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CROSSROADS BETWEEN CIVILISATIONSDestination history

THE TERROIR SUBLIMATEDVineyards and delicacies

A LAND OF ART AND MEMORIES Popular know-how and traditions

BEYOND THE SEA An exceptional coastline

NESTLING IN THE LUSH GREENERYA thousand activities inunspoilt natural surroundings

MAGAZINE 2014

AUDECathar country

SERVICE ABONNÉS ET LECTEURS : Pour tout renseignement : 0 825 80 50 50 (0,15 € la minute). Pour s’abonner par Internet : www.pyreneesmagazine.com Pour s’abonner par fax : 05 61 76 65 67.

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SUPPLÉMENT DIFFUSÉ SUR UNE PARTIE DU HORS-SÉRIE “CATHARES” DE PYRÉNÉES MAGAZINE, 2014PYRÉNÉES MAGAZINE ET CAHIERS DU PATRIMOINE sont édités par MILAN PRESSE SAS, société par actions simplifiées, 300, rue Léon-Joulin, 31100 Toulouse. Président et directeur de la publication : BAYARD PRESSE, représenté par Georges SANEROT.

RÉDACTION Site Internet : www.pyreneesmagazine.com. E-mail : [email protected] Tél. : 05 61 76 64 64. Fax : 05 61 76 63 04.Directeur délégué : Éric de KERMEL. Comité éditorial : Louis AUDOUBERT, Francis DURANTHON, Vincent FONTVIEILLE, Isaure GRATACOS, Jean-François SOULET, Gérard LARGIER.Rédactrice en chef de Pyrénées magazine : Florence GARÈS, [email protected] Rédactrice en chef de ce supplément, premier secrétaire de rédaction : Natacha SCHEIDHAUERMaquette : Christine NEBLE, Corinne DENIEL (versions étrangères)Ont participé à ce numéro : Pascal ALQUIER, Isabelle MIARD, Vincent POUSSON, Axel PUIG, Marie-Hélène SERVANTIE.

Pour la Belgique, éditeur responsable : Laurence FESTRAETS, Bayard Presse Bénélux, rue de la Fusée, 50 Bte 10, 1130 Bruxelles, Belgique. Tél. : 02/702 45 37. Fax : 02/702 45 35. Service abonnements, tél. : 087 30 87 87, fax : 087 30 87 88, e-mail : [email protected] Pour la Suisse, éditeur responsable : Dynapresse Marketing SA, 38, avenue Vibert, CH-1227 Carouge. Tél. : 022 308 08 08. Fax : 022 308 08 59. E-mail : [email protected] des ventes au numéro et réassorts pour diffuseurs de presse : 0 800 22 86 22 (n° vert).

SERVICES ADMINISTRATIFS ET COMMERCIAUXVentes au numéro : Philippe ORILLAC, Marion GÉLIS.

PUBLICITÉPublicité nationale : Bayard Publicité : 18, rue Barbès, 92 128 Montrouge Cedex.Tél. : 01 74 31 48 05. Directrice de publicité : Valérie GOURHANT. Tél. : 01 74 31 62 84. valé[email protected]é locale et régionale : Tél. : 05 61 76 64 64. Fax : 05 61 76 63 90. Directrice de clientèle : Martine COUTURE. Tél. : 05 58 98 00 96. [email protected] de publicité : Thierry MERCIER. Tél. : 05 61 76 65 84. [email protected] technique et remise des éléments :Ghislaine DAMARDJI. Tél. : 05 61 76 63 93.

FABRICATIONVincent TIXIER, Marine ANQUETIN. Photogravure : Quat’Coul, Toulouse. Impression : Imprimerie Vincent, 37010 TOURS CEDEX, France. © 2014 Éditions Milan et les auteurs. Dépôt légal à parution. Numéro de commission paritaire : 1113 K 83852. Les manuscrits non sollicités par la rédaction et non insérés ne sont pas rendus et ne peuvent être considérés comme acceptés par la rédaction. ISSN 1252-2783.

Tous droits de reproduction réservés sauf autorisation préalable.Supplément gratuit. Ne peut être vendu.

Toutes les photos sont de Paul Palau sauf : Ph. Benoist : couverture Cahier du Patrimoine (bm), couverture Aude Pays Cathare (bd), p. 10(h), p. 13(h et b), p. 17(hd), p. 18(h), p. 22(h et b), pp. 29-30, p. 34(b), p. 35(d), p. 36(h et bd), p. 37(h), p. 45(m et d), p. 51 ; D. Chauvet/Milan : p. 10(b) ; S. Bonnet : p. 23(g) ; Les Grands Buffets : p. 31(b) ; Chambre des Métiers et de l’Artisanat de l’Aude : p. 35(m) et p. 37(g, bd et m) ; P. Teisseire-Dufour/Milan : p.39(g) ; Thermes de Rennes-Les-Bains : P. 44(h) ; OTI du Haut-Minervois : p.47(h) ; Logis de l’Aude : p.47(b) ; Le Grand Narbonne : p. 48 ; Les cabanes dans les Bois : p. 49(h) ; Domaine de Lespinet : p. 49(b).Toutes les cartes sont de H. Fuggetta.

