greatest
vineyard in the world............................p 66 - 67
• Gastronomy: a rich diversity .................p 68 - 73
• Gastronomy: recipes
inot-to-be-missed ................................p 69 - 73
• Gastronomy: the central food market,
the beating heart of good living............p 74 - 75
• Traditions : from rugby-playing areas
to bull running ......................................p 76- 77
• Arts/Museums the basics ....................p 78 - 80
• Festivals: a plethora of events..............p 81 - 82
OPEN AIR .............................................. p 83
• Activities: from kite-surfing
to paddle boarding ..............................p 84 - 85
• Activities: from diving to climbing ........p 86 - 87
• Activities: from cycle tourism
to mountain biking...............................p 88 - 89
• Activities: from rambling to golf ...........p 90 - 91
• Wellness: Healthy waters
and spa towns .....................................p 92 - 93
• Accommodation:
custom-made holidays.........................p 94 - 95
• How do you get here?..................................p 96
Destination Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées I CONTENTS I 1
Special edition published by the Société du Journal Midi Libre a limited company with a capital of € 6,278,802 - Main shareholders: Groupe La Dépêche du Midi SA - Head Office: rue du Mas-de-Grille
34430 Saint-Jean-de-Védas - Postal Address: 34438 Saint-Jean-de-Védas Cedex - Tel : 33 (0)4 67 07 67 07 - A production of Pôle Editions, in collaboration with Sud de France Développement and the
Regional Tourist Board. Publishing Manager: Bernard Maffre - Design, editorial coordination: Didier Thomas-Radux, Tel : 33 (0)4 67 07 66 11, Mail : [email protected] - Mail : [email protected]
Editorial staff: Didier Thomas-Radux, Marie Vanhamme, Anaïs Arnal, Catherine Betti, Cécile Marche, Saskia Leblon, Matthias Jaulent, Eric Delaperriere - Design: Studio IDM, Saint-Jean-de-Védas.
Picture archive: CRT Midi-Pyrénées, Sud de France Développement (A Cougnenc, C Deschamps), Archives Midi Libre, ADT du Lot (p.30.2 et p. 67.2), Jerome Morel (P. 57.2 / p.59.3), ADT 82 , Samuel Duplaix
(p.3 / p.75.4)), Didier Thomas-Radux (p.9.1 / p.28.1), Gouffre de Padirac (p.56.2), Grotte de Cabrespine (p. 59.2), AOC Faugères (p.63.2), Philippe Klein (p.65.3), Pierre Lasvenes (p.68.1 / p.69.3 / p.69.6),
CDT du Tarn (p.71.1), CDT 32 (p.71.2), Eric Delaperriere (p.38-39), Michel Clementz (p.40.2), William Truffy (p.19.2 / p.7.5/ p.69.1 / p.69.5 / P.73.3 / p. 74.1 / P.75), Fotolia (p.26.1 / p.70.2 / p.71.5 /
p.83.1 / p.85.2 / p.88.2 / p.89.3), Marc Ginot (p.81), Aurélio Rodriguez (p.13.3 / p.22.2 / p.26.2), Nelly Blaya (p.82.1), Emilie Gentils (p.72.3 / p.73.2 / P.74.2), Sensotek (p. 83.4 / p.93.1), Ville de Toulouse
(p.26 / p.27.2 Patrice Nin), Tourisme environnement Hautes-Pyrénées (p.31.2 / p.31.3 / p.33.2 JP Meyer / p.42.1 JP Meyer), Thierry Nava (p.45.2), Christophe Levillain (p.13.2/ p.24.2/ p.34.2 /p.50.2 /
p.51.1), Laurent Ballesta - Club Andromède plongée bio (p.86). Cover photo: Céline Deschamps - Impression: Léonce Deprez, France - Legal deposit: on publication - ISSN number: 2112-7468 - Joint Committee: 0418K 90782 - Midi Libre – may 2016 ©
2 I ÉDITO I Destination Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées
A vast land of welcome and liberty
Bigger than a country, heir to a past so rich that it concentrates in itself alone more sites on
the register of World Heritage sites or classed as such than any other region in France, Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées is that land where uniqueness is everywhere within your
grasp. Exceptional places labelled “Grands Sites” or those inscribed in the World Heritage of
Humanity by Unesco fly high the flag of our South. The Canal du Midi, the Chemins de SaintJacques, the episcopal city of Albi, the Causses and the Cévennes, the fortifications of Vauban,
the Pont du Gard, the Cirque de Gavarnie and the Mont Perdu, the city of Carcassonne… The
destination Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées is a veritable history book. So many prestigious places, tourist sites famous all over the world which are the object, with the 4,500 other
historic monuments registered, of an ambitious policy of valuing tourism.
This is the ideal destination for all those, male and female, who seek out authenticity with
notable landscapes and a notable heritage from the Cévennes to the Pyrenees, from the
Camargue to the valley of the Dordogne. In this immense area covered by the South of
France, intimate links between landscape and architecture, between villages and men are
proof. Nature has been preserved and is accessible to all, a source of harmony, pleasure
and relaxation.
Going off to explore this region is to taste the atmosphere of the country houses “bastides”
that decline their arcades, of half-timbered houses, of ports and markets in the noonday
sun, to go from the Rhône to the Garonne, from the Margeride to the Pyrenees by way of
Toulouse, Montpellier, Sète, Auch… It is to go back through time in Ariège with the sites
that tell of 14,000 years of history, to rediscover the splendour of the Roman Empire in
the arenas of Nîmes, the medieval beauty of the towers of the Pont Valentré and the castle
of Foix. It is to savour the Mediterranean for more than 200 kilometres of coastline.
For to travel through the Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées region is also to go out to
meet those extraordinary vineyards, those quality products which are dear to us, that philosophy of life in which quality culture is important and the sense of welcome fundamental. Whether it be in Laguiole at Michel Bras, the latter having been recently singled out as
the “best cook in the world” or in a straw hut near La Franqui, exigency and generosity go
together.
A change of scene and rest. Tradition and gourmandise. Marvelling and sharing. This is this
region’s triptych where tourism, thanks as much to canals and beaches as to spas and its
41 ski resorts, is a reality all the year round. Residing in Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, among the most
beautiful villages in France, the poet André Breton wrote: “I’ve stopped wanting to be anywhere else.” A sentence that we invite you to share!
Edito
Carole Delga
Chair of the Region
Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées
For more information: in order to complete your reading and your discovery
of the destination Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées,
you have at your disposal a web site: monnouvelhorizon.com
This little square is a QR code allowing you to connect directly
to the site monnouvelhorizon.com by scanning it with your Smartphone.
Destination Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées I ÉDITO I 3
Most beautiful villages in France
Santiago de Compostela Pilgrims’ Route:
Via Tolosana
UNESCO sites
Loubressac
Grotte de
Alvignac-Miers
Golf de Montal
Grotte des Merveilles
Presque
Canal de la Robine
ROCAMADOUR
Grotte de Cougnac
Canal du Rhône at Sète
Thermal resorts
GOURDON
Canal des Deux Mers (Two Seas Canal):
Cardaillac
A20 des Causses du Quercy
Canal du Midi
Mountain resorts
Autoire
Grotte
de Lacave
Parc Naturel Régional
Canal de la Garonne
Pleasure boat marinas
Cère
ne
Dordog
Via Domitia
Cities and Countries of Art and History
River ports
VALLÉE Carennac
Gouffre
DE LA
de
Padirac
Souillac DORDOGNE
Souillac Golf
et Country Club
Via du Piémont
Great Sites of France
A20
PARIS
Brives/
Vallée de la
Dordogne
Via Podiensis
Top Tourist Destinations
of Midi-Pyrénées
FIGEAC
Grotte du Pech Merle
Caves
lé
Cé
Lot
Golf ranges
CAHORS
Capdenacle-Haut Lot
SAINT-CIRQLAPOPIE
PECH-MERLE
Grotte de
Foissac
VILLEFRANCH
DE-ROUERGU
Phosphatières du
Cloup d’Aural
ron
A20
Lot
Golf de
Fleurance
Baïse
0
A2
CORDES-SUR-CIEL
CastelnaudeMontmiral
Bruniquel
Tarn
Tarn
Puycelsi Golf
ALBI
on
e
d’Aigueèlze
8
A6
one
Gim
ts
nne
Garo
Gess
Sav
Adour
Girou
Chemins St-Jacques
de Compostelle
SORÈZEREVELSAINT-FERRÉOL
Revel
A6
Villefranche1
de-Lauragais
AvignonetLauragais
e
392 m
e
Gers
MURET
e
Sav
Arra
Baïse
Golf du
Château
de Barbet Golf
de la
Ramée
Golf
Estolosa
4
A6
RamonvilleSaint-Agne
Golf Club
de Toulouse
Ariège
Golf de
Gascogne
TOULOUSE
A61
Arros
Golf du
Château de
Pallanne
ou
Golf
St-Gabriel
r
rs
Ge
Golf du
Téoula
MIRANDE
t
Agou
Gir
A68
So
Save
ne
A
Golf las
Martines
Dadou
Golf
de Fiac
Garon
Osse
s
t
rra
Golf d’Embats
Golf de
Palmola
A62
AUCH
Exclusiv
Golf
ToulouseSeilh
Sarrant
e
al d
Canaronne
la G
Lavardens
MARCIAC
Albi Florentin
Golf
Gim
Castéra-Verduzan
Adour
Echez
A20
lise
Gé
e
nne
Garo
Gélis
CASTELSARRASIN
2
Lectoure
Flaran
Valencesur-Baïse
FLARAN
BAÏSE
ARMAGNAC
Aveyron
A6
Golf
de Guinlet
Golf des
Aiguillons
Tarn
Garonne
Grotte du Bosc
Académie
Couleur
Golf
MONTAUBAN
Golf
d’Espalais
Gers
e
Douz
Barbotanles-Thermes
Mid
ou Séviac
Golf de
Montauban
L’Estang
s
Lemboula
MOISSAC
Auvillar
CONDOM
A20
SORTIE
Canal des
Deux Mers
Fourcès
Montréal
Larressingle
Avey
Lauzerte
Séoune
A6
Castelnaudary
6
Garon
ne
BAGNERESGouffre d’esparros
DE-BIGORREGrotte
ur
Gav
de Médous
e de
Pau
Pic du
Midi
te
Nes
Loudervielle
Peyragudes
Val Louron Superbagnères
BAGNÈRESDE-LUCHON
3222 m
Pic Perdiguère
Pyrénées
Mont Perdu
PY
RÉ
Camon
COLLECTION
ARIÈGE Grotte de
SAINTLIZIER
NÉ
Mont Valier
2838 m
Écogolf de
l’Ariège
Bédeilhac
Grotte de
la Vache
Grotte
de Niaux
Aulusles-Bains
Goulier
Guzet
ES
FOIX
Gouffre des
Corbeaux
Grotte de
Lombrives
MONTSÉGUR
TARASCONSUR-ARIÈGE
Pic d'Estats
3115 m
NIAUX
Ussat-les-Bains
des Pyrénées Ariégeoises
Ax-les-Thermes
Ax-3 Domaines
AscouPailhères
Arièg
Pyrénées Cathares
Mijanès
Puyvalador
Formiguères
Les Angles
e
GAVARNIE
MONT PERDU
Le Mourtis
Salat
PAMIERS
MIREPOIX
MAS-D’AZIL
Grotte
du Mas d’Azil
e
St-Lary-Soulan
Golf
municipal
SAINT-JUST
DE-VALCABRÈRE
Golf de
Salies-du-Salat
nn
Luz-Saint-Sauveur
Luz-Ardiden
Vignemale
3298 m
Vallées d’Aure
et du Louron
Saliesdu-Salat
Bram
Barbazan
ro
Ga
Hautacam
Barèges 2872 m
Grotte
de Gargas
Pique
Ado
Beaucens
Cauterets
SAINTGAUDENS
64
Capvern- A
les-Bains
ARGELESGAZOST
CAUTERETS
PONT D’ESPAGNE
SAINT-BERTRANDDE-COMMINGES
Golf du
Comminges
Lannemezan
Hers
Grotte
de Betharram
Golf de Tarbes
Les Tumulus
Golf de
l’hippodrome
Golf Country
de Bigorre
Montagne N
rs
Hers
LOURDES
Golf de
Lannemezan
He
Ariège
Lourdes Pyrénées
Golf Club
4
A6
TARBES
Lez
A64
Lèze
A64
BAYONNE
Sorèze
des Pyrénées Catalanes
Puymorens
Font Romeu
Golf de
Font-Romeu
4 I MAP I Destination Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées
Pyrénée
Puigmal
A75
CLERMONT-FERRAND
PARIS
N
Tru
Le Malzieu
yère
Loubressac
ST-CHÉLY-D’APCHER
La Chaldette
Bès
Les Bouviers
LANGOGNE
Nasbinals
VILLEFRANCHEDE-ROUERGUE
RODEZ
FLORAC
Gorges du Tarn
et de la Jonte
1565 m
Tarn
SORÈZEREVELSAINT-FERRÉOL
Thoré
CARCASSONNE
Ville Fortifiée
Historique
Golf de
Narbonne
Etang
de Bages Etang
de
et de
Sigean l’Ayrolle
de la Narbonnaise
en Méditerranée
Lagrasse
Alet-les-Bains
Limoux
A9
2027 m
Pic de la Fageolle
Golf de
Montescot
2910 m
Le Puigmal
Etang
de
Canet
Saint-Cyprien
Massif du Canigo
Amélieles-Bains
rm
Tech
eill
Canal
du Rhône à Sète
A54
MARSEILLE
e
Cap Béar
Anse de Paulilles
Banyuls-sur-Mer
Cerbère
Céret
Falgos Golf Resort
e
Puigmal
Grotte de
Fontrabiouse
Vallées
catalanes
Castelnou
Fortifications de Vauban
A9
Aude
Sègr
lf de
omeu
Golf de
SaintCyprien
Argelès-sur-Mer
Villefranche-de-Conflent du Tech et du Ter
Collioure
Vernet-les-Bains
Le Boulou
Port-Vendres
Pyrénées 2000
St-Pierre-des-Forçats
Eyne
Vallée de la Têt
Têt
Ve
Font Romeu
Eus
MER MEDITERRANEE
Ste-Marie-la-Mer
Canet-en-Roussillon
Têt
te
Matemalela-Llagonne
el Régional
s Catalanes
Le Barcarès
Cô
Puyvalador
Formiguères
Les Angles
ens
PERPIGNAN
Mosset
Molitgles-Bains
Evol
Gruissan
Port-Leucate
Etang
de
Leucate
Agly
Grotte de
l’Aguzou
Mijanès
LION
La Franqui
Leucate
Rennes-les-Bains
de
E
DU
Port-la-Nouvelle
La Palme
Sigean
Etang
de
Lapalme
Au
s
te
de
Trèbes
Golf de
Carcassonne
ult
or
Au
uM l
idi
Bram
Etang
de Mauguio
Etang
de Méjean
Orb
Grotte de
Limousis
Montagne Noire Can
d a
Lattes
Sète
Gouffre de
Cabrespine
Castelnaudary
Golf
Saint-Thomas
St-Gilles
Vauvert
Etang
de Scammandre
Etang
du Charnier
La
AiguesVilleneuveCarnonGrande- Mortes
lès-Maguelone
Motte
Palavasde Vic
Vic- Etang
les-Flots
Grotte de la Devèze
la-Gardiole
Pézenas BalarucLe Grau-du-Roi
Thoré
les-Bains
5
Port Camargue
Frontignan
A7
du Haut-Languedoc
Golf de
Bassin
Canal
Golfe d’Aig
Cap d’Agde de Thau
ue
BEZIERS
du Midi
sMinerve
Hé
rau
M
Marseillan
lt
Agde
Portiragnes
Vendres
Capestang
Vias
Le Cap d’Agde
NissanSérignan-Plage Cap d'Agde
Sallèles-d’Aude lez-Ensérunes
ValrasHomps Le Somail
Plage
Canal
de
Au
Port Cabanes de Fleury
A9
de la Robine
A61
Saint-Pierre-la-Mer
NARBONNE
u
Narbonne-Plage
bie
Or
Olargues
Sorèze
égional
riégeoises
MONTPELLIER
Orb
Golf Club
de Mazamet
La Barouge
Grotte de Clamouse
Golf de La
Golf de Coulondres Grande-motte Camargue
gardoise
A750
Vallée
du Salagou
et Cirque
de Mourèze
Golf de Montpellier Massane
Lamaloules-Bains
Agout
Lac du
Salagou
e
Lunas
Beaucaire
Bellegarde
4
1267 m
e
ôn
St-Guilhemle-Désert
A75
A9 Villeneuve-les-Avignon
Rh
A5
CASTRES
1117 m
Roc de la Layre
ôn
ou
urd
Mont
Golf de
Gourjade
de Lacaune
Golf de Fontcaude
Gorges
de l’Hérault
LODEVE
Remoulins
Pont du Gard
NÎMES
Grotte
des Demoiselles
Cirque de
Navacelles
Do
Lautrec
Gouffre
les Espélugues
Gorges
du Gardon
Grotte de Labeil
Avèneles-Bains
Dadou
Anduze
LE VIGAN
Rh
ues
Sorg
Golf d’Uzès
Uzès
Gard
Vidourle
SYLVANÈS
Causses
et Cévennes
Golf Club
Alès Ribaute
Grotte
de Trabuc
Abîme
de Brambiau
rd
La
Couvertoirade
Albi Florentin
Golf
lt
A9
LYON/PARIS
Ga
Cité
Épiscopale
ALBI
Dourdou
rau
5
Broussele-Château
Hé
A7
Golf d’Albi
Lasbordes
Tarn
Prat-Peyrot
Dourbie
Cités
templières
ROQUEFORT
on
des Grands Causses
CARMAUX
CastelnaudeMontmiral
Viaduc Meyrueis
de Millau
ALES
Tarn
S-SUR-CIEL
rbie
Dou
te
MILLAU
Jon
Aven
Armand
Grotte de
Dargilan
Aiguèze
Cèze
La Roque-sur-Cèze
Pont Saint-Esprit
Allègre-les-Fumades
n
Jonte
Peyre
Monestiés
Grotte
de la Cocalière
Tarn
Ardèche
Montclus
rdo
Lac de Pareloup
VIADUC
DE MILLAU
Grotte
de la Salamandre
Tarn
Ga
Sauveterrede-Rouergue
Golf de La Garde-Guérin
Mas de la Barque
Ste-Énimie
A7
5
Belcastel
Viaur
NAJAC
Pays d’art et d’histoire
Mende et Lot en Gévaudan
A9
Avey
Aveyron
r
Viau
ron
Bastides
du Rouergue
Ste-Eulalied’Olt
Sévéracle-Château
La GardeGuérin
1699 m
Mont Lozère
Le Bleymard
Villefort
© Réalisation STUDIO IDM (Midi Libre) pour Destination LRMP. Juin 2016 - Reproduction interdite sans autorisation préalable.
Golf du
Totche
Golf des
Gorges
du Tarn
Bagnolsles-Bains
Héra
RLE
St-Cômed’Olt
Golf du
Grand
Rodez
Lot
Rhône
Grotte de
Foissac
St-Chélyd’Aubrac
Espalion
Lot
GO
LF
Q-
MENDE
Estaing
CONQUES
Cransac-les-Thermes
ône
Capdenacle-Haut Lot
S
Laubert
Petit Rh
Lot
Domaine
de Barres
1448 m
Tarn
FIGEAC
Golf de Mezeyrac
A9
Laguiole
E
ac
Cardaillac
O
A
Saint-Alban-sur-Limagnolellier
AumontAubrac
re
Truyè
ssez
778 m
Cha
Grotte de
Presque
Autoire
La-Preste-les-Bains
Cap Cerbère
A9
BARCELONE
Grotte des
Grandes
Canalettes
ESPAGNE
Destination Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées I MAP I 5
SDF-7-16 - MEDITERRANEE - GB_Mise en page 1 01/06/16 15:21 Page6
6 I MEDITERRANEAN I Destination Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées
MEDITERRANEAN
Running over four departments and more than 200 kilometres the coastline
of the Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées region is an invitation
to take it easy and relax on the Mediterranean.
Little Camargue
Between land and sea:
the Thau lagoon
The Clape and the Narbonnaise
Collioure and Côte Vermeille
From the wild spaces of the Petite Camargue to the creeks of the Côte Vermeille, the destination
Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées has a unique maritime sea front more than 220 kilometres long,
lying along the Mediterranean. Wild areas, fine sandy beaches, fishing ports, places where you can
dive… the coastline harbours treasures jealously preserved, whether it be the superb natural setting
of Collioure, the nature reserve of the Clape, the diving zones of Cap d’Agde, the lido near Sète,
the unique atmosphere between sea and lakes of the Grand Travers, the immensity of the eleven
kilometres of unspoilt beach of l’Espiguette. A unique kingdom of sands.
Destination Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées I MEDITERRANEAN I 7
MEDITERRANEAN
Camargue
in Gard
Petite
A spellbinding alchemy
To the west of the Rhône, from the sea to the
Costières du Gard, the petite Camargue extends a
mosaic of landscapes. Vines and rice fields,
agricultural land irrigated by ‘roubines’. Meadows
and marshes where black bulls and white
Camargue horses browse. Sansouïres, between
marsh and lake, which are tinted in autumn with
the red colour of the Salicornia. A reedbed,
harbouring purple herons, bitterns, ducks and
other water nesting birds. As to lakes, that of the
Scamandre, the centre of a regional nature
reserve where prepared paths and belvederes
invite you to admire the numerous birds,
privileged and discreet occupants. The pine forest
of great umbrella pines stand out against the blue
of the sky and the sea, saturated in summer with
the singing of the cicadas. The dunes planted with
euphorbia and other trees to stop the sand
moving give to the sandy arrow of l’Espiguette the
appearance of a desert by the sea. Here and
there, away from towns (Beauvoisin and the
abbey of Franquevaux, Saint-Laurent-d’Aigouze
and la Tour Carbonnière…) on the edge of the Petit
Rhône, some big isolated farms shelter behind
groves of pines or deciduous trees. Man has
known how to stay withdrawn from this wild land,
a timeless symbol of an untameable territory,
contenting himself sometimes to orientate nature
and to extract from it certain riches. Reeds served
for the making of cob for walls and for the roof of
the first dwellings and if the sagneurs [reedcutters] can be counted today on the fingers of
one hand, they are still the masters of the biggest
reedbed in Western Europe. In wine-producing
areas planted on pebbly alluvial deposits or on
sandy soils the herds succeed each other. The
rearers and the gardians still move the bulls on
from one meadow to another, helped by the horse
in the Camargue.
Centre de Découverte du Scamandre.
Tel. 33 (0)4 66 76 78 55
camarguegardoise.com
Useful to know
The prestigious past of Saint-Gilles
A place for passing though during
the Middle Ages, Saint-Gilles is a peaceful town
rich with a unique patrimony including
the abbey church built in 1116 above the tomb
of Saint-Gilles, venerated by the faithful
and which has a superb façade with three portals
separated by columns sculpted throughout.
Situated on the road to Santiago de Compostela,
registered as part of the World Heritage
of Humanity by UNESCO, Saint-Gilles is
the 4th most important place of pilgrimage
in the Christian world. Various manifestations
are in the pipeline this year from June
to September to celebrate the 900th anniversary
of the abbey church.
Office de Tourisme de Saint-Gilles
tourisme.saint-gilles.fr
Le Cailar at the hour of la bouvine
A votive feast entirely devoted to passion for the bull
The best bulls participate in
the courses camarguaises the
calendar for which goes from April
to October. But Le Cailar, named
‘Mecque de la Bouvine’ [heart of
Camargue lifestyle] celebrates bulls
during its votive feast in August.
Each day the courses camarguaises
see the most intrepid bull jumpers
or razeteurs and the quickest to
snatch the attributes affixed to
the bull (rosette, tassel, string).
The ferrade competition (branding
of the young bulls), the courses
de vachettes [bull runnings] and
balls complete the programme.
If “abrivado” and “bandido” open
and close every day, on Wednesday,
the ‘journée à l’ancienne’ [old-style
day] invites the participants to put
on costumes dating back to 1900
to be present at the selection
of bulls in the Ladies’ Meadows,
then, after lunch, to accompany
them, surrounded by gardians
on horseback to the arenas
to the sound of a peña band.
Fête votive du Cailar,
from 6 to 14 August 2016.
Tel. 33 (0)4 66 88 01 05
The “Bayle”
(he who guards the
bulls) is responsible
for the herd which
he rides through on
horseback equipped
with his trident,
which allows him
to have himself
obeyed by
the bulls.
Two infinite
spaces
Girded with impressive ramparts flanked with six towers including that of
Constance, a symbol of the power of Saint-Louis, Aigues-Mortes resembles a citadel
of stones in a universe of water. The alleyways and shaded places of the city breathe
a gentle way of life. Seen from the covered way on the ramparts the salt marshes
have a geometry with pink, blue and ochre nuances. The salt flower, manually harvested by the saltworkers (sauniers), forms white heaps bordering the reddening
water (‘camelles’). The micro-algae that colour them are appreciated by pink flamingos which are just some of the numerous guests of the saltpans to be visited in a
little train with the ascent of a camelle or by mountain bike with a guide.
Office de Tourisme d’Aigues-Mortes. Tel. 33 (0)4 66 53 73 – ot-aiguesmortes.com
Salins d’Aigues-Mortes. Tel. 33 (0)4 66 73 40 24 – visitesalinsdecamargue.com
MEDITERRANEAN
Between land and sea
The Thau lagoon
Sète, the temptation of an island
If the Ile Singulière as it is called is today the first
fishing port in the Mediterranean, its vocation
as a port was not born yesterday and is inscribed
in the town’s layout. Alleyways bordered with
narrow houses with coloured frontages, washing
at the windows, chairs on the pavement to cool
down and chat… The Upper town, given the
name “Little Naples”, is inhabited by Italian
fishermen. The Virgin Mary, Queen of the Sea,
“Regina Maris”, who, at the top of the church
of Saint-Louis, watches over the fisherman,
is there to remind us of it. La Pointe Courte,
the quarter of French or Catalan fishermen,
is concentrated in a few alleyways consisting
of small houses and fishing shacks lining the
edge of the lake where lobster pots and nets dry
in close proximity to the boats. The Pointus have
their team for nautical jousts, where teams
confront each other in summer on the Canal
Royal, which celebrates 350 years of being there
this year. Along the quays restaurants,
shops, coloured frontages, wealthy apartment
buildings, a consular palazzo in Art Déco style
invite you to make your walk longer or to embark
to slide down the canals and go under their nine
bridges. On one of the slopes of Mont Saint-Clair
which dominates the town from a height of 183
metres, offering a panoramic view as far as the
horizon, the graveyard by the sea stands out
against a background of sea and blue sky.
Paul Valéry and Jean Vilar are buried there
while Georges Brassens chose the cemetery
of the poor facing the Thau lagoon.
The ultimate expression of the relationship
that unites artists with their island.
Office de Tourisme de Sète.
Tel. 33 (0)4 99 04 71 71
tourisme-sete.com
Useful to know
From the maritime
museum to dinosaurs
Between landscapes of vineyards
and stretches of lagoon,
the gentle way of Mediterranean life
takes on its full meaning
in the little villages of the Thau lagoon.
In Loupian there are the vestiges
of a Gallo-Roman villa
which are open to the general public.
In Mèze we can go even further
back in time with the Plain of the Dinosaurs,
a site rich in the eggs
and the bones
of this prehistoric animal.
dinosaure.eu
Abundance
The “singular island” has an artistic side
“The Crossing” of Jean Denant on
the coast road, “The Madonna”
in the Upper town by Richard di Rosa
– the brother of Hervé, leader
of the free Figuration movement
and president of the International
Museum of Modest Art situated on
the outskirts of the canal -, the artists
of Sète love their town. The Regional
Centre for Modern Art installed
in a former factory, the Paul Valéry
Museum that devotes its summer
exhibition to Max Ernst and Yves
Tanguy, the Georges Brassens
Gallery, the open air museum and its
works by “street artists”, guests
of the K-Live Festival… Sète loves
artists – Soulages has set up his
summer residence there and his
studio -, and not just visual artists.
The Theatre on the Sea, with its stage
open to Big Blue, is the magical
backdrop of Fiest’A Sète, a festival
of “world music”, Jazz in Sète and
lots of other concerts too…
Espace Georges Brassens.
Tel. 33 (0)4 99 04 76 26
espace-brassens.fr
Lagoon
The Thau lagoon,
a paradise for oysters
It was in the 1980s
that the town council
in Sète invited
Richard Di Rosa,
a native of the Upper
Town, to complete
a sculpture. It is this
well-proportioned
madonna with
the fleshy mouth
who is enthroned
in the native quarter
of the artist.
