LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILON

GENERAL INFORMATION

Languedoc-Roussillon is one of the 26 régions of France which consists of five departments, Herault, Lozere, Aude, Pyrenees-Orientales and Gard.

Languedoc-Roussillon is another of France's major vine-growing regions, though its wines are less famous than those from Bordeaux or Burgundy . It is also a region of great historical interest, with ancient sites like Nîmes and Avignon , and a fine Mediterranean architectural heritage with Greek, Roman and Arab influences.

The coast boasts some of the most vibrant resorts in the Mediterranean. The two distinct provinces of Languedoc and Roussillon stretch from the foothills of the Pyrenees on the Spanish border to the mouth of the Rhône. The flat beaches and lagoons of the coast form a purpose-built sunbelt accommodating millions of holiday-makers every year. In between is a dry, sunburned land producing half of France 's table wine and the season's first peaches and cherries.

Languedoc was once independent of France speaking a separate language, the langue d’oc, while Roussillon was Spanish until the mid 17th century, and the Catalan heritage is still evident.

Although the effect of modernisation is bringing Languedoc-Roussillon more into line with the rest of France , the area still strikes the visitor as being distinctly different. Medieval fantasies exist everywhere in the shape of small towns, walled cities and ruined fortresses bearing the memory of past bloody religious battles.

Argelès-sur-Mer enjoys miles of beautiful sandy beaches in front of its promenade lined with shops and bars, and by night and by day offers a unique mixed atmosphere of French and Catalan.

The whole area is typified by a mixture of ancient and modern, from Roman temples and postmodern architecture in its cities, to solar power and ancient abbeys in the mountains.

Today, however, the ancient and the modern co-exist side by side. Fortunately, the modern seldom impinges upon the architectural history of the millennia. Memorable places like the Gorges du Tarn, Gorges de l'Aude, Gorges de l'Herault, Gorges de la Cèze and the creeks and caves of the Côte Vermeille preserve their ancient villages intact.

You will lose yourself in the ambiance of the Middle Ages when visiting the beautiful Romanesque abbeys of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, Fontfroide, Saint-Hilaire, Saint-Martin-du-Canigou and Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa, or when you stand at the gates of the walled cities of the Cathars or Aigues-Mortes and Carcassonne . You will be similarly transported to the 18 th century when you walk around the shady mansions of Montpellier, Uzès, Pézenas and Beaucaire, or when cruising along the canal du Midi.