AUDE THE CATHAR COUNTRYAN INVITATION TO TRAVEL…Shaped by the elements and the hand of Man from time immemorial Aude, the Cathar Country brings together the multiple facets of singular worlds in one geographical place.The wooded slopes of the Montagne Noire, in Cabardès and Minervois, over-look the golden hills of Lauragais, gently sloping down to fill out the plains of Narbonne on the horizon as they disappear into the sea. The original minerality of the Upper Aude Valley confronts that totally Mediterranean one of the cliffs of Cap Leucate.When, here and there, the proud silhouettes of the Cathar Country castles symbolise this land’s ceaselessly reasserted spirit of resistance.From its diversity, this mosaic of characterful lands with the strength of great countries forms one harmonious whole.You just have to contemplate the vast expanses of perfectly aligned vines that are the subject of every attention from men and women passionate about their terroir. You just have to stroll along beside the immaculately white salt pans of Gruissan and the lagoons of Bages-Sigean or Ayrolles where the fishermen continue to fish in their traditional way.These landscapes, at the crossroads between East and West, sparkle with the natural tints of the sea, sky and soil. Those same skies that bathed the Celts, Romans and Visigoths with their light, and long after them the Cathars too.Mottled with the greens of the olive, oak and fig trees, golden with the hues of the wheat and maize, sprinkled with thyme, rosemary and lavender, they create a fantastic mosaic, an unparalleled concentrate of humanity.Steeped in history, traditions and an art of living intimately entwined with nature Aude, the Cathar Country extends its invitation to travel, there where everything is possible…

AGENCE DE DÉVELOPPEMENT TOURISTIQUE DE L’AUDEAllée Raymond-Courrière - 11855 CARCASSONNE CEDEX 9Tél. : 00 33 (0)4 68 11 66 00 - Fax : 00 33 (0)4 68 11 66 [email protected] www.audetourisme.comwww.lesentiercathare.com

editorial

Aude, the Cathar country 3

O

m

m

m

Pech de Bugarach(1 230 m)

Pic de Nore(1 210 m)

Le Dourmidou(1 843 m)

Pic de Madrès(2 469 m)

Quillan

Chalabre

Puivert

Espéraza Couiza

Saint-Paul-

de-Fenouillet

Belcaire

Espezel

Roquefeuil

Grotte de

l’Aguzou

Puilaurens

Lapradelle

Peyrepertuse

Arques

Cavanac

Rennes-les-Bains

Bugarach

Cucugnan

Quéribus

MauryAxat

T

Mouthoumet

VilleTer

Termes

Lagrasse

Capendu

Caunes-Minervois

Ho

Puichéric

Conques-sur-Orbiel

Trèbes

Peyriac-Minervois

Mas-Cabardès

Saissac

Saint-Papoul

La Pomarède

Bram

Abbaye deVillelongue

Castelnaudary

Alzonne

Montolieu

Les Ilhes

Lastours

Cabrespine

Limousis

AragonSalles-

sur-l’Hers

Belpech

Saint-Hilaire

Alet-les-bains

Limoux

MontréalFanjeaux

Carcassonne

tete vadde

èèrrbiè

L’Orb

ieu

L’Aude

Canal du Midi

L’Orbiel

Plan d’eau deLa Ganguise

Seuil de Naurouze

Plan dJoua

D 3

D 1

18 D 620

D 6113

D 623

D 623 D 118

D 620

D 613

D 613

D 117

D 118

D 6113

A 61

D 103

D 102

D 625

21

22

23 24

Cabardès

Minervois

Limoux

Malepère

VersToulouse

VersAx-les-Thermes

4 Aude, the Cathar country

p. 6 Aude, the Cathar Country, the south and its historyRomanity, Mediaevality, Catharism… at the crossroads of peoples, Aude has a richly endowed heritage.