From Bouzigues to Mèze oyster beds criss-cross the
Thau lagoon. The oyster is the pearl of this lagoon
where farms are sometimes open to the public to
visit and sell on directly their harvest of oysters
and mussels. The museum of the Etang de Thau
highlights every aspect of the oyster-farming tradition which has made this lagoon’s reputation. It is
also celebrated for its biodiversity. Walking along
the lake from the museum via the Angle creek allows you to drink in its particular atmosphere, to
watch, in the shadow of the umbrella pines, the silver sheen of the fish, the spectacular diving of the
terns or the graceful step of the avocet.
Musée de l’étang de Thau.
Tel. 33 (0)4 67 78 33 57 – bouzigues.fr
MEDITERRANEAN
Ste-Lucie
An island in
the middle
of the lakes
The Clape and
The Narbonnaise
Between land and sea
Long sandy beaches, marshes and lakes, the clear gulfs
sung of by Trenet mark out the seaside resorts here.
Narbonne-Plage with numerous nautical activities;
Saint-Pierre la Mer whose most unspoilt beach stretches
out as far as the lake of Pissevaches; Gruissan, an old
fishing and wine-making village and its chalets on piles.
Port-la-Nouvelle and its long beach of La Palme;
Leucate, a spot celebrated for sand-yachting and
kite-surfing, and its cliff that dominates the sea;
La Franqui which possesses one of the most beautiful
beaches in France… At the heart of a natural world
preserved by the Regional Nature Park,
the Narbonne area reveals multiple facets
from scrubland to vineyards, dotted with superb
wine-producing abbeys. The rock of Cornillac,
a celebrated observation platform from which to see
migrating birds, offers a unique vantage point
over the lakes and massifs of La Clape and Corbières
Office de Tourisme de Narbonne.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 65 15 60
narbonne-tourisme.com
A maritime heritage
A heart of limestone to be tamed…
La Clape was an island.
The draining of the
marshes and the filling
in of the lakes have joined
it to the plain of Corbières
and a coastal cordon has
separated it from the sea.
The rock face, either
naked or covered by
scrub, is omnipresent.
The massif contains
however a network
of underground rivers,
brought to light in the
We need to cross the lock of the
canal de la Robine that borders it
in order to come out on Sainte-Lucie
island. The long unspoilt beach,
the pinewoods of Aleppo pines,
the scrubland, the marshes
at the foot of the cliff… the island
concentrates in one limited area
the finest landscapes of the
Mediterranean coast. Various
vestiges recount its history,
the old Roman quarries,
Romanesque ruins, the wine cellar,
the old smallholding, the bunkers…
Blue dominates from the panoramic
viewpoint of the Roc Saint-Antoine
to that of the lakes of Ayrolle,
Bages and Sigean, the salt marshes
and the sea.
Office de Tourisme
de Port-la-Nouvelle.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 48 00 51
ot-portlanouvelle.com
chasm of L’Oeil Doux,
a circle of emerald green
water in the hollow of the
high cliffs. The chapel
of Notre Dame des Auzils,
protector of sailors, with
numerous ex votos, looks
out to sea. From the
domain of L’Oustalet
several paths go through
odorous scrubland,
a holm oak-clad massif,
a forest of Aleppo pines, a
steep coomb, while to the
cliffs where birds of prey
nest, clings the very rare
Centaury of La Clape.
The massif of La Clape
presents multiple faces
which we need to take
time to discover.
Maison de la Clape.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 45 25 47
parc-naturelnarbonnaise.fr
The Marie-Thérèse, a big
boat built in 1855, is the
first restoration project to
be credited to Yann Pajot.
Other boats have taken on
new life and colours at his
hands in the boatyard of the
lock of Mandirac. The young
naval carpenter also runs
the Ateliers de la Mémoire
[Memory Workshops] installed on the island of SainteLucie and devoted to the
restoration of a fleet of
boats traditionally found on
the lakes and the coast
Ecluse de Mandirac.
Tel. 33 (0)6 83 06 06 23.
parc-naturel-narbonnaise.fr
MEDITERRANEAN
Fortress
Salses,
the buried fort
Catalan coast
The Florida of seaside tourism
From Barcarès to Argelès-sur-Mer, the Catalan coast
or Radiant Coast, stretches out its kilometres of sandy
coastline between sea and lakes. A coast so flat that
you have to go back to Leucate in the Aude to find cliffs
to climb that allow you to admire it in its entirety
from north to south.
This part of the Roussillon coast became one of the
targets of the Mission Racine at the beginning of the
1960s which created several “new tourist units” as
elsewhere on the coast of Languedoc. Port-Leucate,
Port-Barcarès (and its famous run-aground steamship,
the Lydia), Canet-en-Roussillon, Torreilles-Plage,
Saint-Cyprien, Argelès-sur-Mer and its camping sites…
The ports and seaside resorts that have emerged from
the coastal development were often decried for the
anarchy of their architecture and the harm they did
to the environment, but some of them are yardsticks,
considered as models of environmental friendliness,
such as the Village des Sables of Sainte-Marie.
Whether you are for or against, you are obliged
to admit that “solar tropism” continues to attract
people to the coastal areas of our shoreline.
The blue line of the Albères
Among the natural niches
of the Catalan coast, there
is one that is appreciated
in particular, unspoilt and
more accessible than the
Canigou: it’s the massif
of the Albères, straddling
both sides of the
Pyrenees. A strategic
passing point between
France and Spain
(via the col de Panissars
and the col du Perthus),
this beautiful mountain
cross-bred with maquis,
cork-oaks and plantations
of beeches, contains
pretty villages and
culminates in Pic Neulos
(1,256 metres), which
affords a breath-taking
panoramic view of the
plain of Roussillon.
An oasis of coolness
and calm only a few
minutes from the
beaches. You can do
rock-climbing there,
mountain biking,
canoeing and discover
little jewels of the
heritage like the Madeloc
Tower and the Tower
of Massane, old medieval
signal towers; the castle
of Ultrera and several
magnificent preRomanesque abbeys,
notably the priory
of Santa Maria del Vilar
of Villelongue-dels-Monts.
A stone’s throw from the lake
of Salses-Leucate the fortress
of Salses, built by the architect
Francisco Ramiro Lopez and
marking the frontier between
Catalonia and the Kingdom of
France, surprises us with its feline
architecture, all curves and
photogenic stones. A formidable
war machine designed by the
Catholic kings of Spain at the end
of the 15th century to resist the
cannonballs from French canons,
Salses is largely inspired by the
architectural trickery of Muslims.
The surprising secrets of the
construction of the building, which
will be partially restored by Vauban,
are worth a detour.
forteresse-salses.fr
A region of lakes
Irrigated by three rivers (the
Tech, the Têt and the Agly)
the Catalan coast is also rich
in its lakes, like that of Canet-Saint-Nazaire, one of the
finest in the Eastern Pyrenees, a protected space of a
million hectares in which
some 250 species of bird
are spread out. The lake of
Salses-Leucate, which owes
its existence to marshland,
plays host to the last traditional fishermen (the “artmanos”) whose boats and
shacks in reeds (sanills) are
visible to Barcarès. The 145
hectare nature reserve of
Mas Larrieu is situated in
the commune of Argelès-surMer and Elne.
CoASTAL ToUR
Petite Camargue
Ephèbe - Agde
Coastal tour
How many variations of surroundings and
atmosphere there are over the 220 kilometres
of the Mediterranean coast! From the
marshy moors of the Petite Camargue
to the sheltered bays of the Côte
Vermeille, let’s have an overview.
Collioure
Banyuls
The discovery
of a manade...
Manades cannot be disassociated from the landscape of the Petite Camargue. The cross of the
Camargue, the costume of a
herdsman, young bullfighters are
just a few of the symbols which
have gone to make up the Camargue identity. And if today the
daily duties are carried out in
4x4s, the horse of the Camargue
is indispensable to move bulls
and, of course, for the numerous
festivals that punctuate the summer season. Proud of their tradi-
tions, numerous manadiers welcome groups for demonstrations
of techniques of rearing and the
explanation of Camargue traditions. Events on the programme
include the ferrade (the branding
of baby calves), the selection of
bulls, the whole thing finishing
traditionally with an aperitif and
a meal with singing.
Office de Tourisme
d’Aigues-Mortes.
Tel 33 (0)4 66 53 73
ot-aiguesmortes.com
Office de Tourisme du Grau-duRoi. Tel. 33 (0)4 66 51 67 70
vacances-en-camargue.com
An animal,
animals
Shivers down the spine are guaranteed at the shark tank of the
Seaquarium of Le Grau du Roi
where 30 species of shark are moving about. The African safari park
of Sigean is visited by car. Aquatic
fauna have given themselves a
rendezvous in the aquarium of Canet-en-Roussillon, while in Sorède
turtles reign supreme, from the
giant turtle of the Seychelles to
the alligator turtle. The biodiversarium represents biodiversity in
the sea and on land in the Pyrénées-Orientales associating the
Aquarium of Banyuls-sur-Mer and
the Mediterranean garden of Mas
de la Serre.
- Seaquarium.
Tel. 33 (0)4 66 51 57 57
seaquarium.fr
- Réserve Africaine.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 48 20 20
reserveafricainesigean.fr
- Aquarium.
Tel. 33 (0) 04 68 80 49 64
aquarium-canet.com
- Vallée des Tortues.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 95 50 50
lavalleedestortues.fr
- Biodiversarium.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 88 73 39
biodiversarium.fr
CoASTAL ToUR
Varied pleasures from the Petite Camargue to the Côte Vermeille
In pursuit
of the étang de l’Or
You need to get high up to admire
the savage beauty exuded by the
chaplet of lakes stretching out
along the coast from Grau-du-Roi
to La Grande Motte. A thin and
fragile sandy cordon separates
them from the sea. The planned
paths of the étang du Méjean and
their observation platforms
along marshes, reed beds, salt
meadows favour the discovery of
bulls, horses and numerous
birds. The banks fringed with
reeds of the Or lagoon with its
traditional shacks serve as refuges for ducks and coots.
Planted in the middle of the
lakes, the cathedral church of Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone is the
organ stop in this terraqueous
submersion. Its pure lines impart
a feeling of fullness.
Office de Tourisme
de Mauguio-Carnon.
Tel. 33 (0)4 67 50 51 15
carnontourisme.com
Office de Tourisme
de Palavas-les-Flots.
Tel. 33 (0)4 67 07 73 34
ot-palavaslesflots.com
The tour
of private beaches
On the long coastline of Hérault,
between Le Grau-du-Roi and Cerbère, private beaches are not
thin on the ground. If the principle is identical – steamboats,
mattresses for lazing about in the
sun and peaceful or hectic evenings – each straw hut cultivates
its style and its look. Grilled fish,
feet in the sand at the Estuaire
Plage done up in an enchanting
interior décor in Grau du Roi,
scalloped nuts in a chic atmosphere at La Paillote-Bambou in La
Grande Motte… Or then again a
cuisine bearing the signature of
the Pourcel chefs at Carré Mer in
a laid-back atmosphere modelled
on the pretty beach of Villeneuvelès-Maguelone. A family atmosphere and fisherman’s shack
décor for Les Voiles where fish is
the main course in Portiragnes.
As for lovers of tranquillity, they
will be seduced by Chez Hervé
Côté Plage in Grau d’Agde
Karine and Yvan Caussel at
Mèze… There are many of them
to accompany the sampling of a
Picpoul de Pinet whose territory
stretches round the basin. Marseillan is also the head office for
the Cellars of Noilly Prat where
the guided tour, after reservation, finishes with a sampling of
this aperitif created in 1813…
Office de Tourisme de Marseillan. Tel. 33 (0)4 67 43 93 08
tourisme-nordbassindethau.fr
Noilly Prat.
Tel. 33 (0)4 67 77 20 15
noillyprat.com
Agde, an
explosive town
A hunger
for oysters
It is well-known for its slight taste
of hazelnut. Raised along cords
in the farms that criss-cross the
Thau lagoon, the oyster of Bouzigues has known how to
conquer gourmet palates. From
Bouzigues to Mèze by way of
Marseillan oyster farms have
chosen to open their doors to visitors for them to discover the
work of the sea’s gardeners and
to sample the production. The
Saint-Barth, the Mas Roucairol at
Marseillan, the Recantou, Chez
Petit Pierre at Bouzigues, the
petit Mas, L’Atelier at Loupian,
It owes its name, “the black
pearl”, to its numerous buildings
made of basalt. Its ramparts, the
cathedral of Saint-Étienne, the
musée de l’Éphèbe which
contains “The Beautiful Young
Man of Agde”, an ancient bronze
statue found in the waters of
Grau d’Agde, prompt you to take
a stroll around this old port city.
To the beaches of fine sand of
Cap d’Agde, of which some are
prized by naturists, may be
added those of black sand at the
foot of the lava cliffs of La
Conque. At the diving spot of Les
Grandes Tables, each dive-trip is
guided by an instructor and the
exploratory path at the side of
the beach suits a tête à tête with
deep sea depths that offer great
diversity. Lovers of fiestas will
head for the Ile aux Loisirs and its
discos, while Dinopark and Aqualand will delight the children.
Office de Tourisme d’Agde.
Tel. 33 (0)4 67 01 04 04
capdagde.com
In the footsteps
of the painters
Collioure the “Fauve” pays tribute
to the pictorial movement led by
Matisse and Derain. The Chemin
du Fauvisme follows the places
where the two painters positioned
their easels and offers a face-toface between the reproduction of
the picture and the port, the
beaches, the houses and the roofs
of the town that inspired them. Picasso and Braque stopped off at
Céret which witnessed the birth
of the Cubist movement. The Musée d’Art Moderne brings together
the works of the greatest artists
of the 20th century who stayed in
the town and its surrounding area.
Aristide Maillol, a native of Banyuls-sur-Mer, has his own museum in the former smallholding
that served him as a studio.
Office de Tourisme de Collioure.
Tel. 33 (0)68 82 15 47
collioure.com
Musée d’Art Moderne de Céret.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 87 27 76
www.musee-ceret.com
Musée Maillol.
Tel. 33 (04) 68 88 57 11
museemaillol.com
The coastal path
After leaving Le Racou, at Argelès-sur-Mer, the coastal path is
ideal to explore the Côte Vermeille. The walking trail goes
along preserved creeks, forts
and vines on terraces on the massif des Albères. The seagulls that
nest in the schist cliffs sometimes go with you for part of the
way. The path goes through Collioure, passing the foot of the
Château Royal and carries on towards Port-Vendres. The stroll
along the quays with coloured
houses can be extended as far as
the cove of Paulilles via Cap Béar
and its lighthouse. The coastal
path continues up to the Spanish
border, to Puig de Cerbère, twisting and turning in the middle of
the odorous scrubland, offering
magnificent views over the rugged shore of the back country.
Office de Tourisme Banyuls-surMer. Tel. 33 (0)4 68 88 31 58
banyuls-sur-mer.com
MEDITERRANEAN
Unique
The cove
of Paulilles,
a savage beauty
Côte Vermeille
Collioure
The jewel of the Côte Vermeille
in a brushstroke
Named the “jewel of the Côte Vermeille”, Collioure
has captivated painters who have dipped their brush
into its luminous colours. The Château Royal lays claim
to its medieval past, the church of Notre Dame des
Anges, with its feet in the water and its steeple beacon
watching over the bay while the jetty goes along a small
shingle beach. The quarter of Mouré aligns its houses
of pink and ochre, its floral balconies along alleyways
paved with pebbles where the studios of craftsmen and
galleries are installed. Sheltered from a creek where the
Mediterranean laps against the foothills
of the Pyrenees, this old fishing village, bathed
in poetry and a gentle way of life, was for a long time
one of the main places in France for anchovy fishing.
Two salting shops are open to visitors. A half an hour
walk leads to Fort Saint-Elme for a unique panoramic
view of the town and the surrounding countryside.
Office de Tourisme de Collioure.
Tel. 33(0)4 68 82 15 47
collioure.com
A coastline highly coloured
The Côte Vermeille is a
palette of colours: the blue
of the sea, the white of the
summits of the Pyrenees,
the green of hills that are
wooded or furrowed with
vines, turquoise creeks,
golden sands… Here the
sand gives way to rocks,
the massif des Albères
plunges into the sea.
The beaches nest in
the creeks, the ports in
the hollow of the bays…
Argelès-sur-Mer and
the unspoilt beach of
Le Racou, Collioure,
Port-Vendres and its
village backing on to a
hillside facing the lagoon,
Banyuls – famous for its
wines and its picturesque
alleyways. Cerbère and its
amazing hotel Rayon Vert.
The wild coast, the capes
of Béar and Rédéris,
unroll the magic carpet
of the Roussillon coast
as far as Spain.
Tourist Offices:
Argelès-sur-Mer
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 81 15 85
argeles-sur-mer.com
Collioure.
Tel. 33(0)4 68 82 15 47
collioure.com
Port-Vendres.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 82 07 54
port-vendres.com
Banyuls-sur-Mer.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 88 31 58
banyuls-sur-mer.com
Between Port-Vendres and Banyuls,
the cove of Paulilles stretches
out its sandy beaches and
its turquoise waters. At the site
of an old dynamite factory,
henceforth classed as a site
of natural beauty, nature has come
into its own again. Woods of holm
oaks, lush vegetation in which are
mixed local flora and the exotic
variety in the old Director’s garden.
The buildings have become
a belvedere, a hostel, a restoration
workshop for Catalan boats…
The magic is operating underwater
too. All you need is a mask and
a snorkel to dive into its limpid
waters, also protected, and
to admire the marine depths.
Maison du site de Paulilles.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 95 23 40
ledepartement66.fr
Big Blue
From the beach at Peyrefite
the underwater path of the
Réserve Naturelle Marine of
Cerbère-Banyuls may be visited with a mask, a snorkel
and flippers. Five observation platforms marked with
a buoy are equipped with
submerged signs for information purposes, an aid to
exploring the marine depths.
The voice of Astrée, a little
starfish, via an FM breathing
tube, accompanies children
to introduce its friends to
them…
Réserve Naturelle Marine
de Cerbère Banyuls
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 88 56 87
SDF-17-32 - VILLES - GB_Mise en page 1 01/06/16 15:26 Page17
TOWNS
The Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées destination is a region which, around its two main towns
Toulouse and Montpellier, has at its disposal an important network of towns.
Montpellier, Languedoc radiant
Toulouse, the town where you can see
life in the pink
Albi, colourful and gourmet-friendly
Lourdes, a town that belongs to the world
From Roman Nîmes to medieval Cahors, from Auch in Gascony to Catalan Perpignan, the destination
Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées offers wide open spaces and urban areas of character.
Toulouse the pink town, the home of Airbus, possesses a unique charm on the banks of the Garonne
while Montpellier spreads towards the Mediterranean, situated only a few kilometres away.
Between towns two thousand years old on the old Roman road and medieval cities which have
kept proud traces of their past, there is a whole string of cities that are charming and have character,
of which a great number are labelled «Ville d’art et d’histoire» [“Artistic and historical town”], offering
themselves to visitors half-modern, half-historical.
Destination Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées I TOWNS I 17
TOWNS
Leisure
time
Nature as
a playground
Mende
The pious city at the heart of the Lozère
Mende seems to huddle under the grey mantle of its
schist roofs topped by the two impressive asymmetrical
bell towers of Notre Dame cathedral and Saint-Privat.
An episcopal city, considered in the 16th century as one
of the richest dioceses in Languedoc, it was in the
5th century B.C. that the town developed benefitting
from the spin-offs of numerous pilgrimages to the grotto
of Mont Mimat, the place where Saint-Privat, bishop
of the Gabales (or those who lived in the Gévaudan)
was martyred. The Tower of the Penitents, the old
Carmelite convent and of course the cathedral,
bear the mark of this story. It was built at the behest
of Pope Urban V, a native of the Gévaudan,
whose bronze statue still stands in the square
in front of the church.
The cathedral, destroyed in 1581, was rebuilt
in the 17th century. The climb up the 430 steps
of one of the bell towers offers a superb view
over the town
Office de Tourisme de Mende.
Tel. 33 (0)4 66 65 60 00
ot-mende.fr
Following a trail through the town
Mende counts a great
number of fountains
in its centre and many
statues of the Virgin
which nestle in tiny
oratories. Like a paper
trail tracking them down
allows you to discover
the town by ploughing
through the streets lined,
here and there, by superb
half-timbered houses with
wooden sides. There’s a
Virgin carved in wood in
18 I TOWNS I Destination Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées
the rue Basse; a niche
of a semi-circular shape
hollowed into the wall
of a house sheltering
a Black Virgin, topped
by a fountain running
into a stone basin in
the rue Notre-Dame ;
a Pieta in multi-coloured
stone in the street of
Aiguës Passes…
Madonnas still venerated
at great religious feasts.
The public fountains are
fed by the waters
of several springs
channelled into
a subterranean network
which can be seen
in the basins of the old
wash-house
of La Calquière.
Children are the privileged
interlocutors of this park which
offers a strange journey through
a region of water and sounds and
which sets you off on a walk among
the trees. More than a park to relax
in, the Vallon du Villaret, half an
hour from Mende, is a big modern
garden with installations created
by artists issuing an invitation
to an intelligent, ludic and
marvellous encounter with nature.
Exhibitions (Ben, Claude Viallat,
Pierrick Sorin, Alain Clément,
Soulages, Tapies…) in a 16th
century tower and concerts
come to punctuate the season.
Vallon du Villaret.
Tel. 33 (0)4 66 47 63 76
levillaret.fr
Panoramic view over
the town
The Causse of Mende affords a superb panoramic
view over the town to the
Cross of Mont-Mimat, situated in close proximity to the
grotto and the chapel of
Saint-Privat. In July and August several rendezvous at
6 o’clock in the morning invite you to be present when
the sun rises over the town,
with music and accompanied by a sweet and savoury
breakfast based on local
products.
Office de Tourisme de Mende.
Tel. 33 (0)4 66 94 00 23
ot-mende.fr
TOWNS
Carré
d’Art
Harmony and
transparency
Nîmes
The centuries old dialogue of the “French Rome”
Its ancient monuments have made a reputation for it.
The amphitheatre naturally, one of the best preserved
of the Roman world. Then there are the Maison Carrée,
a temple that dominated the ancient city, the Gate of
Augustus, the Temple of Diana, the Tour Magne [Great
Tower]. But far from resting on its laurels, Nîmes – which
is waiting to be listed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO
– has set up a dialogue with the centuries. Norman
Foster’s Carré d’Art faces the Maison Carrée. The Jean
Jaurès alleys have been revisited by Jean-Michel Wilmotte
who is also renovating the Halles (food market) with
François Fontès. Jean Nouvel has put his name to the
Némausus, futuristic social housing. Next to great
architects, designers and renowned artists: Philippe Stark
has made a monument of a bus shelter and is redesigning
the town’s coat of arms, a crocodile attached to a palm
tree. Martial Raysse for his part is restructuring the place
of Assas a stone’s throw from the Carré d’Art and is
imagining with Silvio and Vito Tongiani the fountain in the
market square. The future museum of the Roman era has
been entrusted to Elisabeth and Christian de
Portzamparc. History goes forward.
Office de Tourisme de Nîmes.
Tel. 33 (0)4 66 58 38 00 - ot-nimes.fr
A garden historical and refreshing
The Jardins de la Fontaine
offer a refreshing pause
in a beautifully
landscaped environment,
punctuated with vases
and statues. A spring
which was for a long time
a mystery, dedicated
to the god Némausus,
was there at the start
of their construction
in the 18th century
on the ancient sanctuary
that gave birth to the town
of Nîmes, bringing
together the Tour Magne
and the Temple of Diana.
Water is omnipresent,
flowing into canals
and basins, hiding under
white water lilies, falling
down in a curtain over
a grotto. Here and there
benches invite you to be
contemplative in the
garden rockery bordering
the basins while stairs
going from terrace to
terrace, climb towards
the Great Tower, a vestige
of the ancient Augustan
enclosure. In August
the Féérie des Eaux
choreographs in water
and light this “remarkable
garden” labelled as such
by the Ministry of Culture.
Jardins de la Fontaine.
Tel. 33 (0)4 66 58 38 00.
Signed by the architect Norman
Foster, the Carré d’Art faces
the Maison Carrée which is reflected
in its glass façade. Totally
transparent the great hall serves
with glass-walled lifts and stairways
at different levels the two upper
floors sheltering the Museum
of Modern Art. In partnership
with the Centre Pompidou
and the Imperial Palace in Tokyo,
the museum will offer this summer
an exhibition by Ugo Rondino.
On the top floor, under the glass
roof of the atrium, the terrace
of the restaurant offers a view over
the red tiled roofs of the old
Roman city.
Carré d’Art.
Tel. 33 (0)4 66 76 35 70
carreartmusee.com
Leather boots
from the Camargue
Roman and modern Nîmes
also bathes in taurine tradition. Provençal shirts and
boots from the Camargue
are required dress during
ferias. In the little village of
Villetelle, « La Botte Gardiane » labelled Living Heritage Enterprise, specializes
in the making of herdsmen’s
boots. Made by hand these
classic Camargue boots, in
calf leather, are sometimes
embellished with embroidery and inlays.
La Botte Gardiane.
Tel. 33 (0)4 67 66 29 58
labottegardiane.com
TOWNS
Montpellier
Languedoc radiant
Endowed with a recent history –
hardly a thousand years –
Montpellier has been able to make
up for it with an extraordinary
dynamism. The town retains
a timeless charm thanks to the
medieval appearance of its streets
and numerous private dwellings.
The squares, animated like the place
de la Comédie or more intimate
like the place Sainte-Anne or that
of Canourgue, are one of the
treasures of the town, which also
contains the warrior cathedral
of Saint-Pierre bracketed next to t
he Faculty of Medicine and the neoGothic Saint-Roch, an epicentre of
the wine bar and restaurant quarter.
A town of the South enjoying 300
days of sunshine a year where it does
you good to walk around.
Office de Tourisme de Montpellier.
Tel. 33 (0)4 67 60 60 60
montpellier-tourisme.fr
Coast A metropolis in reach of the sea
Up until the end of the 1960s Montpellier was joined to the sea by the little
train from Palavas, a seaside resort situated about ten kilometres from
the town. For some years now public transport has allowed once again
to get close to the coast by tram (Line 3) as far as Pérols, then by shuttle
bus. To go to Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone towards the Pilou beach a Tam ticket
combining bus and bicycle allows you to finish your journey by Californian
bike made available specially in summer. The most sporty can also get to
the sea from Montpellier by following the banks of the Lez in less than
an hour. Ideal for going to have a little bathe in an environment kept
between sea and lagoon, for practising nautical activities by going to one
of the sailing harbours on the coast or tasting the fish food specialities
of numerous private beaches set up for the season by the side of the sea.
These last years the coastline has been the object of important
developments on the Grand and the Petit Travers.
Office de Tourisme de La Grande-Motte.
Tel. 33 (0)4 67 56 42 00 – lagrandemotte.com
A garden to explore
The Jardin des Plantes of
Montpellier, situated near the
Jardin du Peyrou, is a jewel
of 4.5 hectares in the heart
of the town. Created in 1593
under Henri IV it is the oldest
botanical garden in France.
It still remains the property
of the University which had
at its disposal in this way
medicinal herbs. The location
consists of an orangery, created at the beginning of the
19th century, of tropical hothouses, of a vegetable garden, of an English-style garden. Whatever the path, one
can admire among the ponds
that adorn this location the
oldest ginkgo biloba in
France, holm oaks of 400
years old, a bamboo grove.
Jardin des Plantes.
Tel. 33 (0)4 34 43 36 20
umontpellier.fr
TOWNS
Grandiose
The paradise of architects
In three decades architecture
in Montpellier has been completely
revolutionized making of this town
in Languedoc a veritable urban
laboratory. To stretch it out towards
the sea these are the greatest
international architects that have
been invited to Montpellier: Ricardo
Bofill first of all, the creator of the
Antigone quarter in the 1980s,
but also Paul Chemetoff (the Zola
Médiathèque), Christian de
Portzamparc (the La Lironde
quarter), Zaha Hadid (Pierrevives),
Claude Vasconi (Corum), Jean Nouvel
(Town Hall), Philippe Starck
(Le Nuage), Massimiliano Fuksas
(Lycée Frêche), Rudy Riccioti
(Pont de la République).
For urban furniture and also design
great names have been summoned
like Daniel Buren on the square
outside the Fabre museum,
Garouste and Bonetti then
Christian Lacroix to decorate the
tramlines. Today it’s the programme
of the “Follies of the 21st century”
including L’Arbre blanc [The White
Tree] which continue the momentum.