CONTENTS

S

N

EO0 5 10 Km

m

m

m

m

s

AguilarTuchan

Villerouge-Termenès

Fontjoncouse

Lézignan-

Corbières

Gruissan

Port-la-NouvelleSigean

Fleury d’AudeCoursan

La Palme

Treilles

Leucate

La Franqui

Port-Leucate

Gruissan-Plage

Narbonne-Plage

Ginestas

Sallèles-d’Aude

Cuxac-d’Aude

Ouveillan

Le Somail

Port dela Robine

Abbaye deFontfroide

HompsArgens-

Minervois

Saint-Pierre-la-mer

Les Cabanes de Fleury

is

Durban-

Corbières

Narbonne

nnLa rren MéditerraMéditerra

ss

Étang de Bageset de Sigean

Étang de Leucateou de Salses

La Berre

Plan d’eau deJouarres

Canal

de La Robine

Abbaye,édifice religieux

Château

Site majeur du Pays Cathare

Patrimoine mondial

Musée de France

Grotte

Golf

Station balnéaire

Station thermale

Sport d’eau vive

Activités nautiques

Sites VTT-FFC

Vins A.O.P de l’Aude

Plus Beaux Villages de France

Port et halte de plaisance

Office de tourisme

Train touristique

Gare

Aéroport

Péage

Réseau Ferré de France

Chef-lieu de canton

Commune/Hameau

Sentier Cathare

LÉGENDE

D 613

D 6113D 607

D 611

D 6

11

A 9

A 9

A 9

38

Fitou

Boutenac

La Clape

Quatourze

Corbières 39

40

37

37

VersPerpignan et l’Espagne

VersBéziers et

Montpellier

Abbey, religious building

Castle

Major Cathar country sites

World Heritage Site

French National Museum

Cave

Golf course

Seaside resort

Spa resort

Whitewater sports

Water sports

Mountain bike-cycling sites

Aude AOP wines

Most beautiful villages in France

Port and leisure stopping place

Tourist office

Tourist train

Railway station

Airport

Toll

Railway line

Canton administrative centre

Village/hamlet

Cathar Trail

/ LEGEND

p. 14 Beyond the seaFamily or sports stays, a contemplative stopover, seaside resorts or coastal lagoons, on the Aude coast the choice is yours.

p. 20On the Castelnaudary cassoulet route Taste this jewel of Occitan cuisine and go out to meet passionate producers and growers.

p. 32 A land of arts and memoriesAncestral traditions and know-how, find out all about the rich local culture.

p. 24 The vineyard with a thousand facesComplex and varied, the wines of Languedoc will enthral the enlightened amateur.

p. 38When nature issimply sensationalOn the programme, a broad range of activities in the heart of an unspoilt environment.

p. 45Discovery GuideSpecial attractions, the best addresses… All you need to make a success of your stay.


AUDE THE CATHAR COUNT

The south has its own history

CARCASSONNE,.

CANAL DU MIDI.

NTRY

NARBONNE,. 2,500 years of history


L inking the Atlantic to the Mediterranean by waterway was something that could only

be dreamt of until Pierre-Paul Riquet made that dream come true. In the 17th century – where so many engineers had failed – he, the salt-tax col-lector and science enthusiast, found the solution for joining the two seas. The tantrums of the river that gives the département its name are a han-dicap for ensuring a regular fl ow of traffi c? Well we’ll do without it, by digging a canal! Impossible to feed this engineering feat when there isn’t a river close enough to the Naurouze watershed, the highest point along the grandiose corridor of plains running between the Pyrenees and the Massif Central? Well, we’ll draw water off from the streams cascading down the slopes of the Mon-tagne Noire and take it to where it’s needed!The works began in 1667 with the laying of the fi rst stone of the Saint-Ferréol dam, a gigantic reservoir whose 64 hectares made it the largest artifi cial lake in those days.

DOWN TO THE MEDITERREANCompleted in 1681, the Canal du Midi is now a listed World Heritage Site. It allows everyone who cruises along it to make the most of the ex-ceptional beauty of the scenery, while admiring the technical sophistication of its engineering works, such as the locks taking you to Castel-naudary. There are twelve of them downstream of this major stopping place (including the quadruple Saint-Roch lock), one after the other taking you to Bram, while everywhere there are bridges, aqueducts (Tréboul, Rebenty, etc.) and spillways (Foucaud). And there you are in Carcassonne harbour, just beside the Bastide S-Louis (lower town). You should stop off here – it’s a must – before continuing to Trèbes along the section of

Drifting along the CANAL DU MIDI

the canal that required the greatest inventive-ness and daring so devilish was the route that had to be tamed. In Puichéric, you’ll discover l’Aiguille, no doubt the most unusual lock with its contemporary sculptures! After Homps, rises up the Répudre canal-bridge, the oldest in Eu-rope. And then in the distance, the branch to the Canal de Jonction, dug in 1787 to connect Riquet’s masterpiece to the Canal de la Robine, another World Heritage Site. The latter takes you into Narbonne, slipping under the Marchands Bridge – one of the last in France that has kept its mediaeval buildings – before going into the town, and then snaking its way between the lakes and lagoons to arrive at Port-la-Nouvelle where it comes out into the Mediterranean.


Top, Herminis lock in Carcassonne ;above, Tréboul lock, near Castelnaudaryy ;opposite, in Narbonne.


I n Narbonne, you just have to dig your garden, or do up your cellar to see 2,500

years of history rise to the surface. The Roman Empire’s eldest daughter, Narbo Martius was the fi rst Roman colony to be founded outside Italy, in 118 BC. Today, if you go down the fl ight of steps that take you down under the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville, you can contemplate a section of the Domi-tian Way – which used to link Cisalpine Gaul to

the Roman Hispania – the only one still visible in the heart of a city in southern France. “Ob-servatory and rampart for the Roman people,” according to Cicero, the capital of the Narbonne region also served as Julius Caesar’s rear base in his Gallic Wars. Witnesses of this glorious past: the Horreum, an immense and remarkably well-preserved underground warehouse, and a multi-tude of remains gathered together in the lapidary museum and in the archaeology museum housed in the Archbishop’s Palace. Defended by a near-impregnable keep crowned with bartizans, this impressive architectural ensemble served in its day as the model for the Papal Palace in Avignon. With the “City of Art and History” label, Nar-bonne tells anyone who takes the time to visit it the story of its cultural and historical infl uence down through the centuries.

NARBONNE 2,500 years of history

Top, Saint-Just Cathedral; opposite, the Domitian Way, on

.


CARCASSONNE the ideal mediaeval fortifi ed town

I ts ramparts seem to have jumped straight out of a mediaeval fairy tale. With its suc-

cession of towers, whether round or square, its tangle of roofs and its two crenellated sur-rounding walls, the citadel fi res the imagina-tion and you can easily understand why it was listed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997.The legend of Dame Carcas still fl oats up to the highest point of the castle built by the Vis-counts of Trencavel in the 12th century. And there’s another legend, which is at the origin of the basilica of Saint-Nazaire and Saint-Celse – both martyrs in Nero’s times – combining Romanesque and Gothic archi-tectures, and with exceptional stained-glass windows dating back to the end of the 13th cen-tury. These jewels of the upper town must not be allowed to overshadow the charms of the

Bastide Saint-Louis walled town, laid out on the opposite banks of the river Aude in the 13th century. Its checkerboard street-plan, so typical of mediaeval towns, led to the development of a central crossroads, the current Place Carnot, where lively markets continue to be held every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings.

Two hundred years ago, Viollet-le-DucThis year in France, we are celebrating the bicentenary of the birth of this ar-chitect whose role was decisive in the preservation and embellishment of many mediaeval buildings! Narbonne and Carcassonne are deeply indebted to him: he transformed the former’s Archbishop’s Palace into its City Hall, and also worked on its Saint-Just Cathedral, then he saved the latter’s surrounding wall. In the framework of this bicentenary, an exhibition is being organised in the castle in Carcassonne. It will show original, previously never exhibited material, taken from the restoration worksites, plaster castings made by the architect, etc. Viollet-le-Duc, [trait pour trait], from 12 June to 21 September.

Information at the castle.

Phone: 0033 (0)4 68 11 70 70 - www.carcassonne.monuments-nationaux.fr

SOMETHING SPECIAL

For more than eight hundred years they have been keeping watch. Grandiose remains of the Cathar saga, they bear witness to the disappearance of a whole community. These eleven castles, seven abbeys, two museums and one village, grouped together in the ‘Association des Sites du Pays Cathare’, each in their own way tell the story of the mark le by the Cathar religion on this part of Occitanie. An immeasurable cultural wealth that could perhaps one day be listed a World Heritage Site. Meanwhile, they are well worth the visit and are the perfect destination for walks or hikes…Sold for €2 at the entrance to the sites, the “Passport to the Cathar Country sites allows you to bene t from a reduction of at least € and free entrances for year olds, right from the second site visited and then for all the other sites for one year.This year the 2 sites are holding a photography competition on the theme “Between shade and light”. Association des Sites du Pays Cathare

Phone: 0033 (0)4 68 11 37 97 - www.payscathare.org


Classical and pop concerts, theatre, opera, dance, circus!

the latest edition of its

You want to follow a guide better to discover the Cité, its surrounding forti cations and the Bastide Saint ouis By day or by night A special o er available until the end of October, the Carcassonne City Pass entitles you to reductions right from your rst guided tour.Tourist O ce Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 10 24 30.www.tourisme-carcassonne.fr

Elton John, The Jacksons, Vanessa Paradis, Etienne Daho, Woodkid, Francis Huster, Gad Elmaleh, Mozart’s Don Giovanni directed by Patrick Poivre d’Arvor & Manon Savary, the Blanca Li dance company, the Pré-O-coupé/Nikolaus circus artistes, etc. Not to mention the many

Les coquelicots des tranchées” (The Poppies of the Trenches),

the Great War, in this year of commemorations. Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 11 59 15www.festivaldecarcassonne.com

In Carcassonne, the national historical monuments center

and lecture tours every day for all audiences. Open from April to September

from October to March

Closed on 1st January, 1st May, 1st and 11th November and 25th December.Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 11 70 70www.carcassonne.monuments-nationaux.fr

PRACTICAL GUIDE

Aude, the Cathar country

Carcassonne Tourist O ce 28, rue de Verdun. Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 10 24 30www.tourisme-carcassonne.fr

Castelnaudary auragais Audois Intercommunal Tourist O cePlace de la République. Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 23 05 73www.castelnaudary-tourisme.com

arbonne Tourist O ce

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 65 15 60www.narbonne-tourisme.com

Situated in the heart of the Narbonne region, the hamlet of e Somail proposes a pictures ue family port of call for everyone cruising the Canal du Midi. An opportunity to visit the buildings around this former commercial harbour dating back to the days when the canal was being built the chapel, the stone bridge, the cold-room and the inn, where you can still enjoy the “couchée” and make the most of a night’s sleep on dry land when travelling along the canal between Toulouse and Agde. A little trip on an electric boat along the canal should thrill children and adults alike.

e Somail- e Grand Narbonne Tourist O ce Phone: 0033 (0)4 68 41 55 70 - [email protected]

have celebrated his hundredth

tribute to him, Narbonne, his birthplace, has put in place a

memories of his life as you

he spent his childhood to the

Tourist O ce Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 65 15 60www.narbonne-tourisme.com