Majestic
The Pic Saint-Loup,
Languedoc’s sentry
Situated 20 kilometres north of Montpellier the pic Saint-Loup, 658 metres high,
is, with its slender point, visible from a
large part of Hérault and Gard. Among the
most beautiful natural sites in the region,
at the start of a wine-growing area of high
quality, the peak may be climbed starting
from Cazevieille in two hours and thirty
minutes. From its summit on which are
found the ruins of the castle of Montferrand, a splendid panoramic view offers itself over the Hortus, the sea, the salt
marshes of Aigues Mortes, La Grande
Motte, the Cévennes and in clear weather
the Canigou and even Mount Ventoux.
Office de Tourisme du grand Pic Saint-Loup.
Tel. 33 (0)4 11 95 05 75
tourisme-picsaintloup.fr
TOWNS
Asymbol
The creator
of Marianne
Béziers
Attacking the Gothic cathedral
With its towers, its fortified buttresses, its
machicolations and its loopholes, the Gothic cathedral
of Saint-Nazaire and Saint-Celse has the appearance
of a fortress. Built between the 13th and the
15th centuries and dominating the plain of the Orb,
it bore witness to the “Sack of Béziers” during the
Albigensian crusade. The abundance of the elements
of interior decoration, friezes, frescoes and sculptures
adorning the various side chapels reflect the imposing
aspect of its façade. Below the cloister the gardens
of the bishopric afford a vast panoramic view
of the valley of the Orb, over the bridges (Pont-Vieux,
Pont-Canal), over the locks of Fonserane, the winegrowing villages and the first hills of the massif
of the Caroux and the Espinouse. In the west
the medieval quarter of Béziers has kept some fine
buildings in the maze of its alleyways.
Office de Tourisme de Béziers.
Tel. 33 (0)4 67 76 84 00
beziers-tourisme.fr
A native of Béziers, the sculptor JeanAntoine Injalbert, first prize of Rome
in 1874, a member of the Academy
of Fine Arts (1905) was the man who
sculpted the bust of Marianne,
realised in 1889 for the centenary
of the French Revolution, copies of
which took pride of place till the start
of the 20th century in French town
halls and schools. The monumental
fountain of the Titan, the busts of
poets and other sculptures on the
Plateau of the Poets, the Antonine
Villa, the sculptor’s summer
residence, his tomb in the Old
Cemetery and the collection of his
works received as a donation to the
musée des Beaux-Arts render his
presence noticeable in Béziers, but
also in Montpellier where he created
statues of lions at the entrance to Le
Peyrou and those of the Opera House
as well as in Paris where the Pont
Mirabeau owes its allegories to him.
Musée des Beaux-Arts.
Tel. 33 (0)4 67 28 38 78
ville-beziers.fr
The Valley of the Orb
Curiosities in Béziers
The allées Paul Riquet
(where the statue
of the creator of the Canal
du Midi sits enthroned),
right in the centre
of Béziers, are bordered
by sumptuous private
dwellings constructed
in the 19th century
for the rich vineyard
owners of the period.
To the splendour
of the architecture various
ornaments are added,
wrought iron balconies,
mascarons representing
grotesque faces, fantastic
animals. There are few
vestiges of the Roman
arenas. Those that mark
the town’s passion
for bullfighting were
completed in 1901.
Their architecture,
calqued on that of
Spanish bullrings,
benefits from an
unbelievably good
acoustic quality. Through
the impetus of a wealthy
landowner, anxious to
make opera accessible
to all, they welcomed up
till 1911 the greatest
singers of the Opéra
de Paris and the Scala
in Milan.
Arènes de Béziers.
Tel. 33 (0)4 67 76 13 45
arenes-de-beziers.com
Below the massif du Caroux,
along the valley of the Orb,
superb villages stand out
against a background of holm
oaks, vines and olive trees.
Vieussan, Ceps, Roquebrun
figure among the loveliest
villages in the area where mimosas and orange trees flourish. From Colombières passing through the most steepsided bit, from Vieussan to
Roquebrun, the refreshing
waters of the Orb are a delight
for kayakers.
Office de Tourisme du Caroux
en Haut-Languedoc.
Tel. 33 (0)4 67 23 02 21
ot-caroux.fr
TOWNS
Poet
Narbonne,
my love
Narbonne
In the palace markets
If Narbonne was the “first daughter of Rome” (it was
the oldest Roman colony in Gaul after Aix-en-Provence),
it was also a medieval capital. The Palace of the
Archbishops, the New Palace in the Gothic style
and the Old Palace in the Romanesque style, constitute
the second most important archiepiscopal collection
of monuments in France after Avignon. From the Gilles
Aycelin castle keep, an element in the wall enclosing
the town and one of the three towers of the palace,
a spiral staircase of 162 steps leads to the terrace
from where the panoramic view stretches out over
the town and its surrounding area. Impressive because
of the dimensions of its choir and notable for its
architectural purity the cathedral of Saint-Just,
an exceptional medieval monument, backs on
to the Palace of the Archbishops. Its construction begun
in 1772 was never finished. The Chapter room houses
the cathedral’s treasure, considered as one
of the richest in France, while strange gargoyles
decorate the arches of its cloister.
Palais des Archevêques.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 90 30 30 – mairie-narbonne.fr
Narbonne for those who live there
With its quays lined
by trees, its “walkways”
right next to the canal de
la Robine, the promenade
des Barques at the heart
of the town, open to
the cours Mirabeau and
the central food market,
is the favourite place for
a stroll for the
Narbonnese.
The footbridge that joins
Bourg with its beautiful
medieval residences to
the rest of the town,
affords a view of the one
arch still visible of the
amazing pont des
Marchands (photo), which
can stand as a witness to
ancient history. From the
bank boats invite you to
another way to explore
Narbonne. The other heart
of the town, the central
food market, constructed
in the 1900s with its
Baltard pavilion, a metal
structure with pillars and
stone gates, still houses
an important marketplace.
More than 80 businesses
offer each morning the
products of the region that
can also be sampled in
one of the numerous
restaurants installed at
the heart of the market.
Office de Tourisme
de Narbonne.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 65 15 60
narbonne-tourisme.com
Charles Trenet loved his town
and sang of it. Narbonne cultivates
the memory of its ‘singing fool’
and offers a tour leading to the
house with the green shutters
where he was born on 18 May 1913.
The giant fresco representing him
on a wall in the town, the Gothic
church of Saint-Paul, where he was
baptised, the Catholic Institute
of Beauséjour, his primary school,
the food market where he went
with his grandmother, the place
des Quatre Fontaines [the square
of the Four Fountains] he frequented
when a young man, the cemetery
where he was laid to rest are all as
many places to stop and hum his
songs dreamily…
Maison de Charles Trenet.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 58 19 13
narbonne.fr
Underground visit
Narbo Martius was an important Roman port. Narbonne has kept only one
visible monument from its
ancient past: the Horreum,
subterranean galleries built
in the 1st century B.C. In
this labyrinthine network of
corridors branching off
from a series of narrow
rooms, a scenic trail, five
metres
below
ground,
evokes daily life, craftsmanship and the exchanges
that went on in what was
doubtless the warehouse for
a market.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 90 30 65.
TOWNS
Memorial
Rivesaltes faces up
to its past
Perpignan
From the Lodge of the Sea to the Ladies of France
Unlike Narbonne Perpignan was not built on Roman
remains. It’s a commercial town whose architecture
translates this maritime and merchant power
from the Middle Ages onwards. A fine spa town
with the river Basse going through it, a tributary
of the Têt, Catalan Perpignan prefigures
the atmosphere, the colours and above all the light
of Catalonia in Spain.
In the enclosure of its historic heart, formerly ringed
by ramparts, the town mixes thirty of its historic jewels
(le Castillet, la Loge de Mer, the cathedral of Saint-Jean,
the Palace of the Kings of Mallorca…) with life in its
eclectic and colourful quarters where it is good
to saunter. Long promenades and airy esplanades offer
fine perspectives down to venerable buildings,
witnesses to the industrial wealth of Perpignan
at the beginning of the 20th century like les Dames
de France, place de Catalogne, or the Castillet cinema,
today the oldest in France.
Office de tourisme de Perpignan.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 66 30 30
perpignantourisme.com
A town with strong symbols
Having emerged from a
tormented history between
the kingdoms of France,
Aragon and Mallorca,
Perpignan is rich in an
exceptional heritage,
whether it be architectural
or intangible. Rarely have
a town and department
accumulated as many
strong symbols and means
of identification. From rugby
– with the USAP but also
the Dragons – to the
procession of the Sanch
during Holy Week by way
of Sant Jordi, the fires
of Saint-Jean, the Sardana
(sardane) or the pessebres
dances of Christmas cribs,
there is no shortage
of occasions to affirm its
belonging to a Catalan
culture thriving on the
French side of the frontier.
Adherence to the “Catalan
flag” as the coat of arms
of the town, which consists
of the arms of the House
of the Counts of Barcelona
and Kings of Aragon
and the effigy of Saint-John
the Baptist, patron saint
of Perpignan.
Inaugurated in October 2015,
the Memorial of Rivesaltes on what
was to begin with a camp
to accommodate refugees during
the Spanish Civil War is destined
to become an iconic place
for remembering. Ex-interns, the
children of refugees, of immigrants
or of prisoners (Spaniards, gypsies,
Algerian harkis…) come here from
all over France to match their own
personal story with this edifice.
The modern lines of the building,
designed by the architect Rudy
Ruciotti, are a deliberate contrast
with the ruins of the camp. As for
the inner layout, it presents the
chronology of the camp’s history
and on the screens of the exhibition
room films and audio tablets allow
you to listen to the witness
statements of former detainees.
Mémorial du camp de Rivesaltes.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 08 34 90
memorialcamprivesltes.eu
The Feast
of Sant Joan
On 24 June the whole of Catalonia celebrates the feast
of Saint-John the Baptist. In
Perpignan bonfires are lit to
greet the summer solstice.
The flame, preserved all
year in Castillet, is brought
up on the eve to the summit
of the Canigou where kindling burns in a huge fire visible from all over the plain
into which it is traditional
to throw papers containing
wishes. This flame is then
distributed through the villages. On the evening of 24
June it arrives at Castillet in
Perpignan where it will be
kept as something precious
till the following year.
TOWNS
Outofthe
ordinary
The elegance
of the viaduct
of Millau
Rodez
History for all to read
Founded 2,000 years ago by the Gaulois tribe,
the Rutenae, the prefecture of Aveyron is a history
in miniature. Perched on a peak, the old capital
of the Rouergue was fashioned by two authority figures
(the nobility and the clergy) whose communities lived
side by side independently for centuries.
Directed by the Bishop the city developed around
the old episcopal palace and the imposing cathedral
of Notre Dame, erected between the 13th and the 16th
century and whose bell tower in lacy pink sandstone
culminates at a height of 87 metres. Numerous
medieval buildings (maisons de Benoit, maison
Guitard, maison canoniale) can still be admired
in this quarter. The market town of the former county
has, for its part, kept beautiful private dwellings
and bourgeois residences from the 16th century
with Renaissance decoration like the house
of Armagnac and that of the Annunciation that bear
witness to the affluence of the merchants who made
their fortune at the region’s fairs.
Office de Tourisme du Grand Rodez.
Tel. 33 (0)5 65 75 76 77
tourisme.grand-rodez.com
The amazing statues-cum-menhirs of the musée Fenaille
They were planted
in the open, sometimes
under little shelters,
carved for the most part
in the region’s
sandstone. More than
130 life-size statuescum-menhirs have
in this way been found
in the Rouergue,
in Aveyron and in Tarn.
Each time the head
is shown, as well as the
hands, the legs and
the feet. But not the
mouth or the ears.
More than 5,000 years
old these first human
carvings in Western
Europe, both female
and male, remain
a mystery.
The Musée Fenaille
in Rodez has seventeen
majestic examples
of them. It also contains
thousands of pieces
covering the history
of the region from
the settlement of the first
inhabitants in the
Palaeolithic period right
down to the 16th century.
Musée Fenaille.
Tel. 33 (0)5 65 73 80 30
museefenaille.rodezagglo.fr
Since 2004 the viaduct of Millau
conceived by Michel Virlogeux and
designed by the architect Norman
Foster is both a work of art and a
technological challenge. Fascinating
in the purity of its lines which
elegantly inscribe it into the
landscape this shrouded bridge
built in 3 years has collected world
records – the highest pillar at 245
metres, the longest metal apron at
30,000 tons in weight, etc. – and
attracts more than a million people
a year to the viewing platform of the
viaduct. The carrying-out of the work
allowed them to make of the
Méridienne (A75) the shortest route
from Paris to the Mediterranean.
millau-viaduc-tourisme.fr
The Bras brothers,
viscerally from
Aveyron
Elected in 2016 ‘Best chef
in the world’ by the magazine Top Chef, Michel Bras
represents the quintessence
of a regional cuisine in harmony with nature. If the
three-star creator of the famous ‘Gargouillou de légumes’ in Laguiole has handed over to his son Sébastien, the family have been
developing
culinary
concepts for some years now
to “whet the Aveyron’s appetite”. Notably with the Café
Bras in Rodez, a bistro at
the very heart of the musée
Soulages.
cafebras.fr
TOWNS
Toulouse
The town where you see life in pink
Pale pink in the morning, purple red
at night… Toulouse, capital of the
region Languedoc Roussillon Midi
Pyrénées, is built with Roman bricks
of baked earth, that local material
that imparts to the fronts of buildings
shimmering colours and has given
the city its name of “Ville Rose”. To
walk through it is to go back to the
time of the Capitouls, charged with
its administration and its system of
justice. It is to walk in the footsteps
of the wealthy merchants of pastel by
discovering the 70 odd private
dwellings they had built during the
Renaissance. It is to hear the accents
of Occitania by walking on its
gigantic cross on the place du
Capitole. And it is to hum the tune
that its most famous child, the singer
Claude Nougaro, dedicated to it with
“Ô Toulouse!”
Office de Tourisme de Toulouse.
Tel. 33 (0) 892 180 180
toulouse-tourisme.com
From the blue of
pastel to the violet
Spirituality
From the Romanesque art of
Saint-Sernin to the Gothic Jacobins
In its protected area of 220 hectares Toulouse benefits from an important
religious heritage. The basilica of Saint-Sernin, built between
the 11th and the 13th century in honour of the first bishop of Toulouse,
is the tallest Romanesque edifice in Europe. The basilica is remarkable for its
octagonal bell tower in brick and stone constructed in stages with an
openwork design of double bays with small columns, a typically architectural
practice from Toulouse. It is also the church that possesses the most relics
in France, which made of it a principal place of pilgrimage. The church
of the Jacobins, erected from the 13th century onwards is in its way
a masterpiece of Southern Gothic art. The 22-metre piles lend a tremendous
lightness to the building while a column bigger than the others receives all
the ribs of the vault onto a coloured stone lining, giving the effect of a palm
tree to the whole. Recently the monastery has been offering an interpretative
trail with multi-media halts presenting the history and the architecture of the
place.
The development of the cultivation of the violet in the
19th century has made it an
emblem of Toulouse. The
pretty flower has given birth
to a whole gamut of products
(perfumes, beauty products,
confectionery, delicacies) and
articles that bear its image
(textiles and porcelain). On
the Canal du Midi, boulevard
Bonrepos, a House of the
Violet has even taken its place
in a barge where an exhibition showcases its history
and its cultivation locally.
Another plant, the isatis tinctoria, famous for having
made the fortune of the golden triangle between Toulouse, Albi and Carcassonne
spreads its good deeds today
in the world of wellness and
cosmetics by offering health
care, unique in France, with
a pastel base.
Maison de la violette.
Tel. 33 (0)5 61 80 75 02.
grainedepastel.com
terredepastel.com
TOWNS
Aérospatiale
Space as a playground
Toulouse became an aviation pioneer
with the creation of the Aérospatiale
in 1927. The installation of the Airbus
group in Blagnac in 1970 confirmed
its place in this sector. The
metropolis lives henceforth at the
speed of this international company,
a key actor and driving force in the
local and regional economy. In order
to dive into this fascinating world
Let’s visit Airbus offers tours allowing
you to discover what goes on behind
the scenes in these factories,
especially the assembly line for the
famous A380. Next door the recently
opened Aeroscopia museum
contains an impressive collection of
scale models and real planes
including the legendary Concorde. In
order to go further by climbing onto
the launch pad of the Ariane rocket or
on board the space station Mir, meet
up at Space City.
Let's visit Airbus
and musée Aeroscopia (Blagnac).
Tel. 33 (0)5 34 39 42 00
manatour.fr
Cité de l'Espace (Toulouse).
Tel. 33 (0)5 67 22 23 24
cite-espace.com
Garonne
A vein throbbing with life
Seen from the sky Toulouse looks like a
heart: two lobes separated by the Garonne.
In the 18th century its banks were developed. On the right bank the quays SaintPierre, Lucien Lombard, de la Daurade and
de Tounis offer a superb pedestrianized
area. You can explore the heritage that borders the river: the dyke of the Bazacle, the
pont Neuf, the hospital de la Grave, the
water park. New steps facilitate access to
the banks from the place Saint-Pierre and
from now on you can do boat trips. In summer the quays are the backdrop for animations and festivals.
toulouse-tourisme.fr
TOWNS
Albi
Colourful and gourmet
Albi welcomes the visitor into a
gentle almost Italian way of life.
It owes its peculiar light, which
inundates its squares and its
alleyways and varies according
to the time of day, to the colour
of the terracotta bricks and tiles
fashioned through the centuries
by tile and brick makers from the clay
of the banks of the Tarn. The Palais
de la Berbie which houses the musée
Toulouse-Lautrec, the cathedral
of Sainte-Cécile, the half-timbered
houses, the Renaissance dwellings
which are hidden in the interlacing
of its alleyways, all show off the
chromatic nuances of the
omnipresent brick and aggrandize
the architectural harmony of the
episcopal city registered in the
annals of Unesco’s World Heritage
sites for Humanity.
Office de Tourisme d’Albi.
Tel. 33 (0)5 63 49 48 80
albi-tourisme.fr
Blue gold An affluence due
to the production of pastel
A plant with yellow flowers is the basis for the town of Albi’s prosperity.
The cultivation of the isatis tinctoria, a plant used in dyeing that produces
a fade-resistant blue pigment, developed there. Albi, the capital named
a land of plenty, referring to “cockles” – leaves worked into balls – became
at the end of the 15th century one of the biggest centres of production
and exportation of pastel. Fine private dwellings of the early Renaissance
like the maison Enjalbert, the hôtel Reynès, the hôtel du Castelnau with its
drying loft or the hôtel de Saunal bear witness to the prosperity due to “blue
gold” and to the wealth of its merchants. The shop of the Pastel craftsman
allows you to discover the various shades of blue coming from pastel via
a gamut of water colours, inks, pigments and pastel colours.
artisanpastellier.com
On foot or by supply
boat
The Green Escape offers walkers a tour of 3 kilometres
along the Tarn and the Caussels. The path along the bank
leads to the landing stage for
supply boats which, at water
level, offer other points of
view over the resplendent city.
The old towpath on the banks
of the Tarn reveals the size of
the fortifications of the Palais
de la Berbie which houses the
musée Toulouse-Lautrec, while
its terraced gardens invite you
to take peaceful strolls that
offer an unimpeded prospect
of the Tarn.
Embarcadère.
Tel. 33 (0)5 63 43 59 63
albi-croisieres.com
TOWNS
Gaillac
Between vineyard and bastides
Gaillac is the main village in the AOC
Gaillac vineyard which stretches out
either side of the banks of the Tarn
downstream from Albi. Its numerous
monuments relate a history of
several centuries, the abbey-church
of Saint-Michel, between
Romanesque and Gothic; the church
of Saint-Pierre with its sumptuous
colonnaded portal ; the place du
Griffoul with its fountain, resting on
vaulted arches ; the numerous
private dwellings or even the
Palmata Tower, the residence
of the Gaillac family; the quarter
of the Hortalisse and its market
gardens which used to feed the
neighbouring markets till half way
through the 20th century. A walk
along the Tarn as far as the bridge
of the pretty bastide of Lisle-sur-Tarn
offers a view of the château SaintGéry which has bordered the river
since the 13th century and carries
on to Rabastens whose church, on
the road to Compostela, is registered
as part of Unesco’s World Heritage.
Office de Tourisme de Gaillac.
Tel. 33 (0)805 400 828
ville-gaillac.fr
Episcopal city
An urban complex unique
in its potency and harmony
From the pont Vieux the view of the city
reflected in the waters of the Tarn is magnificent. The cathedral of Sainte Cécile
and the Palais de la Berbie provoke a faceto-face with the history of a poignant
beauty. Listed as a Unesco World Heritage
site the episcopal city of Albi, dominated
by these two fortresses spreads over four
medieval districts including the town of
Saint-Salvy and its collegiate church. This
rich historical past goes hand in hand
with a gentle life style distilled by its
streets and its animated alleyways.
cite-episcopale-albi.fr
TOWNS
Peaceful
Moissac,
where roads
cross
Cahors
2,000 years of history in a loop of the Lot
First of all a Gallo-Roman city the capital of Quercy
developed during the Middle Ages, particularly during
the Hundred Years’ War when the famous pont Valentré –
a fortified bridge unique in Europe –, the Tower of the
Hanged Men and the north wall were built. Situated in
a meander of the Lot Cahors is a peaceful town in which
the quarter of Badernes plunges us back into the
medieval period with its narrow alleyways, houses with
fine vaults, corbelled façades or even doors decorated
with sculptures from the 15th and 16th centuries. The
cathedral, an imposing building from the 12th to the 14th
century, apart from its cloister in flamboyant Gothic style,
has the distinction of having been designed with two
Romanesque cupolas, unique in France. It is at the foot
of this building that, every Wednesday and Saturday,
the open-air market is held, very colourful and renowned
for the quality of its products, reflecting the image of this
region of the good life. We can also savour the charm
and the inventiveness of the Secret gardens which make
the town blossom by telling its story.
Office de Tourisme du Grand Cahors.
Tel. 33 (0)5 65 53 20 65 - tourisme-cahors.fr
A dive into the vineyard of the valley of the Lot
From ancient times
onwards Cahors
and the valley of the Lot
were wine-growing land.
Benefitting thanks
to the English who were
mad about “black wine”
of great notoriety,
the wine of Cahors
adorned all the tables
of the great of Europe
from the 14th to the
18th century.
Unique in type with its
Malbec vine, the vineyard
of Cahors extends to the
valley of the Lot from
Mercuès to Puy-l’Évêque.
A trail punctuated
by charming wineproducing towns like
Douelle, Albas, Prayssac.
Luzech and Puy-l’Évêque,
both built overhanging
the Lot, offer superb
views of the river and
the valley. Under the
impetus of the Union
Interprofessionnelle
des Vins de Cahors,
wine tourism is
developing over the 60
kilometres of the valley,
which may be explored
from a different angle
by navigating on board
supply boats, pleasure
boats or house boat
available at the location.
tourisme-cahors.fr
At the confluence of great terrestrial
and fluvial roads, between the Tarn
and the Garonne, on the way to
Compostela and the road to Cluny,
Moissac is renowned for its grape –
the chasselas, its mills on the Tarn
and above all for its abbey-church.
The abbey Saint-Pierre de Moissac
harbours a magnificent cloister
finished in 1100, adorned with 76
marble capitals remarkable for the
lightness of its arcades and its
columns representing scenes from
the Old and New Testaments as well
as the lives of the Martyrs. The portal
of the abbey church too is
remarkable for its representation of
the Apocalypse, which makes of it
one of the masterpieces of
Romanesque sculpture.
Office de Tourisme de Moissac.
Tel. 33 (0)5 63 04 01 85
tourisme.moissac.fr
Montauban, the
town of Ingres
Welcoming, warm, with its
architecture of pink brick,
Montauban spreads out on
the banks of the Tarn. City of
Art and History, the hometown of the painter Ingres,
of the sculptor Bourdelle
and of Olympe de Gouges, it
is considered as the oldest
medieval new town in the
southwest of France. A century before the golden age of
the bastides the town was
built on a chequerboard pattern around the place Nationale. Surrounded by double
arcades this splendid square
with an Italian accent remains the beating heart of
the town.
Office de Tourisme de Montauban. Tel. 33 (0)5 63 63 60 60
montauban-tourisme.com
TOWNS
Panorama
The Pic du Jer
by funicular railway
Lourdes
A town that belongs to the world
A place of fraternity and spirituality Lourdes receives
each year millions of visitors from all over the world.
Known for its sanctuary and the miraculous grotto
of Massabielle – situated in a loop of the Gave de Pau –,
Lourdes is a principal place of pilgrimage since 1873.
Three basilicas are situated in the sanctuary of
Notre Dame de Lourdes, each displaying a different
style: Romano-Byzantine for the basilica of the Rosary
with superb mosaics, neo-Gothic for the basilica
of the Immaculate Conception, notable in which
are the stained glass windows retracing Mary’s history
and under which is found the grotto where a Virgin
in Carrara marble marks the location of the
appearances. The underground basilica of Pius X,
a huge building – in reinforced concrete, in the form
of the hull of an upturned boat, is situated under
the waterline of the Gave. The Lourdes museum
reconstitutes the town in 1858 with the old professions
of former times, small businesses, the costumes
of the period.
Office de tourisme. Tel. 33 (0)5 62 42 77 40
lourdes-infotourisme.com
Life inside a fortress
Perched on a rocky peak
the fort, an example
of medieval defensive
architecture, was to watch
over the seven valleys
of the Lavedan.
Rebuilt over the centuries,
consolidated by Vauban
in 1685, the fortress
has retained a massive
keep, at the foot of which
a pleasant botanical
garden stretches out.
The Musée Pyrénéen
devoted to popular arts
and traditions has
invested its walls.
Costumes, musical
instruments, furniture,
Samadet earthenware
from the 18th century
form parts of its
collections enriched
by scale models
illustrating Pyrenean
architecture. The castle’s
chapel houses statues
in multi-coloured wood,
an altar, woodwork
coming from the old
parish church in the town.
From the walkways
outside the view
embraces the chain
of the High Pyrenees
and the valley of the Gave
de Pau.
Château de Lourdes.
Tel. 33 (0)5 62 42 37 37
lourdes-visite.com
The hundred-year-old funicular
railway which leads to the Pic du Jer
1,000 metres high, goes through
two tunnels carved out of the
limestone and a viaduct with
twelve arches. A “fun” climb
that takes a few minutes in order
to discover, from the viewpoint
indicator, a panoramic view over
the town of Lourdes, the plain of
Pau, Tarbes, the valley of the Gaves,
Argelès-Gazost and the chain
of the Pyrenees, the Pic du Midi…
The descent can be executed
on foot along paths bordered
by spruces, pines and boxwood
or by mountain bike along two
trails, one classed as blue, the other
black, a competition trail reserved
for experienced amateurs.
Pic du Jer. Tel. 33 (0)5 62 94 00 41
picdujer.fr
On foot, by bike, on
roller skates towards
the valleys of the
Gaves
Laid out on an old railway line
on the side of a mountain the
green way of the Gaves follows
a sideways itinerary in order
to discover the valleys of the
Gaves over a trail of eighteen
kilometres, the first part of
which, from Lourdes to Pierrefitte-Nestalas, is labelled ‘Tourism and handicap’. Steeper
and with a big difference in
height « Le Chemin des Voyageurs » [“The Travellers’ Way”]
takes it as far as Cauterets
through the gorges going
through a tunnel and over the
footbridge of Meyabat.
Vallée des Gaves.
Tel. 33 (0)5 62 42 64 98
valleesdesgaves.com
TOWNS
Panache
A staircase
for d’Artagnan
Auch
Capital of Gascony
Built on an old Roman fortification the cathedral
of Sainte Marie, the Tower of Armagnac (a former prison)
and the old Archiepiscopal Palace overhanging the Gers
give to Auch its outline proudly displaying the status
of capital of Gascony. Registered as a Unesco World
Heritage site as a major stop on the ways that lead
to Santiago de Compostela the cathedral houses three
treasures: the choir and its hundred and sixteen stalls
sculpted in oak, the great 17th century organ and the
twenty-eight windows of Arnaud de Molles, a masterpiece
of the art of stained glass. The place de la Libération
is at the crossroads of the upper town’s activity in which
are concentrated shops, café terraces and restaurants
inviting you to lay yourself open to the gastronomical
pleasures of Gers. A trail “In the footsteps of Etigny”
goes in search of the Intendant who embellished
the town under the Second Empire.
Office de Tourisme d’Auch.
Tel. 33 (0)5 62 05 22 89
auch-tourisme.com
Art in Auch
Installed in the old
Jacobin monastery
the Musée des Jacobins
possesses a remarkable
collection of preColumbian art – the
second in France after
the musée du Quai Branly
in Paris – bringing
together more than
10,000 objects, stone
masks from Teotihuacán,
Chupícuaro large
statuettes in red or black,
Lambayeque goblets or
“keros”… Lyrical art,
baroque music, variety
shows in the June festival
“Loud Voices” joyfully
mixes genres for as long
as the festival lasts.