VISIT WITH THE FAMILY

to life thanks to a handful of

stations, the Little Red Train

the Mediterranean landscapes of the Pyrenean foothills,

visit the castles of Quéribus

on the stops chosen. Phone: 0033 (0)4 20 04 00.www.tpcf.fr

pocket? The Carcassonne

all the remarkable tourist

in real-time thanks to its

access the list of activities proposed all around you (visits, leisure, sports, etc.),

on the places you have visited. The Carcassonne Chamber of Commerce and

on the development of a

scale of the département.

your centres of interest,

on your tour around

and the Upper Aude Valley.

make an à la carte stay!Downloadable from the on-line application stores or on www.carcassonne-tourisme.mobiwww.carcassonne.cci.fr

HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL STAYS

Six days of holidays and you want to discover the

Canal du Midi on your bike without all the logistical hassle? It’s possible thanks to the all-in stays proposed by the Gîtes de France de l’Aude and their commercial partner Sudfrance.fr. On the programme: discovery of the architecture of the canal, castles and abbeys. In the evening a well-deserved rest in a guest house or a hotel. The best carefree way of making the most of your holidays! Heritage and culture enthusiasts will opt for a “Château et demeures de charme” stay. Starting from per person,www.sudfrance.fr/sejours-circuits-velo.htmlStarting from per person,w w w. s u d f r a n c e . f r /s e j o u r s -patrimoine-et-culture.html

You can also concoct an entirely made-to-measure stay on www.g i t e s- d e -f r a n c e - a u d e .c o m /chambres-hotes-proches-du-canal-du-midi.html where there is a map allowing you to locate the various gîtes and guest rooms.As for the tickets for visiting the castles, abbeys and museums, you can book them on www.sudfrance.fr/billets.html

PR

ACT

ICA

L G

UID

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A fter the Notre-Dame-des-Auzils chapel, sparkling under the Medi-

terranean sun, the path burrows its way between pines, kermes oaks and garrigue scrubland. The Pech Redon – the highest point of the Massif de la Clape – isn’t far now and, already, your gaze takes in the sandy beaches, the silhouette of the Pyrenean crests and the lagoons, whilst nearby, lower down, the ochre buildings of the Gruissan marina come into sight. At a glance, a single picture, the whole

the SEABeyond


Aude coast in a nutshell, both natural and wild, yet endowed with family seaside re-sorts, sporty and modern, capable of welco-ming thousands of holidaymakers. Around Narbonne, Charles Trenet’s native region, there’s a whole string of them stretching along the coast over fi fty kilometres: Saint-Pierre-la-Mer, Narbonne-Plage, Gruissan, La-Palme, Port-la-Nouvelle, Leucate. All with a Blue Flag certifying the good quality of their water, they are separated by unspoilt natural areas that you can explore on foot,

horseback or bicycle… A coastal area spread over 80,000 hectares of dunes, lagoons, sandbars and small limestone mountains, and with the “Narbonnaise en Méditerra-née Park” – the only one of its kind on the Languedoc coast – it benefi ts from Regional Nature Park status.

TERNS AND SEAGULLSTo the south of the Bages Lagoon, the Sainte-Lucie regional nature reserve – ma-naged by Port-la-Nouvelle district council


The Racine heritage


and the Regional Nature Park – is a perfect example of the way tourist crowds and pre-servation of the environment can go hand in hand. From the peninsula, there’s nothing to spoil the view of the Massif de la Clape, Corbières, and the lagoons and, in the dis-tance, the Canigou mountain. But the real wealth here is to be sought in the fl ora and fauna that exist in this 800-hectare Reserve, a veritable digest of the diff erent milieus that can be found around the Mediterra-nean. “We have three diff erent types of scenery: a large beach with dune systems, saltworks that were only closed down in 2005 and a superheated limestone penin-sula where you can see a typically Mediter-ranean biodiversity,” explains Emmanuelle Romet, the reserve’s manager. Whatever the season, as you wander along the two paths that snake their way through the reserve, the spectacle is striking. In the summer, the saltworks are covered with Li-moniastrum giving the landscape a mauve

hue, while a short-toed lark bursts into song in the shade of the pine trees. In the spring, the migratory birds stop over on the coast. Terns and seagulls then live side by side with the waders that have come here to breed. And even in the winter, when nature seems gently to have fallen asleep, ducks and sandpipers move in to winter in peace and quiet. In all, 28 bird species nest in the reserve. “On Île de Sainte-Lucie, we have an average of 15,000 visitors a month in July and August. The challenge is to manage the presence of these tourists while preserving the environment,” continues Emmanuelle Romet.

FROM LA CLAPE TO LEUCATEAs you carry on southwards the path suddenly climbs up from La-Franqui – a very popular beach with sailing enthusiasts – to dominate the Mediterranean and then slips in between the vines. Criss-crossed

Gruissan and its 20th century heritage


with drystone walls, Leucate cliff s – a su-perb plateau overhanging the waves – is another choice refuge for migratory birds. Between the beaches of La-Franqui and Leucate, overlooking the lagoons on one side and the confi dential creeks on the other, the area (around 300 hectares) has been classifi ed a Natura 2000 zone. On this rocky promontory – the only one on the Aude coast – covered with scrubland, dry lawns and little copses, ospreys love to stop off , just like the honey buzzard, white and black storks, the short-toed eagle, the black kite or Eleonora’s falcon. On land, between the rocks, you can also admire a multitude of rare reptiles and insects.From the Massif de la Clape down to the beaches of Leucate, passing by the Bages-Sigean, La Palme, Pissevaches and Gruis-san lagoons, nature is everywhere on show, shimmering between the blue of the sparkling gulfs and the green of the fra-grant pinewoods, passing through mineral ochre shades, off ering Technicolor stays.

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 42 23 70www.parc-naturel-narbonnaise.fr/visiter/ou_randonner_dans_le_parc

Gruissan Tourist O ce

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 49 09 00www.gruissan-mediterranee.com

eucate Tourist O ce

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 40 91 31www.leucate.netPort-la-Nouvelle Tourist O ce

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 48 00 51www.portlanouvelle.comSaint-Pierre-la-Mer Tourist O ce

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 49 60 89

Sigean Tourist O ce

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 48 14 81


Two lovely cycle paths allow you to discover the coast with all your family. The rst path links Gruissan to Saint-Pierre-la-Mer, while the second one takes you further inland going from Port-la-Nouvelle to Narbonne running alongside the Canal de la obine. By sea, there are several boats o ering escapades along the coast. In eucate, there’s a sailing ship, the imnoreia, and eucate vasion Marine, whereas in Gruissan it’s on-board the urandal that you should embark to go to Port- a-Nouvelle. And if the fancy takes you, some of these boats also propose gourmet visits to the oyster parks.

With our special coastal stays you can choose the accommodation that suits your temperament best: an ecological B&B in the “Parc Naturel de la Narbonnaise” for lovers of nature, walks and history, or a B&B by the sea to make the most of the seaside activities and liveliness of the coastal villages. To nd out more: www.gites-de-france-aude.com/gites-nature-et-patrimoine.html and www.gites-de-france-aude.com/gites-en-bord-de-mer.html

ON THE WATER’S EDGE,

OR NEARLY!


é Wind

Mondial du vent www.mondial-du-vent.comChampionnat de itesurf www.snkite.com

Port-la-Nouvelle Tourist O cePhone: 00 33 (0)4 68 40 30 30

Peyriac-de-mer Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 42 68 42Sigean Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 48 14 81

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 45 25 47

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 75 60 50

eucate Tourist O cePhone: 00 33 (0)4 68 40 91 31

PRACTICAL GUIDE


A lthough the story may raise a smile, there can be no doubt that cassoulet

has managed to pass down through the cen-turies and assert itself as an emblematic piece of Lauragais’ culinary heritage. So it is quite natural that it was around Castelnaudary that the Cathar country’s fi rst gourmet route was created in the spring of 2007. One hun-dred and eighty kilometres long, the “Route du Cassoulet de Castelnaudary” provides the opportunity to discover all the know-how and ingredients needed to make a success

As legend has it cassoulet, the dish so dear to Occitan cooking, was invented in the middle of the Hundred Years’ War. The English armies were laying siege to Castelnaudary at the time and, to encourage their soldiers, the cooks of Lauragais brought all their reserves together with the idea of making a delicious stew. The consequences were immediate: with their strength restored, the soldiers pushed the enemy back… to the shores of the Channel!

CASSOULETtheAlong

ROUTE

of this mythical dish. Setting out from Cas-telnaudary, you will criss-cross the Laura-gais countryside and its charming villages looking for the Ambassadors of Cassoulet. First, stop off with a grower of haricots lin-gots (white kidney beans). These beans – the famous recipe’s basic ingredient – are only grown in the Lauragais area. Further west, it is the potters who will open their doors to you and tell you all about the cas-sole (see box), the earthenware bowl that gives cassoulet its unique fl avour. To the south, in the heart of the Piège hills, knock at the door of a poultry farmer and taste the whole range of traditional duck- and goose-based produce. Then head for Car-cassonne for an initiation to winetasting in the Malepère and Cabardès cellars. These two AOPs (Protected Designation of Origin) produce wines that will go down perfectly with a cassoulet and with many other Aude specialities too. Lastly, to bring this gour-

Cassoulet, the religionCarcassonne? Castelnaudary? Toulouse? The paternity of the real cassoulet is hotly debated. Rather than causing an argument between the specialists, Prosper Montagné, a chef from Carcassonne and the creator of the ‘Larousse gastronomique’, suggested

“God the Father, which would be the cas-soulet from Castelnaudary; God the Son, that’s the one from Carcassonne, and the Holy Spirit, the one from Toulouse”. The

pared with fresh and salt pork. The one from Carcassonne adds half a leg of mutton and, in season, some partridge. Lastly, in Tou-louse, there’s the sausage to crown it all,


Gourmet festival

tion of the traditional “Fête du Cassoulet” in Castelnaudary. The town pays tribute, as it so rightly should, to the dish on which its reputation is based. Five days of non-stop free street concerts, parades, sporting events, bandas marching bands,

food markets. In blue and white, the festival’s colours, make the most of the warm and friendly atmosphere and a delicious cassoulet!