In July and August the
“Summer Nights” offer
a show each week
or a concert in a heritage
venue. In October CIRCA,
the international Festival
of present day Circus
offers a shop window
onto contemporary
creativity by revealing
the most inventive and
representative spectacles
of the circus of today.
Musée des Jacobins.
Tel. 33 (0)5 62 05 74 79
musee-jacobins.auch.fr
Eclats de voix.
Tel. 33 (0) 5 62 61 65 00
eclatsdevoix.com
CIRCA.
Tel. 33 (0)5 62 61 65 00
festival-circa.auch.fr
D’Artagnan, the valiant captain of
the Musketeers – made popular by
the novel of Alexandre Dumas but
who really existed – was born at the
beginning of the 17th century in the
castle of Castelmore thirty
kilometres from Auch. The statue of
this iconic character from Gascony
poses, hand on hip, on one of the
landings of the monumental
staircase which joins in 350 steps
the “upper” and “lower” parts of
the town. Nearby the Pousterles,
medieval stepped alleyways, go
down the slope. They used to allow
the upper town’s inhabitants to go
down to the Gers to take in
provisions of water.
A tour in Lectoure
Girded with ramparts on a
rocky spur the medieval fief
of the Counts of Armagnac
has lost nothing of its proud
appearance. Between the cathedral of Saint-Gervais and
Saint-Protais and the remnants of the castle the town
stretches out showing its
riches: the fountain of
Diana from the 13th century, old private residences,
gardens and numerous religious sites… The archaeological museum presents a
unique collection of altars
whereon bulls were sacrificed.
Office de Tourisme.
Tel. 33 (0)5 62 68 76 98
tourisme-lectoure.fr
SDF-33-42 -NATURE - GB_Mise en page 1 01/06/16 15:33 Page33
NATURE
From the Pic du Midi to Mont Aigoual, from the cirque de Gavarnie to the reserve of Banyuls
protected wide open spaces are the common denominator of the region, jealous of its treasures.
From the Pyrenees to the Cévennes, nature XXL
Causses and Cévennes, landscapes of character
The great Pyrenean lakes
From the Pic du Midi to the Canigou
Gavarnie and the great cirques of the Pyrenees
A fine combination of sky and land, of sea and mountain. The Pyrenees, Grands Causses,
Haut-Languedoc, Causses du Quercy, Ariège Pyrenees, Catalan Pyrenees, Narbonnaise, Cévennes,
Margeride, Aubrac, Gévaudan… over the vast territories of nature parks and over the great regional
sites like the Canigou or the cirque de Gavarnie everything is a reason to be amazed at the genius
of nature and to be moved. We are summoned before the dazzling beauty of the elements facing
the treasures of history. The unexpected is everywhere through landscapes with atmospheres and
odours of a thousandfold subtleties to which there is more than one emotional response so numerous
are the sources of delight in these great spaces to be explored.
Destination Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées I NATURE I 33
NATURE
Regional and national
Parks
From the Pyrenees to the Cévennes, nature XXL
The region harbours numerous zones
remarkable for their natural, cultural
and human wealth. So as to value
them and preserve them several
of them have been classified. So it is
that we can itemize over the thirteen
departments of Languedoc
Roussillon Midi Pyrénées 2 national
parks, 6 regional nature parks
and 1 marine nature park. The Parc
National des Pyrénées protects
on the frontier crest with Spain
territories of an altitude culminating
at 3,298 metres above sea level.
The Parc National des Cévennes
between Gard and Lozère,
also classified as a biosphere
reserve, harbours a contrastive
mosaic of landscapes and natural
environments. The Parc Naturel
Régional des Pyrénées ariégeoises
is rich in a string of magnificent lakes
and a historic and prestigious
prehistoric heritage. The Parc Naturel
Régional des Causses du Quercy
combines verdant valleys, limestone
plateaux and cliffs. The Parc Naturel
Régional des Pyrénées Catalanes is a
haven for old glaciated valleys and
warm water natural springs. The Parc
Naturel Régional de la Narbonnaise
harbours altogether marshes,
lagoons, scrubland and exceptional
vineyards. The mountains and their
moors of heather, the dark forests
of the Black Mountain are the
prerogative of the Parc Naturel
Régional du Haut Languedoc.
The Parc Naturel Régional des Grands
Causses is the setting that contains
the gorges of the Jonte, of the canyon
of La Dourbie and the narrow steepsided passes of the Tarn. Adventure
is everywhere and even under the
water with the Parc Naturel Marin
du Golfe du Lion.
Parc naturel marin du Golfe du Lion
Off the coast of the Pyrénées-Orientales and the Aude the Parc naturel
marin du Golfe du Lion is the third biggest French marine nature park.
It follows the coast from Leucate to Cerbères and includes in its perimeter
the marine nature reserve of Cerbères-Banyuls, an underwater paradise
possessed of remarkable biodiversity. With a total area of 650 hectares
of sea, from the port exit of Banyuls-sur-Mer to Cap Peyrefite close
to Cerbère, the reserve contains more than 12,000 animal species
and 500 vegetable species. Diving is regulated but the underwater path
as well as the diving centres that subscribe to the reserve’s charter grant
access to marine depths, coral formations, herbaria of posodonia crossed
by groupers, skates, moray eels, while a few big dolphins sometimes
venture into the open sea.
Parc naturel marin du Golfe du Lion. Tel. 33 (0)4 68 68 40 20
parc-marin-golfe-lion.fr
100% Nature in
Haut-Languedoc
Situated in the south of the
Massif Central between Tarn
and Hérault, the Parc Régional du Haut-Languedoc presents a great diversity of
landscapes. Between Castres,
Revel, Saint-Chinian and Lodève are the mountains of
Lacaune, the Black Mountain,
the massif du Caroux, the
gorges of Héric, the Sidobre
and the Minervois which notably make up this semimountainous region. This
makes of the park an adventure playground ideal for activities at the heart of nature,
from mountain biking to
climbing not to mention fishing and rambling.
Maison du Parc.
Tel. 33 ( 0)4 67 97 38 22
parc-haut-languedoc.fr
34 I NATURE I Destination Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées
NATURE
Val d’Azun
Meeting birds of prey
A high mountain park, the Parc
national des Pyrénées plays host
to very threatened species that find
refuge in these protected areas.
The maintenance of herding favours
the presence of great birds of prey
that feed on the dead flesh or waste
of animals. The path for birds
of prey in the Val d’Azun is an
exploratory path consisting
of 5 life-size outlines (wings
outstretched) of the most iconic
birds of prey in the Pyrenees:
bearded vulture, tawny vulture,
black-winged vulture, golden eagle.
This is an excellent way to observe
them at close quarters so as to be
able to recognize them afterwards
in flight.
Tel. 33 (0)5 62 97 43 13
parc-pyrenees.com
Aubrac
A land of emotion soon
to be classified
High plateaux crossed by transhumant
trails, with a scattering of shepherds’
huts, crossed by the road to Compostela,
the plateau of Aubrac extends over the
departments of Aveyron, Cantal and Lozère. A forthcoming Parc Naturel Régional (regional nature park) is in the
process of being constructed which
ought to preserve and value the riches of
this semi-mountainous area. In the kingdom of the famous Aubrac breed, a cow
with gentle eyes, pastoral environments
and high plateaux rub shoulders with the
steep-sided valleys of the Lot and the
Truyère. More than 2,000 kilometres of
signposted paths make hiking the activity which is best adapted to the discovery of Aubrac.
Parc Naturel Régional de l’Aubrac.
Tel. 33 (0)5 65 48 19 11
projet-pnr-aubrac.fr
NATURE
Causses
and Cévennes
Landscapes of character
This vast territory which is divided between four
departments, Lozère, Aveyron, Hérault and Gard
is the result of a close relationship between man
and nature. The Causses and the Cévennes have
grandiose landscapes associated with them
and a cultural tradition henceforth recognized by
Unesco. Mont Lozère and Mont Aigoual impose
their tormented contours. The causses, huge
limestone plateaux bristling with rocky chaos,
covered with lawns and moors are gouged out
with gorges making for turbulent journeys… The
valleys of the Cévennes align their terraces with
low dry stone walls planted with chestnut trees,
vines, mulberry trees and sweet onions. These
landscapes are the ever-lively expression of the
Mediterranean agro-herding which has fashioned
them from ancient times. On the Causses the ewe
comes first with the addition, on high ground, of
cattle rearing when goats populate the Cévennes
valleys. The Causses and the Cévennes include
exceptional natural sites like the Gorges du Tarn
and the Gorges de la Jonte, those too of Hérault,
the Cirque of Navacelles. Isolated farms, houses
grouped into small hamlets, but also the drailles
– transhumant trails – contribute to the charm
of the Causses landscape. Certain transhumant
trails use old Roman roads while others have
been transformed into footpaths, perfect for a
day out from the plains to the high plateaux.
The gorges themselves are there for canoeing.
Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, Templar and Hospitaller
citadels in Larzac further enrich this exceptional
heritage.
The Causses and the Cévennes.
Tel. 33 (0)4 66 48 31 23
causses-et-cevennes.fr
must-see
The belvederes of Blandas
Situated 3 minutes from the village
of Blandas in Gard they offer three
unimpeded views of the Cirque
de Navacelles and the alignment
of the gorges of the Vis including one
that was designed as a hanging
garden. The Site Building houses
a tourist documentation space,
a permanent exhibition, a film
presenting the archaeological
discoveries made on Causse
and in the Cirque.
Le Relais du Cirque,
route de Navacelles.
Tel. 33 (0)4 99 51 60 36.
NATURE
Sailing
In a boat on the Gorges du Tarn
The Tarn has eroded a veritable canyon
between the Causses of Sauveterre
and Méjean. Its gorges of which
certain steep rock walls attain a height
of 500 metres compose unforgettable
landscapes. On its banks picturesque
villages invite you to stop, Ispagnac
and its Romanesque church, Sainte
Enimie with its alleyways paved with
Tarn pebbles. La Malène is situated
just before the Straits, the most
remarkable part of the Gorges du Tarn.
Carrying on the hiring out of boats
to tourists that started at the end
of the 19th century, the boatmen of
La Malène will take you on board
for a guided sail with commentary
to the Cirque des Baumes.
Les Bateliers des Gorges du Tarn.
Tel. 33(0)4 66 48 51 10
gorgesdutarn.com
Les Bateliers du Viaduc.
Tel. 33 (0)5 65 59 12 41
bateliersduviaduc.com
Larzac
La Couvertoirade,
a Templar and Hospitaller site
Along with La Cavalerie, Saint-Jean-d’Alcas, SainteEulalie-de-Cernon, Le Viala-du-Pas-de-Jaux, La Couvertoirade is one of the five fortified sites brought
together in a cultural tour “Larzac Templier et Hospitalier”. It reveals the heritage left by these
knights of the Middle Ages and their role in the organization of agro-herding in the causse of Larzac.
The castle that looms up on the top of the village
surrounded by a rampart with circular towers, the
Hospitaller church, the streets lined by houses typical of the Causse constitute one of the finest testimonies to their presence. La Couvertoirade also
possesses various amenities linked to the collection of water, water tanks on roofs, calades (pavement in cobblestones), lavognes (stone washing
facilities).
Conservatoire du Larzac. Tel. 33 (0)5 65 59 12 22
conservatoire-larzac.fr
TOUR NATURE
The lake of Aubert
The lake of Matemale
Tour
From great lakes formed by dams to little mountain tarns,
known only to fishers of trout, the lakes of the Pyrenees are
all magnificent in their setting of mountains !
The lake of Carlit
The lake of
Bouillouses
At the heart of the Capcir the lake
of the Bouillouses is the gateway
to a vast protected space which
stretches as far as the summit of
the pic Carlit (2,921 m). Thanks
to a regulated traffic and a system of shuttles which allow you
to leave cars far from the lake itself, the site is a natural setting.
You can stay there in a hotel, an
inn or a refuge at the heart of
mountains where deer, izards
and… trout abound ! Numerous
walks are possible to discover,
for example, the succession of
The lake of Bouillouses
lakes in the Carlit or around the
Camporeills: a small corner of the
Great North at the heart of the
Catalan Pyrenees.
- Big site at Les Bouillouses:
ledepartement66.fr. Access forbidden to cars between 7:00 am
and 7:00 pm, shuttles from the
car park of Pla de Barrès (5 €).
- Hôtel Les Bones Hores :
boneshores.com.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 04 24 22. Superbly
situated by the side of the lake.
- Refuge FFCAM des Bouillouses:
refugedesbouillouses.ffcam.fr
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 04 93 88. A true
mountain refuge, easy to get to
with nourishing fare!
The lake
of Matemale
At the foot of the station des Angles the lake of Matemale is the
miniature sea of Capcir. Easy to
get to, bordered by pine forests
and an area for leisure activities,
it’s a family destination where
you’ll be able to practise numerous activities in summer: sailing
at the nautical base of l’Ourson,
riding, hiking or mountain biking
on the road which goes round the
lake (in 2 to 3 hours), archery or
quite simply chilling out on the
beach – a seaside atmosphere a
stone’s throw from the mountains!
- Office de Tourisme de Matemale. Tel. 33 (0)4 68 04 41 02
matemale.fr
- Office de Tourisme des Angles.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 04 32 76
lesangles.com
- Parc animalier des Angles.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 04 17 20
www.faune-pyreneenne.fr
A pretty walk through the forest
to discover species of European
fauna. Admission 14 €.
- Nautical base of Ourson (sailing, kayak, pedal boat and also
a restaurant).
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 04 30 77
clubnautique-fontromeu.fr
TOUR - NATURE
Great lakes of the Pyrénées
The tarn
of Soulcem
Among the numerous tarns of
Ariège this one is accessible to
cars via a trail suitable for motor
vehicles which climbs up to the
orris (shelters of stone) of Carla at
more than 1,600 metres high.
This is the point of departure for
numerous rambles towards Montcalm or the lakes of the Picot.You
can also go up the valley bottom
to Port del Rat thanks to a herding
track (closed to traffic) in the middle of the herds of cows and
horses of Mérens. This track was
the rough draft of a transborder
route which was to go to Andorra.
It goes as far as the Andorran station of Arcalis, a pretty mountain
bike ride away!
Office de Tourisme de Vicdessos.
Tel. 33 (0)5 61 64 87 53
montagnesdetarasconetdu
vicdessos.com
Tel. 33 (0)5 61 79 21 21
luchon.com.
- Refuge du lac d’Oô.
Tel. 33 (0)5 61 79 12 29
A small refuge, simple and
welcoming, accessible in an
hour from the barns of Astau.
- Refuge du Portillon.
Tel. 33 (0)5 61 79 38 15
It takes a long time to get to a
high mountain refuge, but the
glacier backdrop is worth the effort!
The lakes
of Néouvielle
The lakes
of the Luchonnais
Above Bagnères-de-Luchon three
lakes succeed one another in the
mountains along the same path.
According to how fit you are you
can admire in this way the lake of
Oô, very easy to get to, that of Espingo, already situated high up
in the mountains above the treeline, and even higher still, the
lake of Portillon, often frozen at
the start of the summer and surrounded by glaciers. At each of
these lakes a mountain refuge
welcomes you for refreshments
and a meal and even an unforgettable night spent at the heart of
the Pyrenees.
- Office de Tourisme de Luchon.
summer) climbs to the car park at
the lac d’Aubert, an ideal point of
departure for a great variety of
rambles around the lakes. Many
refuges allow you to break your
journey and even to contemplate
a grand tour on foot for a week!
- Office de Tourisme de Saint
Lary. Tel. 33 (0)5 62 39 50 81
saintlary.com
- Chalet-hôtel d’Oredon.
Tel. 33 (0)6 23 05 72 60
refuge-pyrenees-oredon.com.
A mountain hotel with prices
easy on the purse, with an
unimpeded view over the lake
of Oredon.
The lake
of Gaube
Above Cauterets the Pont d’Espagne is a preserved site in the
vast forests of pines and meadows through which twist fastflowing streams. Just above this
the lake of Gaube is, since the
19th century, an important venue
for Pyrenean tourism, wedged in
its setting of mountains. Access
to it can only be on foot, but it is
possible to take a chairlift at the
start for the steepest bit. Hotel
accommodation and mountain
refuges allow you to prolong your
stay in this magical site where
izards are numerous. Do not hesitate to continue the walk to the
refuge of Le Clos, the easiest to
get to, that of Wallon-Marcadau,
with its old-fashioned charm, or
even that of the Oulettes de
Gaube, prized by mountaineers,
situated at the foot of the impressive north face of the Vignemale.
- Office de Tourisme de Cauterets. Tel. 33 (0)5 62 92 50 50
cauterets.com
- Chalet du Clos.
Tel. 33 (0)5 62 92 61 27
chaletduclos.fr.
Access is obtained via a wide
path easy to negotiate in summer and via downhill ski runs in
winter.
The lake
of Estaing
The lake of Estaing (1,163 metres) has been easily accessible
by car from Lourdes or ArgelèsGazost by going up the Val
d’Azun towards the Soulor pass.
Situated in a wide glaciated valley with the high peaks of the
massif du Balaïtous (3,144 metres) as a backdrop, it offers to
the visitor a picture postcard
landscape, very prized by anglers. Its approaches are populated by colonies of marmots while
herds of cows spend summer
there in peace and tranquillity.
The children will adore it.
- Office de Tourisme de Lourdes.
Tel. 33 (0)5 62 42 77 40
lourdes-infotourisme.com
- Gite de la Pauze.
Tel. 33 (0)6 88 45 99 98
- Camping intercommunal
du lac d'Estaing.
Tel. 33 (0)5 62 97 24
The Réserve naturelle du Néouvielle in the Pyrenees between
the valley of Aure and that of Barèges is an incredible sowing of
lakes and tarns of all sizes, dominated by the glacial summits of
the Pic de Néouvielle and the Pic
Long. A regulated route (open in
NATURE
Textile
Les Toiles
du Soleil
Canigou and the
Catalan
Pyrénées
The Catalan sacred mountain
The dolmens and megaliths of Prehistory, the buildings
constructed during the Early Middle Ages, the narratives
and legends of which it is the hero reveal the sacred
dimension of the Canigou. Is the force that issues forth
from its imposing outline and is present at the often
snow-capped summit which faces the sea and
dominates the plain of Roussillon enough to explain the
bewitchment exercised by this mass whose peak was
for a long time considered to be the highest in the
Pyrenees? A land of gods, of giants, of fairies, but also
of witches and dragons, celebrated by poets, exploited
for its iron up until the end of the 20th century, the
sacred mountain of the Catalans also makes the tourists
dream who undertake its ascent like an initiation
ceremony. Numerous hiking paths reveal the poetry and
the magic of these iconic landscapes. Rock climbing,
canyoning are also available.
Offices de Tourisme Canigou Conflent.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 05 41 02
tourisme-canigou.com
The Yellow Train, symbol of the Catalan region
This regional express doubles up as a tourist vocation. The sixty-three
kilometres of track covered by the Train Jaune accounts for 650
engineering works including the Séjourné viaduct
with its sumptuous stone
arches and the Gisclard
bridge, the only railway
suspension bridge still in
service. An exploit which
is worth the journey in itself. From Villefranche-deConflent to
Latour-de-Carol the yellow
train goes through the Regional Nature Park of the
Catalan Pyrenees. Seen
from the open carriages
the magnificent landscapes parade past and
arouse emotion when the
train overhangs the
gorges of the Têt, grips
narrow cornices, crosses
rocky narrow passes, goes
along valleys and climbs
up the sides of mountains. The Yellow Train is a
unique and fun way to travel in order to discover in
a novel way the Conflent
and the Cerdagne, summer as well as winter.
Le Train Jaune.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 96 63 62
vernet-les-bains.fr
By buying the last textile factory of
Saint-Laurent de Cerdans Henri and
Françoise Quinta safeguarded the
tradition of Catalan fabrics with
shining stripes. Their business “Les
Toiles du Soleil” carries on a
method of weaving and renews,
without betraying it, the identity of
these fabrics which give to
deckchairs, curtains or tablecloths
the appearance of eternal summer…
Nor should we forget “vigatanes”,
those authentic Catalan lace-up
espadrilles, indispensable for
dancing the Sardana!
Les Toiles du Soleil.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 39 33 93
toiles-du-soleil.com
Création catalane
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 54 08 68
espadrille-catalane.com
Observing marmots
Izards, mouflons, cervidae,
grey wolf inhabit the Catalan mountains, but the marmot is the star of lakeside
meadows and prefers the
cool of the morning or the
evening. Its whistle designed to warn its fellow
creatures of an undesirable
presence allows us to distinguish it, but the colour of
its fur blends in with its surroundings. The experienced
eye of a guide can make
meeting it easier.
Offices de Tourisme Canigou
Conflent.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 05 41 02
tourisme-canigou.com
NATURE
Pic du Midi of
Bigorre
The “vaisseau des étoiles”
A museum and cupolas over the 750 metres of terraces
of this observatory. As its name indicates, situated
well forward, in the south, the Pic du Midi of Bigorre
in the High Pyrenees is an extraordinary viewpoint.
From its summit at 2,877 metres you can take in
the whole chain of the Pyrenees from Catalonia
to the Basque Country over more than 400 kilometres
of mountains. It is on this terrace that, for more than
140 years, researchers and space technicians have
been observing, decrypting and photographing the sky
and all its planets as far as the furthest galaxies.
Astronomy is the main subject for this site in the
Pyrenees, with the study of the sun in particular and
of the moon for the Apollo missions and planets.
What make it different is its special light and the
stability of its atmosphere, linked with its position.
The purity of the air allows for a rare quality of
observation of the sky and of the panorama around.
Since June 2000 the site has been open to the general
public and was classified in 2003 as a national nature
site by reason of the beauty of its landscape.
Tel. 33 (0) 825 00 2877 - picdumidi.com
A night on the roof of the Pyrénées
In order to share the magic
of the site at sunset and to
discover the celestial vault,
the Pic organizes twenty or
so “starry nights” for the
general public from March to
November. After visiting the
museum, the highest in
Europe, and the
installations, you can
observe the sunset, then
pass on to the astronomic
animation studios with
astronomers. The Pic has
also been open at night
since 2006. Accompanied
by a specialist the group of
27 people at most spends
the night studying the stars
with the naked eye and
through the 500 mm
telescope of the Charvin
cupola. A traditional dinner
of regionally labelled
products is served in the
restaurant. The following
day, after having taken
advantage of the sunrise,
these privileged ones can
discover the science
cupolas sharing some
moments in the life of the
researchers. The “Nights at
the Summit” are accessible
on reservation all the year
round.
Tel. 33 (0)5 62 56 70 00
ou 33 (0)5 62 56 70 01
(groups)
Epic
An exceptional
human
adventure
If today one can ascend to the Pic
du Midi from the Mongie in
15 minutes thanks to cablecar,
it was a different story in 1873
for General de Nansouty who set up
the first weather station in the col
de Sencours. In 1878, with the
engineer Xavier Vaussenat, he laid
the first stone of the observatory at
the summit. In 1908 the first cupola
was built (Baillaud). The other
cupolas followed. Threatened by
closure in 1995 the observatory was
saved thanks to the investments of
a mixed syndicate. On 19 December
2013 the Pic was labelled “Réserve
Internationale de Ciel Etoilé”
[International Starry Sky Reserve],
the first in France. Since then 251
communes in the Hautes-Pyrénées
have reduced their light pollution.
NATURE
Oxygen
Great cirques of the
Pyrénées
Gavarnie, unmissable and enormous
It’s the biggest cirque in the Pyrenees, a natural
monument! From the village you can guess that it’s
going to fill your line of vision. But nothing can prepare
you for the shock when you finally come face to face
with this almost 1,500 metre high wall in three
successive stages, furrowed by waterfalls which come
down from the glaciers of the Marboré (3,248 m high)
in the Taillon. The best known is that of Gavarnie,
422 metres high, at the source of the gave of Gavarnie
which feeds the gave of Pau. Already in the 19th century
this hamlet had become a must-see tourist destination.
Registered with the Patrimoine mondial de l’Humanité
(World Heritage) by Unesco in 1997 and henceforth
situated at the heart of the Parc National des Pyrénées,
the site Gavarnie-Mont Perdu still attracts as many
people in summer. It is still possible to gain access
on foot to the bottom of the cirque as far as the old
hostelry now a restaurant, then to carry on to the foot
of the Grande Cascade, 423 metres high. The walk is
easy and very popular. In summer a medieval spectacle
is offered at the end of the day in the cirque, a walk
of 30 minutes in an extraordinary setting.
Office de tourisme de Gavarnie-Gèdre.
Tel. 33 (0)5 62 92 48 05 – Gavarnie.com
“Merlin, the story of a wizard” from 26 July
to 7 August 2016. festival-gavarnie.com
Walks through the cirques
From the Port of Boucharo
access on foot to the
refuge of the Brèche de
Roland is not too difficult,
and in the evening sunset
over the cirque of
Gavarnie is incomparable
there. On the other hand
the ascent by the ladders
of the Sarradets from
Gavarnie is much longer
and more technically
demanding, but what an
atmosphere! Quieter, the
ascent to the refuge of the
Espuguettes (PNP), then
to the Horquette d’Alans
quite near will reveal an
unimpeded view over the
neighbouring cirque of Estaubé. Less known, but
much quieter for the road
from Gèdre stops at the
dam of the Gloriettes, the
cirque of Estaubé lends itself well to family walks in
the middle of summer
pastures and herds.
Out of three cirques the
most accessible remains
that of Troumouse:
the road ascends there
to a height of more than
2,000 metres up to an
excellent inn and it is
easy to go on walks from
there to see marmots!
ete.gavarnie.com
The setting of the
Parc National
des Pyrénées
Created in 1967 to protect landscapes, fauna and flora in the Pyrenees, the Parc National des
Pyrénées imposes specific rules and
regulations so as to manage visits
to the zone at its heart. It is easy to
observe marmots, izards, eagles
and vultures there during one of the
numerous walking tours possible!
An excursion for instance to the valley of the Luze by the Chemin de
Saint-Saud which leads to the plateau Bellevue and affords a superb
view of the cirque of Gavarnie. Since
2015 the Iberian ibex, which had disappeared from the Pyrenees by the
year 2000, made its great comeback
thanks to several reintroductions,
notably above Cauterets. It should
not be slow to finally reach Gavarnie…
parc-pyrenees.com
SDF-43-60 -PATRIMOINE - GB_Mise en page 1 01/06/16 16:15 Page43
HERITAGE
A unique richness which places Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées in the leading group
of regions harbouring sites classified as World Heritage of Humanity sites.
The Pont du Gard
The Canal du Midi, the gem that’s been
snaking for 400 years
Carcassonne, the proud fortress
Conques, the vessel of stone
Eight. It’s the number of sites registered by Unesco as part of the World Heritage of Humanity we can
count in the region, in other words more than a quarter of the listed sites in France! From ancient Rome
to the Middle Ages by way of the Crusades, the Cathar epic, the Fronde (civil war in the 17th century)
and all the jolts of history, Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées has been rooted in these traces of a
past that has made the world what it is. But even beyond these sites that are recognized globally, from
Gers to Gard, from Lot to the Pyrenees, from Haute-Garonne to Lozère, the thirteen departments of the
region teem with sublime and moving places, made by man and nature, which are on familiar terms
with history and are today accessible treasures.
Destination Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées I HERITAGE I 43
HERITAGE
Pont du Gard
A history of water for 2,000 years
Listed as part of Unesco’s world
heritage, the Pont du Gard, not far
from Uzès, is the most visited ancient
monument in France. Built in the first
century B.C., it spans the Gardon
and was just one element in the fifty
kilometre long aqueduct, designed
to provide the Roman town of Nîmes,
situated tens of kilometres away,
with water. A mixture of power
and grace it stands out clearly in
an exceptional natural environment.
Scrubland, hollowed-out cliffs,
caves, holm oak forests and
agricultural plots of land decorate
the banks of the Gardon. The path
of the aqueduct follows the trace
of the ancient work, leading from
vestiges to vantage points
with pretty views.
Office de Tourisme du Pont du Gard.
Tel. 33 (0)4 66 37 22 34
ot-pontdugard.com
Bathing hole
A refreshing place in summer
The Gardon offers, beyond the space laid out with cabin and raft of the Pont
du Gard itself, numerous bathing holes. A few kilometres upstream paving
stones, sandy and shingle beaches, cliffs to climb, clubs for canoeing
and kayaking, make of Collias a place much prized by families and those
who like sport. A footpath going up the watercourse invites you to discover
the gorges of the Gardon. It leads to the cave of La Baume which harbours
a little hermitage and its chapel. Below two mills bear witness to past
activity. A few Bonelli eagles and some black-winged vultures have sought
refuge in the cliffs and beavers have colonized the banks. Nocturnal
webcams allow you to discover this largest of the European rodents.
Maison des Gorges du Gardon.
Tel. 33 (0)4 48 27 01 00
gorgesdugardon.fr
44 I HERITAGE I Destination Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées
Fun and educational
So as to understand how the
Romans became masters of
the water and in order to
launch ourselves in their
footsteps, the Ludo Museum
initiates the youngest children to understand and
overcome, thanks to numerous manipulations, the difficulties encountered during
the construction of the
aqueduct. The Museum,
about discovering Roman
antiquity, “Memory of Scrubland”, an open-air trail between
Mediterranean
agriculture and remains of
the aqueduct as well as the
cinema complete this cultural and family approach to
the bridge-aqueduct.
Site du Pont du Gard.
Tel 33 (0)4 66 37 50 99
pontdugard.fr
HERITAGE
Uzès
Back to the Source(s) near the first dukedom in France
It is at the fountain of Eure, near
Uzès, that the aqueduct and its
history begin. Several sources spurt
out around 75 metres up and the
site was chosen by the Romans
to feed Nîmes in water. A tour
conducts us to vestiges of the first
section of the aqueduct revealing
the construction of the canalization,
a tunnel into which it goes and the
regulatory basin opposite a
watchtower. On the way ruins of old
mills can be found and that of
Tournal used to send water from
the river to the fountains of Uzès.
Bordered by poplars and wide lawns
with picnic areas the valley of the
Eure invites us to pause in the
company of ducks, swans and
geese… A pleasure to be followed
by a visit to Uzès which counts
37 historical monuments classified
or listed. Just to saunter under the
arcades of the place aux Herbes
or under the castle of the “first
dukedom of France” is enough
for you to fall under its spell.
Office de Tourisme d’Uzès.
Tel. 33(0)4 66 22 68 88
uzes-tourisme.com
The pont du Gard lights up in June at
nightfall. “Feux Gaulois” is the name of
the extravaganza for 2016. Sound and
light, pyrotechnics, characters and structures made of lights plunge us into an intoxicating Celtic atmosphere. Each night
in the summer at 10:30 pm the lighting
up of the Bridge “A la belle étoile” prolongs the magic. Still in festive mode the
dance hall spirit and its accordion music,
from swing to Argentinian tango, makes
you get up and dance each Friday in summer. Finally the festival ‘Live au Pont’ offers two nights of present day music on
7 and 8 July.
Tel. 33 (0)4 66 37 50 99 - pontdugard.fr
Spectacles
on the Bridge
HERITAGE
The pilgrimage routes to
Santiago de
Compostela
The emotion
at the side of the way
From the beginning of the 11th century Compostela,
the village in Galicia in Spain where the tomb
of St James is supposed to have been found, has been
the destination for a pilgrimage that thousands
of the faithful undertook all through the Middle Ages.
Nowadays these paths of faith are no longer used just
by pilgrims. Numerous ramblers undertake the adventure
for the beauty of the landscapes and the exceptional
heritage that marks them off, for the magic of encounters.
Four historic paths come together at Punte Reina.
Two of them go through the Languedoc Roussillon Midi
Pyrénées region. The most southerly one, the Via
Tolosana (GR653), or Voie d’Arles, passes through
Saint-Gilles and its abbey church with its sculpted façade
and its Romanesque triple portal. After the abbey
of Gélonne, a jewel of Romanesque art in the Languedoc
and the Devil’s bridge, the Via goes on through Toulouse
and the Saint-Sernin basilica up to the col du Somport.
The Via Podensis (GR65) starts at the cathedral of Puyen-Velay which houses the famous black Virgin, an object
of cult and pilgrimage. Its itinerary is also punctuated
by monuments and engineering works, the “pilgrim”
bridge at Saint-Chély-d’Aubrac, the Pont Vieux [old
bridge] in Espalion, that of Estaing, the bridge over
the Dourdou at Conques whose splendid abbey church
stands guard over the Treasure of Sainte Foy, Saint-Sernin
cathedral and the pont Valentré at Cahors, the abbey
church of Moissac… On leaving Narbonne the Pyrenean
Piedmont way (GR 78) is a variant of the voie d’Arles
[Arles route]. It links highly spiritual places, Carcassonne,
Saint-Thibéry, Saint-Lizier, Saint-Just de Valcabrère,
Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, Lourdes and the Templar
chapel at Aragnouet… These principal ways are
completed by secondary ways like the road that links
the Voie d’Arles to the chemin du Piémont, the variant
of this at Rocamadour, from Figeac to Cahors, that of Célé,
from Béduer to Cahors.
ACIR. Tel. 33 (0)5 62 27 00 05
chemins-compostelle.com
For your
information
The spirit of the way
A network of hostelries and monasteries
would welcome pilgrims in the Middle
Ages. Today lodgings have multiplied
with some of them claiming to have kept
alive “the spirit of the way” like the Gîte
d’étape (stage lodging) “Antoine
le Pèlerin” at Figeac (Lot). The “Miam
Miam Dodo” guides, éditions du Vieux
Crayon, have made an inventory of advice
and addresses adapted to all purses
on the different itineraries.
Gîte Antoine le Pèlerin.
Tel. 33 (0)6 52 72 61 46 - antoinelepelerin.fr
Unique
HERITAGE
Rare landscapes and historical monuments
In France seven sections of the way
of Puy-en-Velay (six of which are in
Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées)
and seventy historical monuments
(twenty-nine of which are in the
region) lining the four routes taken
by pilgrims are registered as part
of Unesco’s World Heritage.
But the beauty of the landscapes
gone through also contributes
to the rebirth of the ways to Santiago.
From the great plateaux of the Aubrac
to the charming villages of the valley
of the Lot, from the scrubland of the
Minervois to Cathar country, from the
causses of Cajarc in the Armagnac,
from the area round Auch, to the first
undulations of the Pyrenees… In the
absence of a trip that lasts for thirty
days, an excursion out on the ways
that lead to Santiago reserves,
for each season of the year,
a share in the sublime…
An app for the ways to Santiago
Launched in 2015 and available
on Android and Apple
the application “chemins-stjacques-compostelle” dedicated
to the ways of Santiago de
Compostela offers a complete
panorama of the three ways from
Puy, Arles and Pyrenean Piedmont
with a description of the stage,
suggestions, etc.
In the valley of the Hérault Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert
is an obligatory stage on the Via Tolosana. It was
here that around the year 1000, pilgrims converging from the East and Italy towards Spain stopped
to rest at the Abbey of Gellone, founded in 804
amid scrublands. This jewel of Romanesque art
contains the relics of Saint-Guilhem and fragments
of the cross of Christ (a gift from Charlemagne).
Having evolved on the left bank of the stream of
Verdus, the village (classified among the most
beautiful villages in France) is a village with one
street. Roman and Renaissance windows and arcatures reveal the medieval identity of the city...
Downstream the pont du Diable at Saint-Jean-deFos is the oldest Romanesque bridge in France and
was constructed by the abbey’s monks
Office de tourisme de Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert
Vallée de l’Hérault. Tel. 33 (0)4 67 56 41 97
and Maison du Grand Site. Tel. 33 (0)4 99 61 73 01
saintguilhem-valleeherault.fr
A jewel
Saint-Guilhem, a haven of beauty
in untamed nature
HERITAGE
Hermits
Saint-Martin du
Canigou, still higher
Far removed from warlike aims, the
isolation appropriate to silence and
spirituality motivated the
construction of the Benedictine
abbey on the slopes of the massif du
Canigou at 1,100 metres high.
Founded at the start of the 11th
century on a site of grandiose beauty
which an ascent lasting half an hour
allows you to contemplate, the abbey
of Saint-Martin du Canigou is today
managed by the community of the
Beatitudes which arranges visits and
retreats. The lower church,
underground for the most part,
dedicated to Notre Dame sous Terre,
the cloister and its marble capitals,
the Lombard bell tower, the abbey
church and its crypt, make of this a
work of art of early Catalan
Romanesque.
Abbaye. Tel. 33 (0)4 68 05 50 03
stmartinducanigou.org
Fortresses
Vauban
At the time of fortifications
Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, the military architect
of Louis XIV, built impregnable citadels in mountainous
landscapes. Designed to protect the frontiers
from incursions from Spain, Villefranche-de-Conflent
and Mont Louis in the Pyrenees today figure among
the World Heritage sites of Unesco. Mont-Louis, the
highest stronghold in France, consists of a military citadel
and a new town. The citadel houses the National Centre
for Commando Training, but the powder magazines,
the Well of the Convicts can be explored in guided visits.
Nestling in its fortified enclosure Villefranche-de-Conflent
is a lively place with medieval streets full of charm,
The basement
of 1,000 steps
restaurants and craft shops. On the square the
Romanesque church of Saint-James in pink marble
contains a recumbent Christ from the 14th century
and a baroque altarpiece by the celebrated sculptor
Joseph Sunyer. The visit of the ramparts on the covered
way allows you to discover military architecture,
from medieval towers to curtains and bastions.
Office de Tourisme de Mont-Louis.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 04 21 97 - mont-louis.net
Office de Tourisme Canigou-Fenouilledes.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 97 04 38
office-de-tourisme-canigou-fenouilledes.com
Solar and ceramic oven
Built after the Second
World War in the
enclosure of Mont-Louis
the doubly reflective solar
oven exhibits itself to
present the functioning
of its 858 mirrors, what it
is used for as well as
scientific and technical
applications making use
of solar energy. High
temperatures, from 250 to
3,000oC, totally non-toxic,
are today at the service
of a “solar” craft
production: art ceramics
and bronzes presented
in the oven shop.
Four solaire.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 04 14 89
four-solaire.fr
Hollowed
out
under
Napoleon III a basement with
pink marble steps and a vault
of dressed stone links Villefranche-de-Conflent to Fort
Libéria. This fort, erected by
Vauban 150 metres above the
medieval city of which it ensured the protection, is built
up over three levels surrounded by three enclosures.
The various barracks, the
chapel and its crypt, the
water tank, the bakery and its
oven for bread, the magazine
for munitions, the reconstituted “women’s prison” with
some celebrated poisoners…
invite both young and old to
go back in time. The covered
way bordered by Catalan
wrought iron balusters offers
an amazing view over the surrounding valleys, that of the
Têt and over the Canigou. Opposite Villefranche-de-Conflent the opening of the cave
Cova Bastera was fortified by
Vauban.
Fort Libéria.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 96 34 01
fort-liberia.com
HERITAGE
The lake
Cajarc, lulled
by the Lot
Conques
Sainte-Foy, the vessel of stone
in the middle of the valley
Situated to the north of Rouergue, Conques is a little
village lost in the midst of chestnut trees, seated on
gorges hollowed out by the Ouche, between steep slopes,
rocks and austere forest. It is nevertheless in this place
far from anywhere that the abbey of Sainte-Foy looms up,
built in the middle of the 11th century. The contrast is
striking between the dazzling beauty of this jewel of
Romanesque art, the houses with roofs of flat schist and
the surrounding countryside. Owing to the configuration
of the ground the abbey, which contains the relics of
Sainte-Foy (a young female martyr of Agen), consists of a
transept longer than the nave, remarkable for its arcades
and its cradle vault 22 metres high. Since 1994 the
stained glass windows of Pierre Soulages have decorated
the orifices of the abbey church, remarkable for its
tympanum of the Last Judgment, with 124 characters
carved on it. The building also houses the statue-golden
reliquary of Sainte Foy, covered with cameos and jewels
donated by the pilgrims to this spiritual centre, situated
on the way to Santiago de Compostela.
Office de Tourisme de Conques
Tel. 33 (0)5 65 72 85 00 - tourisme-conques.fr
Figeac, a jewel on the causse
To the east of Quercy at the
beginning of the Ségala,
marking the limit of the
Rouergue and the
Auvergne, Figeac spreads
out over two small hills in
the middle of the Célé.
A merchant town during
the Middle Ages, the town
has retained a unique
architectural heritage with
medieval buildings, private
Renaissance dwellings and
bourgeois houses from the
18th century. The hôtel de
la Monnaie, place Vival,
but also the merchant
squares of Champollion
and Carnot allow us to
admire houses alternating
between sandstone and
half-timbered, equipped
with soleilhos, those open
lofts used for drying things
which support roofs
of canal tiles. But Figeac is
also the town of JeanFrançois Champollion, the
man who decrypted
hieroglyphics. Apart from a
superb reproduction of the
Rosetta Stone, place des
Écritures, the house he was
born in plays host to a
museum paying homage
to him and taking in the
whole history of writing.
Office de Tourisme
de Figeac.
Tel. 05 65 34 06 25
tourisme-figeac.com
A small agglomeration in a great
plain, Cajarc lives at the tranquil
pace of its river. In this spot the Lot
has widened its bed allowing for the
creation of a lake which permits
the practice of water skiing and
canoeing as well as kayaking.
The church of Saint-Étienne, around
which is built the town centre,
the monastery of Mirepoises,
the metal suspension bridge,
give to the town a peaceful air.
Cajarc also benefits from a Maison
des Arts Georges Pompidou offering
surprising exhibitions of modern
art.
magp.fr
The villages of the
Vallon de Marcillac
In this valley dotted with
wine-producing houses and
fortified houses, built of
blue slate, volcanic tuff and
red sandstone form part of
the charm of the villages of
Marcillac, Salles-la-Source,
Clairvaux and Valady. These
villages are part of the Registered Designation of Origin of Marcillac, a small
vineyard in terms of size
(180 hectares), but very big
in terms of the quality of its
red wines. Arrows indicate
the location of the wine estates.
Tel. 05 65 71 13 18
www.tourismevallonmarcillac.fr
HERITAGE
Canal du Midi
A jewel which has snaked for four centuries
where history took it
This green serpent, which links
Toulouse with the Thau lagoon
represents the umbilical cord
between the territories of the region,
flowing through Haute-Garonne,
Aude and Hérault. The most used
watercourse in Europe, the canal
symbolizes the gentle French way of
life. Among its 328 constructions you
need to discover the first great dam
built in Europe at the lake of SaintFerréol, a master work that feeds the
Canal and the museum and Gardens
of the Canal which offer a journey to
the historical sources of this
formidable undertaking. Also in need
of discovery is the bridge-aqueduct of
the Répudre, the Epanchoir (overflow
reservoir) of La Redorte, the port of
Somail, the tunnel of Malpas, the
nine locks of Fonséranes, the round
lock of Agde, the engineering works
on Libron and the pointe des Onglous
at the Thau lagoon.
The Work of Riquet
Anniversary
The Canal has been linking Toulouse
to Sète for 350 years
The Canal du Midi celebrates 350 years this year of the edict of its digging
(7 October 1666 which is also the year of the creation of the town and of the
port of Sète, the outlet of the Canal into the Mediterranean) and 20 years
of its classification as a World Heritage of Humanity site by Unesco
(December 1996). On this occasion you will be able to discover in Toulouse
the historical archives relating to the Canal, the graving docks (a basin that
allows for the drying out of ships), the ballet du port de l’Embouchure,
the 35th canal rowboat rally, festivities at the château du Bonrepos,
the baronial residence of Riquet in Haute-Garonne and many other
exhibitions and spectacles. The story of this 240 kilometres long
engineering work will be the subject of a film in the autumn, “Le Songe
de Naurouze”, directed by Jean Périssé with Bernard Le Coq in the part
of Pierre-Paul Riquet.
Born in Béziers in 1609,
Pierre-Paul Riquet had for
long thought about the idea
of a canal which would link
the Atlantic to the Mediterranean to save time in the
transportation of goods without going around Spain, the
rival of the French Kingdom.
This Collector General for the
“Gabelle” or the salt tax in
Languedoc, Roussillon and
Cerdagne convinced Colbert,
Finance Minister of Louis XIV,
to collect the runoff from the
Black Mountain in order to
channel the water to the Seuil
de Naurouze. In 1667 Riquet
started
the
engineering
works that required up to
12,000 workers. Over a period of 14 years he invested
all his fortune in it. He died
on the 1st of October 1680 at
the age of 71, six months before the inauguration of his
work.
HERITAGE
A canal and canals
The fitting out did not stop with its inauguration
Toulouse could be reached from
Sète then in four days and the
Atlantic in fewer than ten. The work
was completed in 1694 after the
improvements of Vauban in feeding
the canal in order to avoid it silting
up. But it did not truly become the
Canal of the Two Seas until after the
construction of other canals: the
joining canal at La Robine up to
Narbonne in 1787 (photo), the canal
de Brienne in 1776, which goes
around the Chaussée du Bazacle at
Toulouse and rejoins the canal at
Port de l’Embouchure, the canal of
the Rhône at Sète in 1808 and
finally the Lateral canal which
extends it from Toulouse to Castets-
en-Dorthe. Carcassonne was joined
to the canal at the beginning of the
19th century. The canal bridge
across the Orb at Béziers dates from
1857. The plantation of trees along
the canal is also a posteriori: it only
began in 1764. Freight transport
stopped in 1989, leaving a free rein
henceforth to barging.
Engineering works
Technological accomplishments
99 locks between Toulouse and Agde, 7
canal bridges allowing one to cross watercourses, 126 bridges, tunnels, aqueducts,
inlets, outlets… There are altogether 328
engineering works punctuating the itinerary of the Canal du Midi. Some works are
impressive like the locks of Fonsérannes
at Béziers which enable you to cross a difference in height of 25 metres thanks to a
lock system that extends over 315 metres
(photo) or even the round lock of Agde,
the port of Castelnaudary and the bridge
linking Cacor to Moissac (photo). But apart
from the canal-bridge of Répudre, these
were not contemporaneous with Riquet.
The canal has in effect been modernised
many times up to and including the 1970s.
HERITAGE
Carcassonne
Cité de
The medieval city, a splendid
and proud vessel of stone
With its fifty-two towers, its ramparts of the 4th
and 13th centuries and its Ducal Castle,
this medieval fortress built on an old Gallo-Roman
settlement is unique in Europe for its size and its
exceptionally well-preserved state. The seat
of the Visigoths in the fifth century, then of the
Saracens, it will radiate out under the dynasty
of the Trencavel during the time of the Cathars.
The viscount of Carcassonne then tolerated
the Cathar heresy which brought down on him
the wrath of the Albigensian Crusade. Simon
de Montfort took control of the city and it reverted
to the King of France in 1224. In 1260 Saint-Louis
decided to build a new town on the left bank
of the Aude. This bastide is the archetype
of medieval towns with a chequerboard layout
organised round a central square and dominated
by the tower of the church of Saint-Vincent which
is 54 metres high. In the 14th century it was the
economic lung of Carcassonne, the fortified town
for woollen cloth and fabrics. Burned and pillaged
in 1355 during the Hundred Years’ War by the
English under the Black Prince, it was rebuilt
around the churches of Saint-Michel and SaintVincent and endowed with an enclosure that is
no longer there. In the 19th century it played host
to rich private dwellings like the Maison du
Sénéchal, probably the oldest house in the lower
town. In 1659 the Treaty of the Pyrenees and the
pulling back of the Franco-Spanish frontier
precipitated the decline of Carcassonne.
Fortunately, the architect Viollet-le-Duc undertook
the restoration of the city in the 19th century.
UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage Site in 1997.
Office de Tourisme de Carcassonne.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 10 24 30 - tourisme-carcassonne.fr
For your
information
Machicolations and kangaroos
Not far from the city make a leap to
Australia to meet with kangaroos and
Aborigines by visiting the Australian
park. Five minutes from there, the lake
of la Cavayère is a privileged site
for walking and the practice of outdoor
activities. On the programme: water
sports, pedal boats and even an acrobatic forest trail, accessible to adults
and children. Fifteen metres up yodels
allow you to fly over the lake!
Parc australien, chemin des
Bartavelles à Carcassonne.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 25 86 83
leparcaustralien.fr
O2 Aventure, Lac de la Cavayère.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 25 33 83
O2aventure.com
HERITAGE
Action
A real film set!
Registered in 1997 as part of the
World Heritage of Humanity
by Unesco, the medieval city attracts
more than 3 million visitors a year.
Its majestic setting seduces several
film directors. Not long after its
restoration Louis Feuillade undertook
to shoot there four films from 1908
onwards including “Le Retour
du croisé” [“The Return of the
Crusader”] and “Le Remords”
[“Remorse”]. These were the
beginnings of open air filming.
In 1928, the medieval enclosure
welcomed the filming of “La vie
merveilleuse de Jeanne d’Arc,
fille de Lorraine” [“The Marvellous
Life of Joan of Arc, daughter of
Lorraine”], directed by Marco de
Gastyne. Kevin Reynolds will set the
scene there of his “Robin Hood,
Prince of Thieves” played by Kevin
Costner. In 1991, it was the turn
of “Les Visiteurs” by Jean-Marie Poiré
to seize hold of the Carcassonne
setting, then in 2011 of the camera
team for the series “Labyrinth”,
inspired by the medieval best-seller
of the Anglo-Carcassonne writer,
Kate Moss.
Every summer,
the Citadel
of Carcassonne is the
imposing setting
of a festival where
concerts, theatre
and dance
performances are
held from mid-June
to the beginning
of August with
internationally
renowned artists.
Festivalde
carcassonne.com
A thousand fires
When the city bursts into flame!
Every 14th of July the City of Carcassonne shines with a thousand fires during a firework display of more than 25
minutes which attracts nearly 700,000
spectators! The tradition goes back to 14
July 1898, to the arrival of the “Cadets de
Gascogne”, a delegation of personalities
from literature, art and politics. On this
occasion the town organized great celebrations to welcome these distinguished
visitors. In order to finish with a flourish,
the poet Achille Rouquet had the idea of
setting off Bengal lights!
TOUR HERITAGE
Minerve
Quéribus
Tour
Aguilar
The castles of Quéribus, Peyrepertuse, Aguilar, Termes, Puilaurens,
surnamed “the five sons of Carcassonne”, were the scene of dramatic episodes
in the Crusade from 1209 onwards. Their superb ruins are today
the guardians of the history of Catharism.
Puilaurens
The castle
of Montségur
In Ariège, Montségur is the symbol of Cathar persecution. After
ten months of siege, two hundred
“heretics” threw themselves into
flames at the stake rather than
deny their faith. The old fortified
village was the last refuge of the
Cathars and the seat of their
church under the Inquisition. The
current vestiges are those of a
fortress reworked in the 14th century. But the stonewalls of the
great hall and the keep which rise
to 1,200 metres in height, con54 I HERITAGE I Destination Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées
tinue to feed the imagination. The
castle of Montségur is said to
house the treasure of the
Cathars.
Château de Montségur.
Tel. 33 (0)5 61 01 10 27
montsegur.fr
The castle
of Termes
It was here that Simon de Monfort, head of the Crusade against
the Albigensians, and Raymond
de Termes, a powerful lord involved in Catharism, confronted
each other. After a siege of four
months Raymond de Termes was
imprisoned in Carcassonne and
the castle became a royal fortress
in 1228. The remains of the two
concentric enclosures emerge
among the vegetation at the top
of a promontory dominating the
gorges of the Termenet. A “visitors’ book” accompanies the discovery of the ruins of the fortifications of the castle village, then,
higher up, of the two concentric
enclosures of the royal fortress.
A permanent exhibition retraces
the siege of the castle.
Château de Termes.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 70 09 20
chateau-termes.com
TOUR • CATHAR CASTLES AND MINERvE
“Once upon a time”, the Cathar castles
The Castel
of Aguilar
Belonging to the Lords of
Termes the castrum of Aguilar,
having become the property of
the King of France, had as its vocation to guard the southern
frontier facing the kingdom of
Aragon by controlling access to
the Corbières. The fortress
counts two enclosures, the first
hexagonal, flanked with 6 circular towers at its corners. It is dominated by a second enclosure
housing an abode and a quadrangular tower. At the front of
the fortress is a chapel in the
Romanesque style. The medieval village of Tuchan is worth a
visit for the charm of its shady
alleyways and its “plane tree
walk.”
Office de tourisme
des Corbières Sauvages.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 45 69 40
corbieres-sauvages.com
enclosures to which one gains access by stairways and corridors
shaped or carved in the rock. At
the summit the keep is remarkable for its palm-tree vault resting
on a pillar and for its window in
primitive Gothic style. In the top
part a spiral staircase accedes to
a terrace with a view over the
Mediterranean and the summits
of the Pyrenees.
Château de Quéribus.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 45 03 69
cucugnan.fr
they stretch out to a length of
three hundred kilometres. A remarkable example of Southern
medieval military architecture
the fortress of Peyrepertuse,
some 800 metres high, is surnamed “the celestial Carcassonne”.
Three parts are open to visitors:
the low enclosure and the keep
which constitute the original castle of the 12th century, the middle enclosure, built on a plateau
that leans towards the North, and
the castle of San Jordi. From the
keep of San Jordi, accessible by a
staircase hollowed out of the
rock bordering a precipice, the
view carries to the Corbières and
the castle of Quéribus. On the
9th and 10th of August the medieval junketings of Peyrepertuse
make the citadel come alive with
spectacles, jousts, concerts and
walks.
Château de Peyrepertuse.
Tel. 33 (0)4 82 53 24 07
chateau-peyrepertuse.com
The castle
of Puilaurens
Minerve
The castle
of Peyrepertuse
The castle
of Quéribus
It is at one with the narrow rocky
peak whose slope it espouses.
Situated in the commune of Cucugnan the castle of Quéribus became a masterpiece of royal defensive military engineering. This
eagle’s nest, built up over four
landings, is endowed with three
Its ramparts seem to be carved
from the rocky crest of the
Hautes-Corbières over which
of the castrum where numerous
Cathars sought refuge. Its good
state of conservation gives the
most complete image of these eagles’ nests, as impressive by their
defensive equipment as by their
architectural beauty. The Red
Train invites us to explore as a
family another point of view over
the castles of Puilaurens and
Quéribus.
Château de Puylaurens.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 20 65 26
pyreneesaudoises.com
Another vertiginous citadel, the
castle of Puilaurens cuts out its
twofold crenelated enclosure at
the summit of a rocky spur 700
metres high. Dominating the valley of the Boulzane and the High
Valley of the Aude the fortress of
Puylaurens was built on the site
Laid siege to by Sylvain de Montfort the town of Minerve was the
site of the first pyre of the Crusade. La Candela, a ruined tower,
is probably the only vestige of
this period. Perched on its rocky
spur the medieval city stages its
gardens in terraces and its
calades between the great arid
zone of the Causses and vinebearing hills. The Cesse and the
Briand have eroded deep gashes
and fashioned amazing natural
bridges, endowing with a natural
fortress the historical capital of
the Minervois region. To its historical richness the ramparts, the
Romanesque church of Saint-Étienne, Minerve associates the
savage beauty of its landscapes.
Office de Tourisme du Minervois.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 91 81 43
minervois-tourisme.fr
HERITAGE
Unique
Among the most
beautiful Catalan
villages
Rocamadour
The sacred city clinging to the cliffs
Dominating the canyon of the Alzou in the Parc Naturel
Régional des Causses of Quercy the town dedicated
to the cult of Mary clings to the cliffs of the Causse.
A stage on the road to Santiago de Compostela
Rocamadour has been a place of pilgrimage for nearly
nine centuries. Legend has it that the hermit SaintAmadour is likely to have stayed a few years in what
was called the Val Ténébreux [dark valley]. His body,
intact, was found in this place in 1166. The 216 steps
of the Staircase of the Pilgrim lead to the Esplanade
of the sanctuary of Notre Dame de Rocamadour where
there are seven chapels, the basilica of Saint-Sauveur
and the crypt which houses the relics of Saint-Amadour,
both these last having been registered with Unesco’s
World Heritage of Humanity. The chapel of Our Lady,
going back to the 12th century, contains the statue
of the Black Virgin. The Book of Miracles attributes
to her the virtues of curing people, the power to liberate
prisoners or to save sailors.
Vallée de la Dordogne Tourisme.
Tel. 33 (0)5 65 33 22 00
vallee-dordogne.com
Padirac, the incredible abyss
On 9 July 1889, provided
with candles and hanging
from a cable 75 metres
long, Edouard-Alfred
Martel penetrated for
the first time into the
“Devil’s Hole”. Since then
the chasm of Padirac
to the north of Gramat
has become a major
geological site, the most
visited in France.
450,000 visitors venture
each year into this natural
cavity 33 metres in
diameter and 75 metres
deep. Boats allow one
to navigate the
underground river.
Impressively the “Grande
Pendeloque”,
a stalactite 60 metres
in length, is suspended
over the lake of Rain.