For three generations now the Nots have been passing down the secret of Jean Gabalda, an Italian potter who set up in Issel, not

run the pottery these days. “We continue to work the Issel clay, because it is rich in iron and refractory sand, which makes it easier

the Nots make, respecting the know-how of the old hands.

recently been honoured with the “living heritage enterprise” label.

on the banks of the Canal du Midi where you can watch them as they skilfully go about their everyday tasks. There, besides their cassoles, they propose a multitude of other kitchen acces-sories – such as this enamelled earthenware cooking pot that is

gardenware.

POTERIE NOT

Phone:

met tour to an end, what could be better than to stop off in one of the “Route du Cassoulet de Castelnaudary” restaurants. There you will be able to savour an authentic Cassou-let de Castelnaudary, and the most curious amongst you will even be able to take some cookery classes to learn the secrets of this slowly stewed dish. And when you get back to Castelnaudary, don’t forget to go to one of the town’s canning factories to stock up with a few tins of this jewel of Occitan cooking to take back home with you.

THE NOTS, MASTERS OF THE CASSOLE


A SAVOURY, GOURMET STAY “Arouse your senses, taste the tang of the soil”: the name given to this short stay sets the tone! Three days to discover the good food and the most beautiful land-

scapes in Aude as you go round meeting the people who make the wine, honey and cheese here, not to mention all the

other local specialities. And to top it all, you will spend your nights in guest rooms in the heart of the wine estates. A change of scenery guaranteed!

WHERE TO FIND OUT MORECastelnaudary-Lauragais-Audois Tourist O ce Place de la République

www.castelnaudary-tourisme.comPays touristique Corbières-Minervois

11200 Lézignan-CorbièresA BLACK DIAMOND IN THE CATHAR COUNTRYLike Périgord, Aude also has its black diamond. Located in the foothills of the Montagne Noire, the villages of Cabrespine, Trassanel and Villeneuve-Minervois form the golden triangle

climate has made it possible

precious tuber and discover the

Minervois, a visit to the Maison de

Maison de la Tru e du Languedoc

June to September

Haut-Minervois Tourist O ce

LAND OF STARS You can not only treat yourself to a cassoulet in Aude, but you can also enjoy all its local produce, transcended by no fewer than 10 chefs singled out in the Guide Michelin.

Auberge du Vieux Puits, Gilles Goujon ***

Le Parc, Franck Putelat **

11000 Carcassonne

omaine d’Auriac,

Route de St-Hilaire, 11000 Carcassonne

La Barbacane, Jérôme Ryon *Hôtel de la Cité, Place Auguste-Pierre-Pont, 11000 Carcassonne

Le Puits du Trésor, Jean-Marc Boyer *

L’Ambrosia

La Bergerie, Fabien Galibert *Chemin de Pech-Mary,

Château La Pomarède, Gérald Garcia *

La Table Saint-Crescent, Lionel Giraud *

11100 Narbonne

Le Klim § Ko,

Chemin du Phare,

Route du

Cassoulet de Castelnaudary

THE COUNTRY IN A DISH They may not have any stars, but they are nonetheless no strangers to the taste of good fare and a warm welcome. The restaurant and café owners in Corbières and Minervois propose “l’Assiette de pays”, a set menu combining at least three

rewarded by seals of approval such as the Sud de France and/or Pays Cathare labels, these delicious dishes will go perfectly

“PAYS CATHARE”THE QUALITY LABELCreated more than 20 years ago, this label brings together restaurant and hotel owners, cellarmen,

proud of the Aude heritage. Look out for this little blue and white logo and make the most of the local know-how and produce of the soil in the best possible way.

at Lagrasse Abbey, you will be able to identify the cafés and restaurants taking part thanks

hesitate to ask them questions, they’ll be delighted to tell you all about the know-how of the local growers from whom they buy their produce. Find all the best addresses on

and at

PRACTICAL GUIDE


I t was one of those wine-lovers’ dinners. We were in the Minervois area, comfor-

tably seated with our backs to the wooded slopes of the Montagne Noire. It was the right time for some white wine and fi sh: if I remember rightly, a still-glistening John Dory from the waters of Port-La-Nouvelle, exquisite in its perfect nakedness. Around the table, rather professional amateurs bic-kered, as they often do, about the compara-tive merits of such and such an Appellation. This might seem exotic at a meal in southern

France, but it was a question of Chardonnay, the great variety from Burgundy. A Chardon-nay from Limoux, whose colour with its ele-gant green glints and above all whose nose, somewhere between lime blossom and but-tered brioche, evoked more Vézelay Abbey than the Benedictine abbey of Saint-Hilaire in Aude.«Remarkable!» said one, «delicious!» exclai-med another, admiringly. «Very good, yes… But we’ll have to wait a few years to see how it stands the test of time.» The person who