The “Great Dome”,
a subterranean cathedral
94 metres high is a lair
for alabaster stoups,
stalactites and
stalagmites. Finally
the stalactite of the “Great
Column” dazzles with its
75 metres of height !
Gouffre de Padirac
Tel. 33 (0)5 65 33 64 56
gouffre-de-padirac.com
The north-east of the department
of Lot, in that valley of the Dordogne
marked by human history from the
earliest times with world-renowned
caves and even down to feudal
periods of which there remain superb
castles, buildings or medieval
villages, is an amazing backdrop
where landscapes and monuments
vie with one another in the beauty
department. Over a short distance
three villages may be counted that
have been nominated among the
“Most beautiful villages in France”.
Coiled up in a cirque Autoire contains
manors and country houses as well
as a 30 metre high waterfall. The fine
medieval buildings of Loubressac
and its castle are perched on a
promontory affording an unimpeded
view of the valley of the Dordogne.
10 kilometres away, on the side of
the river, Carennac plays host to a
Clunisian priory where Fénelon lived.
Castelnau-Bretenoux
and Jean Lurçat
Built by the barons of
Castelnau, the castle of
Castelnau-Bretenoux is a
fine example of the castle
architecture of the Middle
Ages. In the 19th century
Jean Mouliérat, a tenor of
the Opéra-Comique, rearranged it and installed in
it a collection of furniture
and fine art objects. 10
kilometres further on Jean
Lurçat, the father of the rebirth of modern tapestry,
fell under the charm of the
castle of Saint-Laurent les
Tours where he set up his
workshops till his death in
1966. Château de Castelnau-
Bretenoux, Prudhomat.
Tel. 33 (0)5 65 10 98 00.
Atelier-musée Jean-Lurçat.
Tel. 33 (0)5 65 38 28 21.
HERITAGE
Prehistory
One of the rare
painted caves
St-Cirq-Lapopie
One of the most beautiful villages in France
The medieval village of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie which
contains 13 historical monuments is one of the most
beautiful villages in France. Fastened to a cliff
100 metres above the left bank of the Lot, this old
county town of one of the three viscounties of Quercy
constitutes one of the major sites of the valley
of the Lot. Situated on the via Podiensis, one of the
pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela, SaintCirq-Lapopie was able, following on from its tumultuous
feudal past, to display a strong craft activity which
ensured its prosperity. The village then extended
to below the old fort and the narrow alleyways are
bordered with stone houses with steep-sloping roofs
covered with flat tiles. The state of conservation
of the village with its half-timbered houses attracted
to it in the middle of the 20th century numerous artists
who restored these dwellings. Man Ray, Henri Martin,
André Breton resided in this way in Saint-Cirq-Lapopie.
Do not neglect to climb up to what remains of the castle
from where one has a view of the whole village.
Office de Tourisme
Saint-Cirq-Lapopie - Pech-Merle.
Tel. 33 (0)5 65 31 31 31
saint-cirqlapopie.com
From the Valley of the Lot to that of Célé
The valley of the Lot, very
mineral, is characterized
by cliffs of sometimes more
than 200 metres in height.
After Bouziès the road goes
along the river at the edge
of the cliff, sometimes
transformed into a guardpost during the Middle
Ages. The overhanging
défilé des Anglais [Pass of
the English] is thus the
most famous of the
“fortified hollows” built
during the Hundred Years’
War. On the other bank the
road rapidly becomes a
corniche and offers a
superb view. Conduché
marks afterwards the
confluence of the valleys.
The D41 that goes along
the valley of the Célé leads
to the cave of Pech Merle
then to Cabrerets. In this
area the river is renowned
for the quality of its water
and offers numerous spots
for a descent by canoe.
Upstream the waterfall
of the Pescalerie adds to its
charm. A few kilometres
from here at Cuzals the
open-air museum offers a
life-size reconstruction of
rural life as it used to be
formerly in Quercy. Finally
Marcilhac is built in its
entirety around the
impressive ruins of its
abbey.
abbaye-marcilhac.fr
The cave of Pech Merle situated
3 kilometres from Cabrerets is a
fabulous shop window for cave art.
Apart from the vast rooms endowed
with superb concretions, the cave
is adorned with multiple motifs
executed more than 20,000 years
ago. 700 graphic motifs have been
listed of which 70 are depictions
of animals (mammoths, bears, cave
lions, etc.) and 28 depictions
of humans and handprints.
And of course the celebrated panel
of the punctuated Horses, a panel
of two big outlines of horses
surrounded by points, mysterious
signs and handprints. Nor should
we forget the chapel of the
Mammoths forming a frieze
7 metres wide and 3 metres high.
Be careful, access to the cave
in summer is limited in order
to preserve it.
Tel. 33 (0)5 65 31 27 05
pechmerle.com
The towpath
of the Lot
In the 19th century the towing of barges going up the
Lot with their cargoes of
salt, dried fish or spices,
was carried out with the
help of oxen or draught
horses. But between SaintCirq Lapopie and Bouziès,
at the level of the lock of
Ganil, the Lot is at the bottom of the cliff. It was therefore necessary in 1845 to
hew out of the rock a towpath 300 metres long and
barely two metres high.
Those willing therefore
pulled by hand the barges
to go through this passage.
The walk above the Lot is
superb.
HERITAGE
vertigo
Bruniquel,
the village
with two castles
Cordes-sur-Ciel
A legendary city turned towards the stars
Rolled up on its rocky spur like a spiral towards
the stars, Cordes-sur-Ciel looks like a fairy-tale village.
This bastide of the Tarn, built in 1222, one of the oldest
in the area, combines with its remarkable architectural
heritage the beauty and the diversity of the landscapes
of the Tarn. A town of artists and craftsmen, it fascinates
with its dwellings adorned by dragons and strange
characters sculpted with the feet of birds of prey,
of a lion… The house of the Great Equerry, the house
of the Master of Hounds, the house of the Great
Falconer which contains a museum of Modern and
Contemporary Art. The Gothic palaces, built by wealthy
merchants, keep their secrets and contribute to feeding
the legend which has it that the creation of Cordes-surCiel was presided over by the stars and its location
was chosen by fate. On the last terraces the Garden
of the Paradises ends up by convincing us of this…
Office de Tourisme de Cordes-sur-Ciel.
Tel. 33(0)5 63 56 00 52 - cordessurciel.fr
Villefranche-de-Rouergue, an exemplary bastide
Situated in the centre
of the triangle Cahors,
Albi, Rodez, between
the valley of the Lot and
the gorges of the Aveyron,
Villefranche de Rouergue
pours out over the
contours of the valley
of the Aveyron. Its dense
network of streets ordered
around the central square
itself surrounded
by arcades surmounted
by Gothic or Renaissance
residences, the houses
of wealthy merchants
whose doors and towers
expressed their social
status, are fine examples
of the urbanism
and architecture of the
bastides. The Chartreuse
Saint-Sauveur and its
small cloister, a
masterpiece of Gothic art,
the collegiate church and
its impressive bell towerporch which juts into the
main street, the old chapel
of the Black Penitents in
the shape of a Greek
cross… A rich heritage in
which beats the heart of
an animated city which,
on market days, vibrates
with local accents.
Office de Tourisme de
Villefranche-de-Rouergue.
Tel. 33 (0)5 65 45 13 18
tourisme-villefranchenajac.com
To the east of Montauban
in the Tarn-et-Garonne the village
of Bruniquel, classed among the
most beautiful in France, is perched
on a dizzy cliff overhanging the
confluence of the Vère in the middle
of lush vegetation. Inhabited from
the remotest times the site also
harbours a cave wherein have been
found various human remains
including the “lady of Bruniquel”,
the most complete skeleton
of theMagdalenian period (17 to
12,000 years B.C.) Prosperous
during the Middle Ages by reason
of its being on the way to Santiago
de Compostela, Bruniquel has
retained a superb architectural
inheritance from the 14th and 15th
centuries and two amazing castles
almost vertically suspended above
empty space.
Office de Tourisme de Bruniquel.
Tel. 33 (0)5 63 67 29 84
bruniquel.fr
Najac a perched
town
Dominated by its royal
fortress whose loopholes,
unique in the world, allow
for the simultaneous shooting of three archers, Najac
occupies
a
steep
hill
hemmed in by a bend in the
river Aveyron. Its one street
which twists down from the
castle burg, the oldest part
where the castle thrusts up
to the place du Barry, is bordered by old houses with
wooden corners. Below the
gorges of the Aveyron invite
you to bathe or to go canoeing or kayaking.
Office de Tourisme de Najac.
Tel. 33 (0)5 65 29 72 05
tourisme-villefranchenajac.com
HERITAGE
Sensations
Subterranean
transport
Caves
A region with a subsoil like a gruyere cheese!
The subsoil of the destination Languedoc Roussillon
Midi Pyrénées hides a vast network of caves,
chasms and avens (sinkholes). Forty of them are
equipped to welcome visitors. The most numerous,
concretion caves, reveal strange landscapes subject
to interpretation which feed the imagination,
a mineral garden in the chasm of Esparros, a cathedral
of the abyss in the Demoiselles cave, the grotte aux
diamants in the Cocalière cave, the “hall for
100,000 soldiers” in the cave of Trabuc…
More numerous in the west of the region the painted
caves are the precious eye witnesses of cave art,
paintings, engravings, drawings made by our
Palaeolithic ancestors. The caves of Niaux,
of the Mas d’Azil and of Pech Merle figure among
the rare painted caves still open to the public
and among the most beautiful. Famous for its
200 paintings of negatives of hands, the cave
of Gargas displays numerous prehistoric vestiges.
Rendez-vous
with the past
From Niaux to Bédeilhac, beauty and history
It is visited by the light
of portable lamps in order
to discover a hundred
or so representations
of animals – buffalos,
horses, ibex, deer –
and several hundred
geometrical signs,
the significance of which
is a mystery. The cave
of Niaux in Ariège
and the representations
of animals in its “Dark
Room” plunges us into
the magical world
of the Magdalenians
15,000 years ago.
The motifs and figurative
human forms of the cave
of Pech Merle in the Lot
also give us pause
for thought. Just like
the cave of the mas d’Azil
in Ariège, impressive
by its size and its volume
which, after two years
of work, offers today
a new trail for visitors
Underground worlds sometimes
have surprises in store. In the abyss
of Cabrespine (Aude) we can
henceforth walk above 200 metres
of empty space over the new glass
footbridge. A funicular railway
plunges us into the sumptuous
sound and light show of the aven
Armand in Lozère. We reach
the heart of the cave of Lacave in
a small train in the Lot. In order to
discover the hidden rooms of the
cave of the Salamander (Gard)
it is enough to put on a potholer’s
costume before climbing over
blocks, crossing a “monkey bridge”
and climbing over rope ladders…
Gouffre de Cabrespine.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 26 14 22
gouffre-de-cabrespine.com
Aven Armand.
Tel. 33 (0)4 66 45 61 31
aven-armand.com
Grotte de Lacave.
Tel. 33 (0)5 65 37 87 03
vert-marine.com/grottes-delacave-46
Grotte de la Salamandre.
Tel. 33 (0)4 66 60 06 00
grottedelasalamandre.com
and fairy-tale lighting.
The tour of the cave
of Bédeilhac, still in
Ariège, leads
simultaneously to fine
concretions, paintings,
drawings and bas reliefs
modelled in clay.
Mas d’Azil.
Tel. 33 (0)5 61 05 10 10
sites-touristiquesariege.fr
Pech Merle.
Tel. 33 (0)5 65 31 27 05
pechmerle.com
Bédeilhac.
Tel. 33 (0)5 61 05 95 06
grotte-de-bedeilhac.org
Niaux.
Tel. 33 (0)5 61 05 10 10
sites-touristiquesariege.fr
The Park of Prehistory in
Tarascon-sur-Ariège presents
prehistoric art through films,
objects and reproductions. In
Tautavel the museum of Prehistory stages an encounter
with Tautavel Man in 20
rooms displaying reconstructions of scenes from Prehistory and tools, bones and
fossils found on the site of la
Caune de l’Arago.
Parc de la Préhistoire.
Tel. 33 (0)5 61 02 30 70
ariegepyrenees.com
Musée de la Préhistoire.
Tel. 33 (0)4.68.29.07.76
450000ans.com
HERITAGE
Gascogne
Along the Baïse
St-Bertrandde-Comminges
Spirituality as identity
The elegant cathedral of Notre Dame and its imposing
bell tower-keep constitute the veritable summit of this
hill which stands out in the Pyrenean foothills and on
which Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges has been built
(in Haute-Garonne). The upper town with its medieval
streets is encircled by ancient ramparts. In the lower
town, next to the chapel of Saint-Julien du Plan are
found the vestiges of a Paleo-Christian basilica that
dates back to the 5th century, built on the old Roman
city, Lugdunum Convenarum. There still remain
numerous vestiges of the ancient site – the temple,
the thermal baths, the market, the theatre – on which
was built the episcopal city. Off the beaten track the
Roman basilica of Saint-Just de Valcabrère proclaims its
singularity by using fragments of architecture and
sculptures coming from the Roman city. The gardens
of the cathedral offer a pretty viewpoint over the valley
of the Garonne.
Les Olivetains. Tel. 33 (0)5 61 95 44 44
tourisme.haute-garonne.fr
The abbey of knowledge
Famous for its abbeyschool whose innovatory
teaching attracted
from the 18th to the
19th century students
from the world over,
Sorèze, where literature
and science, singing
and drama were taught…,
blossoms at the foot
of the forested massif
of the Black Mountain.
A museum trail guides the
visitor to the discovery of
the architecture and the
everyday life of this centre
of learning. The abbey
school also harbours the
musée Dom Robert and
that of 20th century
tapestry. A little further on
the belfry of Revel carries
on being intoxicated by
the colours, the smells
and the hustle and bustle
of one of the finest
markets in France. The old
bastide is also renowned
for playing host to the
greatest number of
craftsmen specialized in
artistic furniture. PierrePaul Riquet, the man who
conceived the Canal du
Midi resided there and, a
stone’s throw away, the
lake of Saint-Ferréol, the
canal’s main reservoir,
pays tribute to him
through its Musée et
Jardins du Canal du Midi.
Office de Tourisme.
Tel. 33 (0)5 63 74 16 28
auxsourcesducanal
dumidi.com
The Cistercian abbey of Flaran
brings together buildings
remarkably well-preserved at the
heart of a wooded park, the original
Romanesque church, the superb
cloister, the reconstituted herb
garden… The dormitory of the
monks plays host to the exceptional
Simonov collection (works by
Monet, Renoir, Cézanne, Braque,
Picasso…). Along the valley of the
Baïse, where the river served to
transport Armagnac brandy, the
legacy of Condom, the historical
capital of Armagnac, bears witness
to the power of this old bishopric
and the prosperity linked to trade in
this precious commodity. Navigable
for sixty kilometres the Baïse offers
itself to the discovery of Gascony.
Office de Tourisme de la Ténarèze.
Tel. 33 (0)5 62 28 00 80
flaran-baise-armagnac.com
The city of machines
With its enclosure walls, its
bridge and its moats, its
crenelated towers, its medieval houses, its castle
keep, Laressingle looks like
a film set. On its outskirts a
reconstructed
medieval
siege camp reassembles
weapons for waging war.
Children are invited to manipulate the catapult, to
shoot with the bow and
crossbow, dressed in the
costume of a medieval
knight or princess. The
camp also offers re-enactments and demonstrations
of siege machinery being
fired.
Tel. 33 (0)5.62.68.33.8
larressingle.free.fr
SDF-61-82 -ART DE VIVRE - GB_Mise en page 1 01/06/16 16:20 Page61
ART OF LIVING
Endowed with vast tracts of agricultural land the destination Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées
offers a regional gastronomy which is renowned and varied.
But it is also the biggest of the world’s vineyards.
The most varied of vineyards
A rich diversity
Traditions: from ovalie to biou
Festivals
Truffles from Quercy, green beans from Tarbes, foies gras from Gers, apples from Tarn, Garonne and
the Cévennes, apricots from Roussillon, pink garlic from Lautrec, Roquefort, bulls from the Camargue,
chickpeas from Carlencas, Pélardon from the Cévennes… The region’s specialities embrace a
sufficiently wide range to draw up a menu, from the hors d’œuvre to the dessert. The fertile agricultural
land of the region offers a large palette of local products in a region where eating well and living well
go together for the pleasure of true gourmets. And drinking well too! Neither is there a risk in this area
with drinking since with its 280,000 hectares of vineyards the Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées
region represents the vastest vineyard in the world and the most varied.
Destination Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées I ART OF LIVING I 61
Wines
ART OF LIVING
The most varied and
the vastest of vineyards
More than 80 AOCs and IGPs for 280,000 hectares of vineyards
If the vineyards of Languedoc Roussillon were
already impressive with their 240,000 hectares,
from now on the wine-growing area of the
destination Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées
is unarguably the biggest in the world with its
280,000 hectares of vines. From Armagnac
to the hills of Languedoc the vineyards fashion
and punctuate the region’s landscapes. This is
also the most varied of vineyard environments
since it brings together, apart from ordinary or
undistinguished wines, 44 appellations d’origine
controlee [designations of origin ] (AOC)
and 36 vineyards with the distinction of indication
géographique protégée [protected geographical
indication] (IGP). Côtes de Gascogne, Cabardès,
Gaillac, Saint-Chinian, Comté Tolosan, Corbières,
Cahors, Minervois, Madiran, Terrasses du Larzac,
Saint-Mont, Languedoc or Côtes du Roussillon,
the wines are multifarious and have an
exceptional bouquet. If the wine of Cahors
possesses a strong personality with its famous
Malbec growth, the other wines of the Southwest
are described as possessing a certain freshness.
In contrast the wines of Languedoc and Roussillon,
sunny land wines, are generous, subtle, vivid and
of rare quality. And this holds true for red wine as
well as for white or rosé wine, and even for sweet
wines and sparkling wines since the whole gamut
is represented. So much so that the celebrated
American wine-taster Robert Parker wrote that
“le Languedoc-Roussillon is the new Eldorado
of the wines of the world”.
62 I ART OF LIVING I Destination Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées
Leader
for organic wines
With 23,000 hectares cultivated
organically (including 21,000
for Languedoc-Roussillon) the
region is the undisputed leader
for wines to emerge from organic agriculture in France and
globally (with Spain). Vines cultivated in this way represent almost 8 % of the total area of
vineyards in Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées and 30 % of
organic domains in France.
Winetourism
Since 2013 the Tourism
and Wine departments of
Sud de France Development
have created the Sud de
France Wine Tourism Club
which brings together
notable sites, cellars, people
offering accommodation,
receiving agencies so as
to make even better offers.
destinationsuddefrance.com
/club-oenotourisme
Heirs to a domain that is out of the ordinary
and varied the wine-growers of Languedoc,
Roussillon and the Southwest have understood
their interest in laying bare their professions
and their products by sharing that very special
art of living that is the cultivation of the grape.
From the springtime onwards the region turns
into the Eden of lovers of wine tourism with
a multitude of events centred on gastronomy
and wine (samplings, vineyard walks, etc.)
while the wine roads (including 10 with the label
“Vignoble et découverte”) are put in place,
notably under the aegis of Sud de France,
with an ever growing number of private cellars,
restaurants and hotels combining their efforts
for the greater satisfaction of customers.
destinationsuddefrance.com/club-oenotourisme
tourisme-midi-pyrenees.com
sud-de-france.com
ART OF LIVING
Wines
Rosé wines
A sought-after
colour
Offering a rich aromatic palette going from red
fruit (raspberries, strawberries) to spices with
a bouquet as flowery as it is fruity or mineral,
the rosé wines of Languedoc Roussillon Midi
Pyrénées are cool and sensual and are drunk
among friends with salads, tapas or grilled
meats. From the same growths as red wine
they are the result of a technique of maceration
using different grapes. In IGP Pays d’Oc in the
Corbières by way of the Faugères, the Cahors,
the Côtes du Tarn, the Pic Saint-Loup,
the coteaux du Quercy, the Corbières,
the Frontons or even the Collioures these wines
are favoured by an overwhelming majority
of consumers.
Each year Tavel in Gard, the oldest AOC of rosé
wine in France, celebrates its wines.
This year Saturday, July 16th – during a festival
that combines the sampling of wine, gastronomy
and shows.
vin-tavel.com
ART OF LIVING
Sweetwines
A speciality of the South
Vins Doux Naturels [Natural sweet wines] have
been a Southern speciality for several decades.
These VDNs are wines whose fermentation is
halted by adding alcohol which increases their
alcoholic content and ends up preserving the
natural sugars of the grape. Numerous wines
of this type are produced near the Mediterranean
coast: muscat de Lunel, Mireval, muscat de
Frontignan, Saint-Jean de Minervois. Nor should
we forget, of course, the great classic wines
of the Pyrénées-Orientales: Maury, Banyuls
(coming from old vines cultivated in terraces)
and Rivesaltes, this last appellation producing
wines of a deep amber colour. In Gers le Floc
de Gascogne is produced, an apéritif wine with
a long history, produced in white and rosé
versions, blending fresh grape juice with young
Armagnacs. Wines for a long time restricted
to being drunk as an aperitif, but which are now
being rediscovered in marriages of courses
and innovative wines.
Effervescent
wines
From Limoux to Gaillac
The first sparkling wine in the world which is said
to have been invented in 1531, la blanquette
de Limoux, is a dry wine with a delicate
effervescence, vinified and matured in barrels
and very much synonymous with that area
of Aude where it is produced. It has benefitted
from an AOC label for nearly 80 years.
The sparkling wine of Limoux is also drunk
as a kind of champagne but the appellation also
covers red wines and very subtle still wines.
Gaillac is also a renowned sparkling wine of Tarn
whose distinction is to use local grape varieties
like Mauzac or Ondenc. Other effervescent wines
may be explored, whether it be the experiments
of wine-growers in Gers who not long ago started
producing naturally effervescent or frothy wines
using the Champagne method, not to mention
Frontignan or Picpoul in the shape of which
the co-operative offers an agreeable extra dry.
Sparkling muscat may also be found
with some wine-growers in Hérault.
Armagnac
Gascon nobility
Obtained by distilling white wine in a still, then
aged in an oak cask for many long years, the area
in which Armagnac is produced touches three
departments but mainly Gers. The oldest brandy
produced in the South-West of France, it is made
on the basis of varieties of grape including ugni
blanc, baco blanc and folle blanche.
An exceptional product made in small quantities
by winegrowers and craftsmen blenders,
Armagnac benefits from a specific classification
according to its origin and when it is harvested.
Conscious of this heritage a hundred or so
domains, cellars and places of accommodation
have created over the entirety of vineyards
in Gers the label “Les Bons Crus d’Artagnan”, the
guarantee of a quality welcome for a discovery
of the inherited wealth of the department.
armagnac.fr
ART OF LIVING
From Saint-Mont
to Lirac, the biggest
vineyard in the world
With its 44 “appellations d’origine controlee”, its 36 IGPs
and above all its 280,000 hectares of vines – of which
244,000 are just for the wines of Languedoc and
Roussillon –, the territory of Languedoc Roussillon Midi
Pyrénées represents the biggest vineyard in the world.
Or should we say vineyards, for diversity is the order
of the day among these exceptional wines which use
numerous varieties of grape like malbec, syrah, mourvèdre,
cabernet-franc, mauzac, négrette, carignan, etc.
With 8 % of the area under cultivation planted with vines
and offering wines with or without an appellation of ever
higher quality, the region is a land for wines.
The principal areas of production are AOCs in Languedoc
(43,000 hectares), Côtes de Gascogne and Condomois
(13,000 hectares), Corbières (9,900 hectares),
Côtes du Roussillon and Côtes du Roussillon Villages
(6,200 hectares), Armagnac (5,200 hectares),
Cahors (4,400 hectares), Saint-Chinian (3,300 hectares),
Minervois (3,200 hectares), Gaillac (3,000 hectares)…
Gastronomy
ART OF LIVING
A rich
diversity
A pluralistic territory Languedoc Roussillon
Midi Pyrénées consists of several areas which
renders it rich. It is besides, with more than
250 references, the first region in Europe to hold
so many products labelled as IGP, AOC, AOP
or Label Rouge. In the departments which form
an arc round the Mediterranean, from the
mountains to the sea, from districts of high
elevation to the Mediterranean, from the
Camargue to the Côte Vermeille, there are
in this way a multitude of specialities on offer
and a sun-drenched and refined cuisine.
Oysters from the lagoons of Leucate, Gruissan
or Thau, anchovies from Collioure, brandade
from Nîmes, Pélardon cheese and sweet onion
from the Cévennes, eels, melon and lamb from
the Cathar area, apricots from Roussillon,
dorade, asparagus from the area round Uzès,
chickpeas, small pâtés from Pézenas or Nîmes,
“truffade”, rousquilles (ring-shaped cakes),
garriguettes strawberries… the palette
of flavours is rich and important.
In Tarn-et-Garonne fruit is plentiful in this region
where grapes including the famous chasselas
of Moissac, melons and plums abound.
In Haute-Garonne they are very proud
of the famous Toulouse sausage, in receipt
of a Red Label, not to mention Pyrenean lamb.
Gers and Lot have in common the tradition
of rearing ducks mainly to make foie gras out of
some and duck cutlets and conserves out of
others. Ariège and Aveyron are both meat areas
where excellence may be savoured what with
Gascon beef, bœuf fermier from Aubrac and calf
from Aveyron. Tarn enjoys a reputation which
is unsurpassed for salt meat whether it be the
IGP dry ham of Lacaune or melsat, that white
pudding made of meat, eggs and bread.
The black pig of Bigorre is the pride of the
Hautes-Pyrénées while Gers, Hautes-Pyrénées,
Haute-Garonne and Ariège divide their forces
to relaunch the Gascon chicken, famous
for having been the favourite dish of Henri IV
as chicken casserole!
As many products which allow the ambassadors
of taste that are the numerous chefs and cooks
of talent, to fly high the flag of a region.
Taste
The oyster
of Bouzigues
Classified as a “Site Remarquable du Goût”
[remarkable site of taste], the town of Bouzigues
is the centre of oyster farming on the Thau
lagoon. Since the beginning of the 20th century,
several generations of oyster farmers have
managed their shellfish farms by combining
family tradition and technical precision. The
absence of a tide has made necessary the
technique of rearing the oysters suspended.
Today 2,500 shellfish tables emerge above the
étang. You can also find oysters on the Leucate
lagoon and on that of Gruissan.
Emblem
La tielle de Sète
(Octopus Pie)
A little round pie made out of bread dough
and with fluted edges and garnished
with octopus cut and mixed with a spicy tomato
sauce the tielle has become one of the icons
of Sète. Nevertheless this dish, which can be
eaten warm as well as cold, is only the pure and
simple rehash of a dish from the South of Italy!
Intimately linked to the history of Sète this dish
was imported in 1937 by the wife of an Italian
fisherman, Adrienne Virduci, who first made it
popular. To such a point that Sète got hold of it
and most of those who make tielles in Sète
are descendants of Adrienne!
Nectar
The chasselas
de Moissac
Varieties
Olive and olive oil
A symbol of the Mediterranean the olive tree is
a common heritage which has been cultivated
for slightly in excess of 2,500 years. A variety
which is quite at home in Gard, la Picholine
obtained an AOC “Olive of Nîmes”. In Aude,
the Lucques, also protected from now on,
is recognizable from its light green colour and its
lunar crescent shape. The Olivière is for its part
one of the principal varieties of the PyrénéesOrientales. It is a variety that the department
shares with Hérault where the Lucques variety
is also to be found. Eaten whole or in oil, the
olive – green or black – is a renowned and tasty
antioxidant which is celebrated on numerous
feast days between April and December.
The chasselas de Moissac, the first fruit to have
obtained an AOP in 1971 and celebrated on the
17th and 18th of September, is no longer just an
exceptional table grape. Its golden seeds are
made today into jams, fruit juice and alcoholic
drinks like the Quercy des îles in which their
nectar is combined with rum, vanilla and
Espelette pepper. Other delights of this fruitbearing department are the plum, notably the
Red Label reine-claude variety, the cherry,
Quercy melon, the apple, the kiwi fruit, but also
hazelnuts and chestnuts.
Recipe
Brandade of cod
of Nîmes
Serves 4.
4 filets of cod or salted cod - 1 kilo of pureed
potatoes - 1/2 litre milk - 20 centilitres of single
cream Olive oil - Salt and pepper.
Cook the potatoes in salty water Peel them
and mash them in the cooking pot. In the
shallow casserole put some milk and poach
the fish. Drip it onto a plate and check that there
aren’t any bones in it. Crumble it and add it to
the potatoes, mash everything and beat the olive
oil and the single cream till stiff. Serve.
Delicacy
The green bean of
Tarbes and of Pamiers
Rustic
Aligot
It is in the Aubrac, on the border of Lozère
and Aveyron, that this rustic dish made of
potatoes and fresh tomme cheese was born.
This substantial dish, whose origins go back to
the 12th century, was served by the monks
of Aubrac to the pilgrims who crossed these
mountains to go to Santiago de Compostela by
the Via Podensis. All the difficulty of making it is
in the manual skill needed to knead and stretch
the aligot which has to come out in long scarves.
Having come to Europe via Spain to which
Christopher Columbus had brought it back, the
green bean reached the valleys of the Pyrenees
in the 18th century. As Bigorre had been a
territory to welcome it, the green bean quickly
became a speciality of Tarbes. It distinguishes
itself by its flavour and the fineness of its skin.
From henceforth it is protected by a Red Label
and an IGP. Green beans are also found in
Lauragais, the famous lingots which serve to
prepare cassoulet and the “coco de Pamiers”,
a small round bean typical of the valley
and a basic ingredient of mounjetado,
the Ariège version of cassoulet.
Duck Confit Parmentier
Serves 4
4 pieces of fresh duck thighs - 1 litre of duck fat
300 g potatoes - 60 g of butter - 6 cl of milk
Chives (as many as you like) - ½ clove garlic
Thyme - Pepper (as much as you like)
Salt (as much as you like), rock salt
Put the duck thighs in rock salt for 24 hours.
Wash the salt off. Pickle the thighs
(useful to know : they are cooked when a straw
penetrates them easily). Prepare a potato puree.
Crumble the thighs and mix them with the puree.
Add the chives. For presentation purposes,
dispose in a circle and put on top the tops of the
thighs and around them garlic pickle.
Gastronomy
ART OF LIVING
Savour
The lamb of Lozère
or Cathar lamb
Flavour
In receipt of an IGP since 2008 the lamb
of Lozère (half way between suckling lamb and
lamb out at grass) is breast fed with its mother’s
milk until it is weaned, then with herbs and
cereals coming from the wide-open spaces of
Aubrac, Margeride, the Cévennes or the Causses.
All of which gives to its meat a remarkable
flavour and smoothness. As for the Cathar
country lamb from the areas of the Black
Mountain, the Corbières and the High Valley
of the Aude, it is reared for 120 days so that its
meat can taste really good. A part of the
production benefits from Red Label
endorsement.
Collioure anchovy
This blue fish is an icon for Collioure which
became a “Site remarquable du gout”
[remarkable site of taste] in 1994. Since 2004
Collioure anchovy has also been classified as an
IGP. Fished for centuries its production
nevertheless became rare and today there are
only two salting shops left in this small port of
the Côte Vermeille: those held by the Desclaux
and Roque families. The season for anchovy
lasts from May to October, a period during which
they are caught with a net. It is in salt, after
having been placed to mature in barrels, that the
anchovy takes on its distinctive colour, taste and
smell.
Renown
Apricot of Roussillon
Under this denomination is concealed in fact
four varieties (Rouge du Roussillon, Héléna
du Roussillon, Royal Roussillon and Gâterie)
of red apricots from Roussillon, reputed for their
particular sense-orientated characteristics.
Of average size, orange coloured with bright red
bits, the apricot of Roussillon, cultivated in the
plains of Roussillon, has intense aromas and
a melt-in-the-mouth and juicy texture. It is since
2014 the only apricot in France to have earned
an AOC.
Goats’
cheese
The Pélardon
of the Cévennes
Subtle
The pink garlic
of Lautrec
Consecrated by a Red Label in 1996 the pink garlic
of Lautrec is appreciated for its flavoursome taste,
its subtlety and its sweet and sugary aspect and is
eaten cooked or raw, even in soup! In addition it is
celebrated each year during the first weekend of
August in Lautrec for two days. But the region that
produces half of the garlic in France is also
renowned for the white garlic of Beaumont-deLomagne and the purple violet of Cadours which
has just obtained its AOC.
Provided with an AOC since the year 2000
the pélardon is with the sweet onion
and the chestnut one of the icons of the
Cévennes in Gard and Lozère. Known since
Gallo-Roman times, this small round cheese
made from goat’s milk, goats who live outside
for two thirds of the year, with a dry and piquant
taste, is manufactured from clotted milk, then
dried before being refined. Produced between
May and September the pélardon of the
Cévennes is eaten runny or dry, even coated
with breadcrumbs, but sees its flavours exalted
when it is marinated in olive oil.
Ageing
Le Roquefort
Aromas
The Black pig of Bigorre
A lively and alert animal, endowed with good
feet and which browses in meadows and
undergrowth, the black pig of Bigorre that is
found in the Piedmont of the central Pyrenees
has come back from the verge of extinction.
Today recognized for the quality of its meat it
would have disappeared without the inflexible
will of certain rearers who saved it in 1981. The
black ham of Bigorre, recently recognized with an
AOC, dried and refined for 18 to 24 months,
gives off strong aromas and melts in the mouth.
Famous for ages, notably for having carried off
the first AOC in 1925, we have Roquefort. Made
from untreated ewe’s milk, its singularity resides
in its method of maturation, which can only be
done in the cellars of the village of Roquefort,
or more accurately, at the foot of the rock of
Combalou. Cellars have been set up in this cliff
where the hygrometry is ensured naturally.
It is during this period in the cellar that the
penicillium roqueforti develops which gives
to Roquefort its taste and its texture.
Recipe
Casserole chicken
1 chicken - 8 carrots - 4 turnips - 1 rutabaga
200 g long-grain rice - 1 sprig of celery
1 onion - 2 ground cloves - 25 g of butter
25 g of flour T55 - 1 egg
2 tablespoons of fresh cream - Rock salt
Salt + pepper - 1 bunch of mixed herbs
4 leaves of leeks
Place the chicken in a big stewpot and cover it
with cold water. Bring it to the boil and remove
the scum.
Peel, wash and cut the vegetables into chunks.
When the chicken broth is quite clear, put in
the carrots, the turnips, the swede, the celery,
the onion larded with cloves and the bunch
of mixed herbs.
Salt lightly with rock salt. Allow to cook for 30
to 35 minutes and add the strung together
leaves of the leeks. Allow to cook for 1 hour.
Pour a part of the chicken broth into a casserole,
bring it to the boil, cook the rice in it
for 20 minutes.
Prepare the white sauce by melting the butter,
add the flour. Mix and cook on a low heat
for 2 minutes.
Gradually thin down with 50 cl of chicken broth
until the sauce is homogenized. Bring to the boil.
Mix the yolk of an egg with fresh cream. Take off
the heat and pour the mixture into the hot sauce,
whip energetically. Put to one side. Cut up the
chicken, serve it with the vegetables, coat with
white sauce. Serve with the rice.
Catalan cream
1 litre of milk - 8 eggs - Powdered sugar - Flour
1 grated lemon peel - 1 stick of cinnamon - Salt
Infuse the stick of cinnamon into the milk
and bring it to the boil. Grate the lemon rind into
a saucepan, add the sugar (4 tablespoons), flour
and egg yolks, beat them with a small beater
until you obtain a foamy, white mix. Slowly pour
in the milk and mix well. Put the saucepan on the
heat, cook slowly while stirring, then stop cooking when the cream has thickened. Pour the
cream into a small mould, let cool. Sprinkle the
sugar (3 tablespoons) over the surface of the
cream and burn it with a red-hot poker.
Gastronomy
ART OF LIVING
Unforgettable
Cassoulet
Unmissable
Whether it be from Toulouse, from Castelnaudary
or from Carcassonne, cassoulet is an unmissable
regional dish. More than a dish, it’s a symbol.
Legend has it that the dish was invented during
the Hundred Year’ War by the starving villagers
of Castelnaudary who, in order to have a last
meal before the attack, are said to have mixed
up all they had left… In Castelnaudary it is made
on the basis of broad beans, goose conserve
and pork shank or shoulder. In Toulouse
it contains duck, Toulouse sausage and is
sometimes covered with dried breadcrumbs.
In Carcassonne red partridge and a piece
of mutton enter into its make-up. The original
recipe demands a slow cook in a saucepan
on the spot so that the beans are melting.
Foie gras
Foie gras is the signature of Gers known the
world over. Made on a base of goose or duck,
foie gras is a speciality which is eaten raw,
semi-cooked or cooked and is part of the cultural
and gastronomic heritage of France. In Gers it is
henceforth possible to meet producers,
discover traditional occupations, approach
breeding grounds, without forgetting to root out
the best products, thanks to the programme
concocted by the IGP professionals who have
created a Route for foie gras. Other departments
in the region also produce foie gras: Lot and
Aude in the main.
Delight
Melsat
In the southeast of Tarn, the mountains
of Lacaune are the preserve of the “maseliers”
(killers of pigs in Occitan) and thus butchers,
pork butchers and salters. Among their
specialities: melsat, a sort of white pudding
made up of meat, eggs and bread cooked
in a frying pan. The bougnette, a doughnut
of the same composition whose stuffing
is wrapped in a pork caul is also a real treat.
The saucisse de couenne (pork rind sausage) is,
for its part, made up of meat and bacon rind
secured in entrails. It is generally cooked
with pulses, cassoulet, lentils…
Royale
The sea-bream
in Mediterranean Sea
The fishing of it is a quasi-pilgrimage for many
amateurs on the coast of Hérault or in the port
of Sète. The keenest go as far as to take a few
days off during the most propitious periods
in the months of April to May and September
to bait it and tempt it while waiting for its discreet
and repeated tugs. A bulging forehead topped
with yellow, cheeks as if made up in pink,
the daurade royale [gilthead bream] has, here,
in sandy depths a livery of silver. To taste it is
a rare pleasure. Simply daubed with olive oil
and cooked in the oven, it’s a treat.
Recipe
Tapenade
of green olives
400 g of stoned green olives
100 g of filleted anchovy
1 sprig of thyme
1 teaspoon of chopped garlic
1 teaspoon of parsley and basil
20 to 30 g capers
1 lemon
Pepper - Olive oil - Tabasco sauce
Black
diamond
Truffe
From December to March men accompanied by
dogs and pigs with a remarkable sense of smell
go out looking for the famous mushroom that
grows under oak trees in certain areas. Whether
it be in Lot on the Quercy Blanc where the market
of Lalbenque is the first of the season, in
Villeneuve-Minervois in Aude, in Saint-Gély-duFesc in Hérault or in Uzès in Gard, each year the
tuber melanosporum is celebrated at markets
with truffles quite high in colour, with each time
a meal of truffles naturally!
Festive
Cargolade
A dish which is typically Catalan, the cargolade
is grilled snails in their shells. Placed on the side
where their shell is the snails are prepared
with salt, pepper and lard and herbs are placed
on the embers of a wood fire and filled
throughout the cooking with melted pork fat.
When the snails no longer foam, the dish is
cooked. The dish is eaten with aioli and washed
down with a regional wine. Each year in Bompas
in July a festival of the snail is the opportunity
to make a huge cargolade of 160,000 snails.
Tasty
Gascon Beef
Gascon beef, Label Rouge since 1997, is a source
of pride to its rearers, committed to the quality
process of the appellation Bœuf gascon, pure
race, pur goût [Gascon Beef, pure breed, pure
taste]. With its squat silhouette the gascon ox
that you find in Ariège towards Saint-Girons,
Saint-Gaudens and Luchon, is perfectly adapted
to the physical relief and pastures of the
Pyrenees. Fed on hay and cereals in winter the
Gascon ox gives a meat which is tender and tasty.
Wring out the olives. Put them in a mixer,
then reduce them to bits. Be careful not to make
a pulp of them. Add olive oil progressively
according to the desired consistency. The more
oil there is, the more doughy it is. Add salt,
pepper and a bit of Tabasco sauce.
Shoulder of milk lamb
of Aveyron
1 shoulder of milk lamb Red Label
5 tablespoons of olive oil
2 teaspoons of Espelette pepper
3 teaspoons of granulated wild fennel
1 teaspoon of powdered cumin
1 teaspoon of powdered cinnamon
Prepare the marinade by mixing
all the ingredients. Smear the lamb shoulder
and let it marinate for 24 hours covered up
in the refrigerator, turning it 2 or 3 times.
Pre-heat the oven to 120oC and put in
the shoulder to cook for 3 hours on a grill,
above a dish designed to catch the juice.
Turn after 2 hours. Add salt at the end
of the cooking process.
Market place
ART OF LIVING
The beating heart of gastronomy
In a destination where agriculture and viticulture are pillars of economic activity, food halls and markets play a more than symbolic role. Today if open-air
markets continue to prosper and give pleasure to locals and tourists, the indoor market halls dedicated to food and concentrating on regional produce,
are the reflection of local gastronomic culture.
Narbonne
The belly of the town
Since the 1st of January 1901, a few metres
from the Canal de la Robine, the food market
halls in the style of Baltard sweat the fiery
temperament of the Narbonnais: a coarse frame
and an exuberant passion. Famous throughout
the great South, they contain more than 70 food
businesses (butchers, sellers of roast meat,
fishmongers, tripe butchers, greengrocers, etc.)
open 7 days a week in the vast majority of cases.
A popular place where people mix socially, the
market halls are also renowned for the numerous
restaurants (6) they have and to which one can
come to have cooked and to taste the meat
bought at the neighbouring butcher’s shop.
Toulouse
Narbonne
Market halls
and restaurants
The fourth town in France has 3 covered markets
both old and modern but above all colourful,
strong-smelling, representative of the diversity
of local produce. The most impressive is the
marché Victor Hugo, right in the middle of the
town and full of life. Providing space for 80
stallholders, it is the biggest in the town.
Butchers, pork butchers, fishmongers, bakers,
grocers… all occupations are represented – and,
last but not least, wine boutiques... For 50 years
the external galleries of the upper floor have
contained five restaurants that open at midday,
in which family cooking of good repute is served.
Around the square itself other restaurants affirm
the gourmet vocation of the premises!
Toulouse
ART OF LIVING
Nîmes
Millau
Millau
The southern
marketplace
Nîmes
For more than 130 years the food markets of
Nîmes have been the beating heart of the town.
With its 75 stallholders the halls generate a huge
amount of activity in which we find cheeses –
including, of course, the Pélardon of the
Cévennes – Larzac beef or bull meat of the
Camargue, but also rustic bread, chickens from
the Cévennes, daurades (seabreams) from the
Mediterranean, shell clams from Grau-du-Roi.
Lucques or Picholines olives (a Nîmes variety),
fine grocery produce with notably the Brandade
(creamy cod purée with olive oil and milk) from
Nîmes, small pâtés and, of course, bars and
restaurants. Two hundred people work in the
colourful and renowned food halls open from
Tuesday to Sunday.
Running the gamut
of Aveyron
A stone’s throw from the medieval Belfry of the
town, the airy and spacious halls of Millau – in
the style of Baltard and renovated in 2007 –
contain more than ten providers of food. As you
would expect in Aveyron, pork butchers,
butchers and purveyors of cheese are wellrepresented in this gourmet cavern of the south
of Aveyron to offer milk-fed lamb, pork, Aubrac
beef, Roquefort, etc. But one can also find there
fish and early vegetables, not to mention the
indispensable café. To the four customary days
(from Wednesday to Saturday) summer adds
Sunday to the market’s opening hours.
Montpellier
Cahors
A hall, some halls
A sought-after
conviviality
Cahors
Montpellier
In the county town of the prefecture of Lot, the
regulars and the tourists can do their shopping
in the morning but, more rarely, in the afternoon
too, in the food halls with their magnificent
architecture. Though they are relatively modest –
only about fifteen stalls – the food halls
of Cahors offer a fine diversity of products.
Cheeses, including the unmissable Rocamadour,
bread, fruit and vegetables, wines (300 labels
of which many from Cahors itself), fish… And
delicatessen retailers, specializing in duck like
Marlas, which offers this biped in all its shapes
and sizes: duck breasts, sausages, foie gras and
even duck ham! The halls are open from Tuesday
to Sunday and on Wednesdays and Saturdays a
superb external market surrounds the building.
If the capital of Languedoc has several covered
market halls at its disposal, the most central one
is the Castellane market hall, renovated in 2001.
Twenty-six stallholders offer a fine selection
of regional products: meats from Lozère and
Aveyron, cheeses from the Cévennes,
wine from the sandstone hills of Montpellier
or Pic Saint-Loup, oysters and mussels from
the Thau lagoon, fish from the auctions of Sète…
There is a concentration of Mediterranean-ness
in these food halls on the ground floor
of a brick-built building. On fine days the little
inside counter of Joseph’s cafe is transformed
into a fine terrace in front of the halls,
which are packed out on Saturday
and on Sunday morning!
ART OF LIVING
Traditions
Rugby-playing areas
Here rugby is played
with 15 players or with… 13!
Toulouse, Narbonne, Quillan, Lourdes, Tarbes,
Béziers, Castres as well and Perpignan,
Carmaux… All of these teams have won
the French Championship and brought home
the Brennus Shield. There are undisputed stars
who, for more than a century, have been writing
the finest pages of rugby in France and
internationally. But these legendary clubs
only form a very small part of this famous
rugby-playing area. More than 45,000 licensed
individuals are shared out among the 260 clubs
counted in the region Midi Pyrénées Languedoc
Roussillon. Not a village, not a weekend without
a rugby match between the Rhône and the
Garonne. The ‘young ‘uns’ have their schools.
Girls from Toulouse, Montpellier or Perpignan
regularly shine in the firmament
of the Top 8. The rugby leaguers,
less numerous than those who play
by Union rules, whether they be from
Carcassonne, Albi or Lézignan, count
among the best teams in France. Rugby,
you were told, is a local passion. Shared
by thousands of families who regulate
their lives, their hobbies, their free time
around the tries, scrums and studs of their local
team. Rugby school… It too is like them and
many have spent months there, even years.
It has sometimes battered them a bit, but they
have learnt that the adversary is not the enemy
and that the third half is often the best.
Jousting
The battle of the giants
In Sète, on 25 August, the feastday of Saint-Louis, there is the
high point of a seaside and
Languedocian
passion,
the
jousts. Applauded, supported
and admired by thousands of
spectators, carried away by the
peña bands beating time for the
bouts, the jousters dressed in
white face one another from the
top of their tintaine, the platform overhanging their boat. A
veritable battle of giants armed
with a shield and a lance. May
the best man win and the other
fall in the water. It’s a struggle,
led by ten rowers and guided by
two coxswains / helmsmen, to
be wondered at all summer long
in Balaruc, Agde, Mèze, Sète,
Frontignan, Palavas, Marseillan
or in Grau-du-Roi.
ART OF LIVING
Tempo
The cobla beats out the rhythm
of the sardane
The same choreography animates every summer both sides of the Pyrenees. Standing in a circle, men and women
hold hands with one another and alternate series of short steps and long steps in perfect harmony. Kept time to by
the “cobla”, a small orchestra composed of traditional wind instruments, the sardane with a tempo that stands out
is the iconic dance of Catalonia. In the month of July Céret dedicates a festival to it.
Lands of biòu
The bouvine? A custom and a tradition of the
Petite Camargue where the biòu, the black bull
of Camargue, is king. Squat and lively he is the
star of the abrivados when he is released into
the streets, surrounded by gardians mounted
on horseback. Adrenalin guaranteed. A role
that the heroes of the “courses camarguaises”,
the razeteurs, take from him. Dressed all in white
some often very young men try to get off
by means of a hook a rosette situated between
the horns of a young bull. A good, clean, agile
fight, suppleness and liveliness allow them
to win in this dangerous combat. The best
of the razeteurs is crowned every year in Nîmes
at the end of the season. More to the west,
the passion of the Gascons for the courses
landaises offers in arenas veritable bull ballets
in which “écorteurs” and “sauteurs”
courageously face the horns of young cows
to the sound of cheerful brass ensembles.
ART OF LIVING
Arts/Museums
Albi
Musée
Toulouse-Lautrec
The episcopal Palace of Albi (13th century)
harbours today the musée Toulouse-Lautrec,
or the most important public collection in the
world dedicated to the celebrated son of Albi –
which makes it one of the most visited provincial
museums in France.
Thanks to the generous donation of the parents
of the painter, you will discover here the singular
personality of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.
Pictures painted in his youth, the shady world
of Parisian nights at the end of the 19th century
or famous posters offer the visitor a rich
and varied visit which can be completed
by visiting the château de Bosc in Naucelle
where the grand-niece of Toulouse-Lautrec
tells us about the life of her famous forebear.
• Place Sainte-Cécile.
Tel. 33 (0)5 63 49 48 70
museetoulouselautrec.net
Toulouse
Musée des Augustins
Ten centuries of art in the pink town .
Classified as a Historical Monument the old
Augustinian monastery is first and foremost
a fine example of southern Gothic architecture
(14th and 15th centuries), situated right
in the heart of the Ville Rose. Afterwards
it became the musée des Toulousains,
created a very short time after that of the Louvre.
From the Middle Ages to the beginning
of the 20th century its collections cover ten
centuries of painting and sculpture,
or more than four thousand works that constitute
an exceptional collection.
• 21, rue de Metz.
Tel. 33 (0)5 61 22 21 82
augustins.org
Montpellier
Musée Fabre
From classical art to Soulages. The main art
gallery of Montpellier, the musée Fabre, was
created in 1825 thanks to the generosity of the
Montpellier painter François-Xavier Fabre, added
to later thanks to the donations of local artists
like Frédéric Bazille and Pierre Soulages who has
a whole room dedicated to him. The gallery
contains 800 works presented chronologically
from the Renaissance to nowadays – among
them some by Delacroix, Corot, Géricault and
Courbet. It is to be noted that a wide area is
devoted to the Soulages collection (600 m²).
As for the pre-Impressionist Frédéric Bazille,
an international exhibition pays tribute to him
this summer (from 25 June to 16 October), in
collaboration with the musée d’Orsay in Paris
and the National Gallery of Art in Washington.
• 39, boulevard Bonne-Nouvelle.
Tel. 33 (0)4 67 14 83 00
museefabre.montpellier3m.fr
Rodez
Musée Soulages
Lodève
Musée
Fleury
Special mention. Even though
currently under construction (due to
reopen in November), the musée
de Lodève merits a special mention
for the dynamism and the prestige
of its programming which make
of it one of the cultural high points
in Languedoc and even in the
Mediterranean and have done
for many years. Summer exhibitions
take place outside the walls during
the Hôtel de Fleury’s period
of closure.
• Square Georges-Auric.
Tel. 33 (0)4 67 88 86 10
museedelodeve.fr
In the landscape around Rodez. Not
to be missed in Rodez, the musée
Pierre Soulages with its ultra-modern
architecture. This museum has seen
the light of day thanks to an
exceptional donation from Pierre
Soulages, born in the region, and
from his spouse Colette. No fewer
than 250 works and 250 documents
are visible in this way over 1,700
square metres of exhibition space,
retracing the first thirty years of the
career of the eulogist of “black light”
notably through his paintings
on paper, a selection of works
on canvas, of cartoon for the stained
glass windows of Conques as well as
the totality of his printed work
(lithographs, silk screen prints…).
Faithful to the wish of Pierre
Soulages a contemporary exhibition
room with an area of 500 square
metres is dedicated to other
contemporary artists. Picasso is the
guest for summer 2016 until 25
September.
• Jardin public.
Tel. 33 (0)5 65 73 82 44
musee-soulages.rodezagglo.fr
Céret
Musée
d’art moderne
The Mecca of Cubism. Picasso,
Braque, Juan Gris, Matisse, Miró,
Chagall, Soutine… the greatest
artists of the 20th century have
stayed in the capital of Vallespir,
rightly named “The Mecca of
Cubism”. The Musée d’Art Moderne
of Céret, created in 1950, was able
to advance this vocation both
across borders and internationally
with exhibitions of international
importance. An obligatory stoppingoff point for every visitor to Catalan
country.
• Boulevard du Maréchal-Joffre.
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 87 27 76
musee-ceret.com
ART OF LIVING
Arts/Museums
Nîmes
Carré d’Art
Jean Bousquet
Installed on the last floor of the very
elegant building designed
by Norman Foster, the collection
of the Musée d’Art Contemporain
de Nîmes is built around an
exhibition space which goes from
1960 to our own day. The artists
of New Realism, Free Figuration,
Support-Surfaces are well
represented as well as the holders
of the Arte Povera. Nor should
we forget American artists (Richard
Artschwager, Allan Kaprow…)
and German ones (Gerhard Richter,
Sigmar Polke and Albert Oehlen…)
or creative talents like Sophie Calle
and Annette Messager.
• Place de la Maison-Carré.
Tel. 33 (0)4 66 76 35 70
carreartmusee.com
Toulouse
The Abattoirs
A place of living culture. Situated in the
magnificent brick buildings of the former
abattoirs, in the suburb of Saint-Cyprien,
the musée des Abattoirs came out of the fusion
of the Musée d’Art Moderne et Contemporain
de Toulouse and the Fonds Régional d’Art
Contemporain in the region. Its collection
of some 400 works shows off works of artists like
Hantaï, Soulages, Tàpies, Dubuffet, Baquié and
even Picasso – we can admire there in the
basement the very fine stage curtain for the Hide
of the Minotaur dressed as Harlequin.
Apart from the temporary exhibitions,
Les Abattoirs are developing a multi-disciplinary
programming (concerts, performances,
projections…) which give it a central role in living
culture in the area of metropolitan Toulouse,
also endowed with a multimedia library, a centre
for documentation, a restaurant, a bookshop
and an auditorium.
• 76, allées Charles-de-Fitte
Tel. 33 (0)5 62 48 58 00
lesabattoirs.org
Montauban
Musée Ingres
The quintessence of the neoclassical. A former 17th century
episcopal palace, the Musée Ingres
harbours the collections of two
illustrious sons of Montauban,
the painter Jean-AugusteDominique Ingres and the sculptor
Antoine Bourdelle. Six rooms
on the first floor are devoted
to the celebrated neo-classical
painter and notably to his drawings.
• 19, rue de l'Hôtel-de-Ville.
Tel. 33 (0)5 63 22 12 91
museeingres.montauban.com
Sète
Miam
Playful and popular art. Miam –
Musée international des arts
modestes [International Museum of
Modest Arts] This strange museum,
set up in a former wine cellar,
harbours a few thousand iconic
objects of modest art: toys,
figurines or gadgets, pure products
of primitive art, naïve art or popular
art. An unusual place, immensely
popular with children and adults!
• 23, quai du Maréchal-de-Lattrede-Tassigny.
Tel. 33 (0)4 99 04 76 44 - miam.org
A rain of festivals
Music, lively shows, cinema, plastic arts, theatre for a young audience,
literature, Occitane culture… each year more than 400 festivals animate the
thirteen departments of the region Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées.
And there are things, of course, to suit all tastes. But there exists a strong
common factor between the prestigious manifestations which call on great
names of the repertory and those that are more modest or intimate. In both
cases it’s a question of sharing and showing and hearing moments of grace
and beauty. For that the most iconoclastic places are brought in: the prestigious concert halls with superb natural areas that the region offers, like
those of the cirque de Gavarnie or of the maritime theatre in Sète with its
view over the Mediterranean. But beyond the celebration, these manifestations are also a privileged moment to discover or rediscover the Languedoc
Roussillon Midi Pyrénées destination and to combine culture and tourism.
By way of introduction a taster of some festivals that will light up your stays.
Festivals
Montpellier
Danse
A festival of contemporary dance with
an international reputation, Montpellier Danse assembles more than 300
dance companies from all over the
world. Among the great names of the
international scene, Jacopo Godani,
Cullbergbaletten & Deborah Hay…
• Montpellier (Hérault).
From June 23 to July 9.
Tel. 33 (0) 800 600 740
montpellierdanse.com
TheElectronicSiestas
ofToulouse
This singular manifestation takes
place from now on in Paris and in
Berlin too. For 4 days, the Electronic
Siestas offer in Toulouse a series of
concerts according to a programming
both laid-back and ambitious around
music of today.
• Toulouse (Haute-Garonne).
From June 23 to 26.
les-siestes-electroniques.com
Montauban
en scènes
For its opening concert, Montauban
en Scène has invited to attend this
summer Pascal Obispo and his symphony orchestra. Thirty rendezvous
are expected on open-air stages. The
stage in the Jardin des Plantes will
welcome Pony Pony Run Run, Frero
Delavega, Faada Freddy…
• Montauban (Tarn-et-Garonne).
From July 1 to 17.
Tel. 33 (0)5 63 21 02 40
montauban-en-scenes.fr
Pause guitare
Albi
Twenty years this year for this festival which has as its backdrop the superb city of Albi. Seven stages, of
which three are free are installed in
the town, the biggest on the banks
of the Tarn, the most prestigious at
the foot of the cathedral of Sainte
Cécile. The notes of folk, rock, pop
and song are sung this year by Elton
John, John Baez, The Avener, Louise
Attaque, Kendji Girac…
• Albi (Tarn). From the 4th to the
10th of July.
Tel. 33 (0)5 63 60 55 90
pauseguitare.net
Les
déferlantes
d’Argelès
A dream setting, the Château de
Valmy park with a view over the sea,
a family atmosphere and an all-out
programme of entertainment are the
keys to the success of this festival
which, for its tenth outing, has as its
headline acts The Offspring, Nekfeu,
Les Insus, Chemical Brothers, Tryo,
Selah Sue…
• Argelès-sur-Mer
(Pyrénées-Orientales).
From July 7 to 10.
festival-lesdeferlantes.com
Festival de
Radio France
The Festival de Radio France de
Montpellier-Languedoc Roussillon
Midi Pyrénées has built a unique
place for itself in the musical landscape based on a programme of
classical, jazz and world music. New
locations, the Mémorial du Camp de
Rivesaltes and the Abbey of Conques, are lined up for this 31st outing which invites you with 143
concerts and 170 manifestations to
a fabulous Journey to the East.
• Montpellier (Hérault).
From July 11 to 26.
festivalradiofrancemontpellier.com
Festival
de Nîmes
From 1997 onwards the Festival of
Nîmes has set up shop in the month
of July in the sumptuous framework
of the Nîmes Arena for a current musical get-together. A programme without an exclusive style taking in this
year Jean-Michel Jarre, Kendji Girac,
David Gilmour, Muse and many
others. The high point of the summer
in a unique setting.
• Nîmes (Gard).
Tel. 33 (0)4 67 92 23 53.
From July 12 to 24.
festivaldenimes.com
Festival de Saint-Céré
Castelnau-Bretenoux as well as in
numerous communes in the department.
• Saint-Céré (Lot).
From July 30 to August 14.
festival-saint-cere.com
Visa pour l’image
Rockabilly
Tarbes
For its first outing, this festival is inviting local and regional groups and
rockabilly partisans: Crazy Cavan
and the Rythm Rockers, The Restless
and many others in a 60s atmosphere with a vintage market…
• Tarbes (Hautes-Pyrénées).
From the 31st of August
to the 3rd of September
rockabilly-tarbes.com
Festivals
Jazz à Sète
The 21st outing for this festival with
a superb maritime theatre. From
Christian Scott, the oracle for the
new wave of trumpeters from New
Orleans to the bassist Kyle Eastwood
(the son of Clint), the 2016 vintage
promises to be good, with Diana
Krall as the closing act.
• Sète (Hérault).
From July 13 to 19.
Tel. 33 (0)4 67 59 84 20.
jazzasete.com
Jazz
in Marciac
During the first fortnight in August
Marciac lives through the jazz age.
This little Gascon town has forged for
itself an international reputation by
welcoming for thirty-nine years now
the greatest jazz performers. The festival has retained the festive and
convivial atmosphere of its first
years and the exigency of a programme associating the tried and
tested with pleasant surprises. Ex-
pected this year are: Yaron Herman
& Matthieu Chedid, Ibrahim
Maalouf, John McLaughlin…
• Marciac (Gers).
From July 27 to August 15.
Tel. 33 (0) 892 690 277
jazzinmarciac.com
Tempo
Latino in Vic
The first European festival of Latin
music and salsa, the celebrated festival of Vic-Fezensac offers four
nights and eight concerts in arenas.
• Vic-Fezensac (Gers).
From July 28 to 31.
Tel. 33 (0)5 62 06 56 66.
tempo-latino.com
Festival
Saint-Céré
Inaugurated by Olivier Desbordes,
this festival mixes opera, classical
music and operetta in the sumptuous framework of Saint-Céré and
Jazz in Marciac
Visa pour
l’image
For more than 20 years now Visa
pour l’Image has been waking up
consciences and has become the
Mecca of photojournalism by exhibiting the work of the greatest reporter-photographers who take risks to
testify to the world’s hard reality.
• Perpignan (Pyrénées-Orientales).
From August 27 to September 11.
www.visapourlimage.com
SDF-83-96-ACTIVITÉS - GB_Mise en page 1 01/06/16 16:26 Page83
OUTDOOR
Between continental areas and its coast, the destination Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées
benefits from a rare diversity which makes it the ideal spot for active but also restful holidays.
From kitesurfing to spa there is nothing but pleasure.
When the wind blows
Slow tourism by bike
Destination wellness
A custom-made stay
Benefitting from territories which have for the most part remained far away from the great industrial
upheavals, the region has the privilege of having at its disposal huge swathes of land which have
stayed unspoilt. This splendid heritage makes of it a region where tourism is at one with adventure,
whether it be towards the coast for kitesurfing or sailing, or inland for rambling in the Cévennes,
in the Pyrenees or on the Causses. Sport to relax or extreme sport, here, all is a source of
enchantment. But it is also a destination for unwinding of the first order since with 30 resorts
the region Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées figures on the podium of thermal spas in France.
Destination Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées I OUTDOOR I 83
OUTDOOR
Funboard Windsurf
Kitesurf
When the wind blows…
Invented between Palavas and La Grande-Motte
in the 90s, kitesurfing has conquered the world.
And, from Port-Camargue to Canet, the two
hundred and twenty kilometres of Mediterranean
coast visited by the mistral and the tramontane
offer waves as high as the desires of its adepts.
Besides half the kiters in our region practise
this sport. Nineteen spots to kitesurf
are referenced by the Fédération Française
du Vol Libre. Each spot has its own specificity,
from the more accessible ones for beginners
to the more challenging ones for experts
and adrenalin junkies. Thanks to the tramontane
the Audoise coast is also a paradise for lovers
of windsurfing and funboarding. Opposite
the wild cliffs of Port Leucate the beach
of Conssoules at La Franqui counts among
the best spots in Europe welcoming both experts
and beginners. And the instructors of these
seven schools of Kiting are snowed under during
the summer season! Here it is that the best
international riders in the world assemble,
the Mondial du Vent. Gruissan, ideal
for freestyle, slalom or speed, is set aside
for professional adrenalin junkies and welcomes
each spring the Wind Challenge. Saint-Pierre-surMer, where the junior European Cup in
Kitesurfing takes place is developing numerous
activities for young sportspeople. In Gard
the beach Sud du Grau-du-Roi - Port-Camargue
is also an ideal spot to ride the first waves.
La Taramanière in Agde will delight lovers
of freestyle. If the wind is agreeable,
long distance riders will prefer Villeneuve-lèsMaguelonne where in May for four days
Festikite is celebrated.
84 I OUTDOOR I Destination Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées
Useful
to know
A guide to the spots
The KLR association has been
publishing for several years
a guide-taking note of the 70 practice
zones of Kitesurf on the region’s
Mediterranean coast. Apart from a
reminder of the rules of good conduct
each spot has detailed information
on access, winds, etc.
Free download.
kitelr.com
OUTDOOR
Paddle
In paddle mode
Easy, convivial for sailing, more
sporting for surfing, the course
or practice run in white water, the
Stand-Up Paddle has the advantage
of not needing wind… A course in
paddle school remains the best way
of learning good gestures and good
posture. Some spots organize
initiation and improvement courses
and rambling. The vision that the
upright position on the board
makes possible, makes the paddle
ideal for nautical pursuits. Some
trails have already passed into
legend: the boucle du Ponant in the
Camargue, the canals of Palavasles-Flots, the Canal du Midi, the
creeks of Cap Béar or the mountain
lake of Génos-Loudenvielle and,
much more agitated, les Raspes
du Tarn or the river Axat. Stand Up
Paddle is a sport integrated in the
Fédération Française du Surf.
Fédération Française de Surf.
Tel. 33 (0)5 58 43 60 57
surfingfrance.com
The ancestor
of modern surfing
and originating
in Polynesia,
stand-up paddle
or SUP, has become
one of the most
practised nautical
pursuits in France.
Sailing remains the most practised water sport in
the region which counts twenty sailing schools
welcoming more than twenty-seven thousand
trainees during the summer period. Courses for
sailing in a group or on your own, sea garden,
cabin boy sailing for the youngest, stage 100 %
sailing for a first approach or improvers, stage for
catamaran, for sailing dinghy or sailing for pleasure, the possibilities are endless. Sailing is also
practised in seaside lakes: Thau, Barcarès, Sigean
and inland: lac de la Gimone (Haute-Garonne and
Gers), lac de Villefort (Lozère). Several nautical
bases, Sigean, Thau, Peyriac-de-Mer, offer training
or outings for handicapped people.
Heave away!
OUTDOOR
Underwater adventure
Encounter with seahorses
or the wrecks of old sailboats
Initiation to diving,
exploration, there’s
something for everyone
in the Mediterranean
on this “Mare Nostrum”.
And you can also go diving
in the lagoons.
Renowned for its crystal-clear creeks and its fauna and flora, the Côte Vermeille boasts the most beautiful seabeds. However the unusual underwater
landscapes of Cap d’Agde and the cliffs and rocky plateaus of Palavas are
on the list of divers’ favourite sites. Amateur explorers of wrecks will venture to the waters off Espiguette or Port-la-Nouvelle to look for a tugboat or
a Japanese steamer… while the Thau Lagoon promises an original encounter
with seahorses.
OUTDOOR
Whitewater
From waterfalls to rivers, the big thrill
Waterfalls, tumultuous rivers and mountain torrents offer all the ingredients for a dose of adrenalin in whitewater sports.
Jump into the crystal-clear ponds of the Llech canyon, one of the most beautiful of the Pyrenees or follow the Agly River
through the great gorges of Galamus, go down the waterslides of Chassezac, nicknamed “the Pearl of Cévennes”, at the
bottom of a gorge 300-meters deep, try out unbeatable extreme sports in the torrents of the Gouffre d’Enfer sinkhole in
Haute-Garonne, multiply water games and rappelling in the Vallée des Gaves, discover the wild setting and the excitement
of the Vialais Canyon, in the Massif du Caroux, these are some of the pleasures to share…
Tel. 33 (0)4 67 22 98 09 - www.destinationsuddefrance.com - Tel. 33 (0)5 61 13 55 55 - www.tourisme-midi-pyrenees.com
Rock-climbing Always higher
The many cliffs along the coast,
the gorges along the rivers and
the walls of mountain slopes
are great for rock-climbing.
With over 70 kilometres
of routes, Ariège is ranked first
among the departments of the
Pyrenees in terms of equipment
as well as climbing schools.
From rock faces for learning
the basics of rockclimbing,
to the Dent d’Orlu, with its
compact slabs and rope-lengths
on a narrow ridge, there is
something for everyone.
However, the variety and beauty
of the different landscapes
attract climbers to the summit:
the Targasonne boulder field
near Font-Romeu, the Pic de
Maupas where you need ice
picks and crampons to cross
the glacier, the limestone cliffs
of the Gorges of the River Tarn
and the River Jonte that are
close to the vultures and their
majestic flights, the cliffs of the
Clape with a view of the sea
or the Roc d’Anglars site which
overlooks the village of Saint-
Antonin-Noble-Val and the
Valley of the Aveyron. Lands
of adventure at dizzying heights,
the diversity of the sites in the
region will suit beginners as well
as experienced climbers for all
types of climbing - slabs, cracks,
vertical walls and cambers.
Comité régional de la montagne
et de l’escalade.
Tel. 33 (0)5 62 27 07 66
crmp-ffme.fr
Tel. 33 (0)4 68 04 80 89
crlr-ffme.fr
OUTDOOR
Green routes
Bike tours on dedicated roads enable
you to discover the region
Green Routes are reserved for non-motorised transport and were developed
with concern for integrated enhancements that favour the environment.
They are often constructed on old railway tracks (as in Hérault near
Bédarieux), towpaths, cultural itineraries, etc.
They go from beach to beach (Lido Green Route), cross entire departments
(Traversée de l’Aude), hug the towns (Toulouse-Blagnac), run along river
banks (Lez Green Route) stretch for more than 400 kilometres along the
Canal des Deux Mers and follow old railway tracks (Gaves Green Route). The
network of Green Routes is still expanding. The Green Route of HautLanguedoc, the “Passa Païs”, forms part of the Regional Nature Park of HautLanguedoc, while that of the Espiguette snakes around ponds and swamps
to the sea.
tourism
OUTDOOR
Slow
The bike, another way to discover the region
An invitation to wander, the bike occupies a choice place in the region. Ecological, it enables you to cover kilometres while
taking in the landscapes you cross at a few contemplative stops or stages in the villages. Many loop bike tours criss-cross
the territory for a ride of a few hours or a whole day, while others cut across the countryside for an adventure lasting several
days. Certain itineraries follow legendary routes, such as the Santiago de Compostela Pilgrim’s Way, while others follow
along the banks like that of the Canal des Deux Mers which links Sète to Valence d’Agen. Along the banks of the River Lot
branching off near the Cahors vineyard, the Cycle Route through the Valley of the River Lot leads to the discovery of the famous medieval villages known as the bastides.
Mountain Bikes Full throttle, from Tourmalet to Larzac
In this region, the mountainbike will find perfect
opportunities to express all its
potential, including diverse
landscapes, a range of
distances and slopes…
The great crossing of the Ariège
Pyrenees (223 kilometres in
twelve stages of around twenty
kilometres each) follows historic
routes: the Chemin des
Bonshommes and the Chemin
de Saint-Jacques in the
Pyrenean Piemont by way of the
Green Route in the Cathar
Pyrenees. Sixty kilometres long
with a rise of 2,500 meters,
the loop up to the Pic du Midi
de Bigorre by the Lac Bleu is
a beautiful climb up the Col
du Tourmalet road with a superb
view at the summit and a
breath-taking descent.
The circuits which are marked
and ranked according to four
levels of difficulty by the
Fédération Française de
Cyclisme can be completed
in a few days or in sections.
The Larzac Mediterranean
Crossing, from Agde to Caylar
by way of Lake Salagou,
the Great Hérault Crossing which
cuts across the Regional Nature
Park of Haut-Languedoc,
the trail from Mont Aigoual
to Mont Lozère which follows
the dizzying trails of the Gorges
du Tarn - all these cycle routes
combine the spirit of adventure
with landscapes to… take your
breath away.
Comités de Cyclisme.
ffclr.fr
and comitempy-ffc.com
OUTDOOR
Akilometreonfoot…
Hiking
42,000 kilometres of marked trails
and thousands of playgrounds
Around forty-two thousand kilometres of marked
trails enable you to discover, by stages of several
weeks or several days, in loops that take from
one hour to one day, the wide open spaces,
the prettiest villages and the exceptional heritage
of the Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées.
Forest roads, coastal trails on steep cliffs
or on the edge of the sea and lagoons, the coastal
road, crossings of the limestone causses and the
high plateaus are some of the many opportunities
for an authentic encounter with nature,
the landscapes, the flora and the fauna. The
“Grande Randonnées” (GR) are hiking trails that
are marked throughout the region with red and
white stripes. The GR 10 crosses the Pyrenees,
alternating between sumptuous landscapes
at high altitudes and in the valleys, the GR 65
follows one of the itineraries of Santiago
de Compostela, including six sections between
Nasbinals and Condom inscribed on the UNESCO
World Heritage list, while the GR 70 follows the
Stevenson road, with or without a donkey, across
the Cévennes. The GR 36 crosses Aude from the
Montagne Noire to the Corbières, while the GR
107 follows the Chemin des Bonhommes in the
footsteps of the Cathars. The GR 68 goes around
Mont Lozère, the GR 6 crosses the Rhône at
Beaucaire, transits by Cévennes, goes up
Mont Aigoual, passes through the causses
in Sauveterre and Aubrac and reaches the Valley
of the River Lot at Conques and also at Figeac.
The “Petites Randonnées” (PR - marked in yellow),
are short hiking trails that take a maximum of one
day to complete and usually lead to a cultural
or natural heritage site. The “GR de Pays”
are long-distance hiking trails usually designed
in loops that enable you to explore a whole
territory. Added to these are the discovery tours
and botanical or thematic trails usually improved
by the National or Regional Parks Services.
goodtoknow
Thrills and chills
on the Via Ferrata
Between climbing and hiking,
the Via Ferrata is a good way
to experience spine-tingling
sensations. On the edge of a cliff,
overlooking the rivers,
crossing canyons with suspended
bridges, several circuits adapted
for people with different skill-levels,
for beginners to experienced,
which will enable them to discover
the region from a different angle.
laviaferrata.net
OUTDOOR
Free flight
If I had wings…
Baptism by air in a two-seater,
an initiation training course,
many sites allow you to experiment
with the sensations of free flight and,
for those who are more experienced,
to fly with their own wings. The site
of the Louron Valley is considered
to be the “Mecca” for free flight by
paraglider in the Pyrenees, whereas
Luchon-Superbagnères is the highest
in the region. Other paraglider
paradises are the ledges of Larzac
at Millau, where all types of flying are
authorised above the limestone
plateaus of the Grands Causses.
Dominating the Hérault Valley,
La Serrane, the flagship site between
the sea and Cévennes, opens out
onto the meanders of the River
Hérault and the Pic Saint Loup.
A flight from Ispagnac will give you
an unusual view of the Gorges du
Tarn. At Cerbère, paragliders take off
from the Pic Joan cliff facing the sea…
F.F. de Vol Libre
federation.ffvl.fr
Vast wildernesses,
plunging valleys…
free flight is for
experienced amateurs
as well as novices
of this sport which
provides completely
new sensations.
…
Walking six to eight kilometres, striding across the
fairways, in an enchanting setting and under
pleasant skies definitely makes a difference. The
diverse golf courses, from beside the sea to the
landscapes of Lozère or the high altitudes of the
Pyrenees, every year attract more fans from France
as well as from abroad. A small course of six to
nine holes, a landscaped course of 18 holes… sixty
golf courses have been listed in the region. One of
the best: the golf course of Carcassonne, located
at the foot of the medieval city, offers a superb
panoramic view of the Pyrenees and the Montagne
Noire and has a hole that is considered to be one
of the most original in Europe. The Albi golf
course, bordered by the River Tarn and dominated
by the cathedral, is the most beautiful in the region. As for the Falgos golf course in the Eastern
Pyrenees, it offers astounding landscapes with a
difficult but pleasant course.
liguegolflanguedocroussillon.org
golf-midi-pyrenees.com
Greens
Golf courses made for you
OUTDOOR
Well-Beingdestination
Present throughout the region, the thermal resorts
have succeeded in bringing about their transformation
From Lozère to Aude, from Gard to Gers,
by way of Aveyron, from the Eastern Pyrenees
to the High Pyrenees, every year 30 resorts
welcome hundreds of thousands of guests
seeking treatments in buildings that have not
changed since the era of the Second Empire
in the 19th century. Napoleon III and the
industrial and cultural elite of the era lent an
incomparable renown to all these villages which
have in their areas an inexhaustible resource:
their hot springs. Whether they were sulphur
or salt, whether they treated rheumatism, ENT
or skin problems, they stimulated the tastes of
the wealthy who came to heal (a bit), to show off
(a lot) and to have parties (crazy).
The two wars put an end to these eccentricities.
However, the often luxurious thermal baths
remained standing with water still flowing from
the vents. Everywhere, the thermal resorts have
now become popular, offering ultra-modern
medical infrastructures. Their geographic
locations made it possible for them to open up
to a new type of client by offering balneotherapy
activities in an environment that promotes
leisure, skiing (in the resorts of the Pyrenees
and Lozère), hiking and even gastronomy.
In adapting to this new demand for well-being,
they have succeeded in their gamble of
transforming an outdated practise into a young,
dynamic activity. Barèges, Balaruc-les-Bains,
Lamalou-les-Bains, Cauterets, Luchon,
Ax-les-Thermes, Avène, La Chaldette, Bagnèresde-Bigorre or Lectoure are now associated
with recognised medical treatments
and a new way of “taking the waters”.
eaux-essentielles.com
goodtoknow
From the spa to thermal recreation
Whether they are in Amélie,
Molitg-les-Bains, Prats-de-Mollo,
Lectoure, Barbotan-les-Thermes,
Cransac-les-Thermes, Argelès-Gazost
or Lamalou-les-Bains, many centres
include the thermal spa
in their services. It is now known
as thermal recreation, which meets
the demand for well-being
and pleasure being developed
at places like Ax-les-Thermes,
Cauterets, Saint-Thomas-les-Bains,
Llo etc.
OUTDOOR
Baths
Baths from around the world
The setting is superb. At the foot
of the Massif de l’Hourgade
and its summits at altitudes
of around 3,000 meters, Balnéa
is the leading balneotherapy centre
in the Pyrenees. In the Louron
Valley, at the foot of the ski resorts
of Peyragudes and Val Louron
and on the edge of the Lac
de Génos-Loudenvielle, it offers
a variety of baths inspired
by the cultures of the world
and open to the public.
For couples, friends and families
with children 9 months and up,
Japanese, Roman, Tibetan, Incan
and Amerindian baths offer both
indoor and outdoor pools. They are
filled with water that has been
heated naturally, rich in micronutrients, surging up at 30°C
from a depth of 600 meters.
Guaranteed purity.
balnea.fr
Balaruc-les-Bains offers to guests seeking treatment its climate and its typically Mediterranean
environment. O’Balia, the biggest balneotherapy
centre on the Mediterranean shores, is set up on
the edge of the Thau Lagoon and its salt waters. In
the High Pyrenees, Cieléo, the spa at the Barèges
thermal baths, offers baths at night under an immense cupola open to the starry sky. Sensoria Rio,
at Saint-Lary, is an invitation to the pleasures of
canyoning in thermal waters at 32°C. Aquensis, at
Bagnères-de-Bigorre, features baths in donkeys’
milk, for a Cleopatra-style pause, followed by a
massage with essential oils from Pyrenean plants.
The Couloubret baths at Ax-les-Thermes welcome
you in an imaginative decor inspired by old Roman
baths. Each resort has its own programme!
Good waters
Recreational and unusual thermal spas
made to measure
Stays
Quality accommodation
for an exceptional holiday
Classic or high-range, the accommodation
in Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées features
unusual refinement. A vast, divers territory,
including the coastline of the Golfe du Lion,
two mountain ranges, limestone causses
and a back-country that stretches to the Valley
of Dordogne, the region offers splendid settings
that are typical of the local art of living. Here, wellbeing and living well are important points of view.
In hotels, campsites, holiday villages,
guest rooms or rented facilities, no matter what
the package or range of services, the emphasis
is always placed on services, events, sharing
and fun, with respect for the environment
and access to vacations for all. Thus, a holiday
in a hostel will delight visitors seeking a family
atmosphere in an old traditional building,
decorated with care by its owners. If visitors
prefer an exotic setting, cabins or yurts in the
woods are also offered in several departments.
Mountain lovers will find warm stages during
their Pyrenean hike or on the Santiago
de Compostela Pilgrims’ Route.
On the edge of the sea, the campsites, holiday
villages or hotels with every comfort are the ideal
solution to enjoy the beach as well as modern
services such as the swimming pool, spa, gym,
etc. Guaranteed by different labels, including
the label “Qualité Sud de France”,
these facilities let you put down your suitcases
in Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrenees with total
peace of mind.
In addition, over fifty tourist facilities chosen
for their exceptional features form the Prestige
Circle, initiated by “Sud de France
Développement” for exceptional tourism.
Run by wine producers and professionals of wine
tourism, the Club Œnotourisme (wine tourism
club) offers ideas for many original holidays
in the middle of the grapevines. Cahors, Gaillac,
Armagnac, in all the vineyards of the region,
wine producers who are devoted and
passionate, enable the visitor to appreciate
the landscapes and the diversity of the tours.
There are many destinations: a green getaway
in an authentic bastide, a mystic night in
a Benedictine monastery, an evening under
the stars in a Catalan golf restaurant,
an epicurean wine-tasting in a vineyard estate...
Quintessential refinement to satisfy every whim
for discovery and infinite emotions.
Quality label
“Tourisme Sud de France”, the guarantee of an attentive welcome
Developed since 2008
in the southern departments
of Languedoc Roussillon Midi
Pyrénées and recognised nationally
by “Qualité Tourisme”, this label
guarantees a warm, professional
welcome. It indicates high
standards of quality and comfort
in 1135 tourist facilities and sites.
Whether they are restaurants,
wine-tasting cellars on the new
Sud de France wine tourism routes,
sales outlets for local products,
tourist and cultural sites,
accommodation such as local inns,
hotels and, very recently,
guest rooms which are now eligible
for this label, all are engaged
in a rigorous approach to quality
and are subject to external audits
before the label is awarded,
renewable every 3 years.
These facilities offer at a minimum
bilingual French-English services
and welcome people with reduced
mobility, not to mention a firm
commitment to inform guests
clearly and effectively on all
the cultural and entertainment
events available in the region.
destinationsuddefrance.com/qualité
A label created
to guarantee
the quality of service
and awarded
for 3 years to facilities
that meet the criteria.
Marketing power
Trademarks for a territory that stands out
Whereas “Sud de France” is celebrating its tenth
birthday, “Sud Ouest France” is only beginning
its fourth year. Created before the new Greater
Region of Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées,
both of these territorial trademarks were built
on the basis of quality and regional identity
to promote the products of the South of France.
An umbrella trademark for wines, agro-food
products, cosmetics and tourism, “Sud de
France” has been successful in promoting
the products and the destination internationally
and for mass markets. Created on the basis
of product segments under the sign of quality
that already uses the “Sud Ouest” name in order
to federate industries (PGI foie gras duck from
the South-West and wines from the South-West
in particular), the trademark “Sud Ouest France”
has established its credentials under the sign
of quality for the promotion of products from
an area that is known to be eminently gourmet.
From now on united together to protect
and promote products from a large region
in the South of France, these two trademarks
will continue to complement each other
in the 13 departments of the region as well as
abroad, in order to work towards the discovery
and identity of the exceptional products it offers.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
How do you
get here?
Located in the South of France
on the Mediterranean Arc, the destination
is 3.5 hours away from Paris by high-speed
train through the Rhône Valley and 4 hours
away by the Atlantic high-speed train.
Regular flights from Paris for Toulouse
and Montpellier are very busy.
London is a 1.5 hour flight away and Barcelona
is just 2 hours away by the highway.
The Greater Region has 9 airports within
its territory, hosting commercial flights from
all of France and most European countries
and the Mediterranean basin – either with the
major airlines, or with the low-cost companies.
Visit the websites
of these airports:
• BÉZIERS
beziers.aeroport.fr
• BRIVE VALLÉE DORDOGNE
aeroport-brive-valleedordogne.com
• CARCASSONNE
aeroport-carcassonne.com
• CASTRES MAZAMET
castres-mazamet.aeroport.fr
• GIRONA (SPAIN)
barcelona-girona-airport.com
• MONTPELLIER MÉDITERRANÉE
montpellier.aeroport.fr
• NÎMES
nimes-aeroport.fr
• PERPIGNAN
aeroport-perpignan.com
To prepare your journey
• Tourisme Sud de France
destinationsuddefrance.com
• Agence de Développement Touristique de l’Hérault
hérault-tourisme.com
• Comité Régional du Tourisme Midi-Pyrénées
tourisme-midi-pyrenees.com
• Agence de Développement Touristique du Lot
tourisme-lot.com
• Agence de Développement Touristique d’Ariège
ariegepyrenees.com
• Comité Départemental du Tourisme de Lozère
lozere-tourisme.com
• Agence de Développement Touristique de l’Aude
audetourisme.com
• Tourisme Environnement Hautes-Pyrénées
www.tourisme-hautes-pyrenees.com
• Comité Départemental du Tourisme de l’Aveyron
tourisme-aveyron.com
• Agence de Développement Touristique
des Pyrénées Orientales
tourisme-pyreneesorientales.com
• RODEZ
aeroport-rodez.fr
• Agence de Développement Touristique du Gard
tourismegard.com
• TOULOUSE BLAGNAC
toulouse.aeroport.fr
• Comité Départemental du Tourisme du Gers
tourisme-gers.com
• TARBES LOURDES PYRÉNÉES
tlp.aeroport.fr
• Comité Départemental du Tourisme de la Haute-Garonne
tourisme.haute-garonne.fr
96 I PRACTICAL INFORMATION I Destination Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées
• Comité Départemental du Tourisme du Tarn
tourisme-tarn.com
• Agence de Développement Touristique
du Tarn-et-Garonne
tourisme-tarnetgaronne.fr
3 DE COUV DESTINATION_Mise en page 1 09/05/16 11:07 Page1
4e de couv DESTINATION 2016 - GB_Mise en page 1 01/06/16 15:14 Page1
summer
winter alike
In
and
Destination
From the Canal du Midi
to the Episcopal City of Albi,
from Camargue to the Pyrenees,
destination of Languedoc Roussillon
Midi Pyrénées is this land
where the unique is within reach.
Book your next holidays on
www.monnouvelhorizon.com
Studio IDM - Photo Mikael Anisset ©

Destination Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrénées

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