Aude is a river of wine, drawn by its vintages. The hand of man, paying no heed to the relief, soil or climates, has over the centuries composed a pluralist vineyard. And the wine-lover will enjoy the wines with features so distinct…

with a thousand FACESVINEYARDThe


had just cast a shadow over the general enthusiasm was one of those Lords of the French Vineyards, a prestigious Meursault owner. The master of the house responded by bringing two bottles up from the cellar, quickly decanted, and holding out a glass to the Meursault man, who concluded with an embarrassed smile: «We’d better not rest on our laurels…» At least ten years old, the bottles in question also came from what was not yet the AOP Limoux. A grandiose Chardonnay, just right, a glorious country

26 Aude, the Cathar country26 Cahier du patrimoine / Aude pays cathare26 Cahier du patrimoine / Aude pays cathare

gentleman that had nothing to be ashamed of compared with some other infi nitely more expensive wines.An anecdote? Yes… but one that illustrates perfectly not the fact that in Aude we pro-duce the fi nest wines in the world - even if such an attempt at a classifi -cation could be meaningful - but much more that today you can fi nd bottles there whose greatness and «oenological relevance» turn out to be indisputable. And that’s the least you could expect in a region with a geology, a climate and a two-thousand year-old tradition, pardon the bombast!

FRENCH VINEYARDS IN A NUTSHELLIt must be said that here wine is a serious matter. With 67,983 hectares planted with wine grape varieties spread over 2,815 estates, the departement totals just under 9% of the vines grown in France. And every year they produce more than fi fty million bottles here. But, besides this economic

aspect, the wine-growers here are veritable gardeners, the landscape’s real architects. You just have to leave the motorway and drive down the roads of Aude to realise this… and make the most of it!Setting out from Sigean or Leucate, lose

yourself somewhere along the D205 or D27 for example, there where the scrawny vines of Corbières, as painted by Brayer, stolen from the gar-

rigue scrublands, mock the sea from the top of their dry limestone terraces. Near Trèbes, head for Laure-Minervois, taking the D235, discover the alternating pinewoods and Ca-rignans on Aude’s balconies, this lean land with silky juices. Higher up, in the moun-tains, on the D118 that wanders off towards the cold, go and doff your hat to the courage of the wine-growers of Cabardès, admire the plots planted along the contour lines, juggling between the tang of the Mediter-ranean and that of the Atlantic, between Syrah and Cabernet. And Roquetaillade, above Limoux… And those Grenache vines

ALTERNATING PINEWOODS AND CARIGNANS

VINEYARDS, THIS LEAN LAND WITH SILKY JUICES



Eight «20th Century Heritage» cellars

•AUDE IN 16 «APPELLATIONS»Corbières, Corbières-Boutenac, Fitou, Rivesaltes, Muscat-de-Rivesaltes, Minervois, Minervois-La-Livinière, Languedoc, Languedoc-La-Clape, Languedoc-Quatourze, Limoux, Blanquette-de-Limoux, Crémant-de-Limoux, Blanquette-ancestral method, Malepère, Cabardès.Information at: www.languedoc-wines.com

PAUL OLD AND HUGO STEWARTIN

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 41 10 70 or 00 33 (0)6 70 08 00 65www.lesclosperdus.com


planted between the dizzy citadels of Qué-ribus and Peyrepertuse. And these coarse Malepère hills, you could almost be in Toulouse, where the actor Philippe Noiret took refuge, and looked after his horses, far from the cameras. And the delicacy of the Macabeu overlooking the black schist of the Col d’Extrême mountain pass, wild, sunburnt but with a skin so soft, so fi ne once transmuted into a natural liqueur wine.Landscapes with an appa-rently «natural» beauty, but in fact shaped by the hand of man! And what a wonder to measure, through these human constructions, the extent to which the wine-growers here have managed to adapt the way they work. For one topography, a sometimes undulating relief, «tragedies» but also such a variety of climates. Indeed what is there in

common between the mountain coolness of the Upper Valley of the Aude where the afore-mentioned Chardonnays grow, and the bla-zing sun of Boutenac? Between the hillsides of Bize-Minervois and the Coff re de Pech-Redon, in La Clape, and the shady nooks of Lagrasse?Supported by an amazing «geological mess» born from the meeting between the Pyre-

nees and the Massif Central, highlighted by a broad range of varieties, this climatic diversity means that Aude is capable of anything. Here you

can fi nd just about every category of wine that exists. From the insolent bubbles of the Limoux whites to the generous reds of Cor-bières, from the suaveness of the Minervois to the Gascon vigour of the Côtes-de-la-Male-père. Like a scale model, a summing up of the vineyards of France.

PORTRAITS

THIS CLIMATIC DIVERSITY MEANS THAT

AUDE IS CAPABLE OF ANYTHING

We fell in love with this region between the sea and the mountains, close to Spain, at the

”

Hence the name “Clos perdus” - the lost vineyard,

because they were too complicated to work, these vineyards were destined to be grub-bed up.

terroir

PORTRA

ITS


Wine is something enthralling, I’m

sensitive to what it conveys,

how to listen to them.” Cabardès, Côtes-du-Rous-

is to produce fresh, elegant wines. To achieve that,

our cradle-appellation.

When I arrived here, I was immediately won over by the landscapes sculpted by the vineyards and the light they attract. It’s this richness that I want to help my visitors to discover. Wine tourism allows you to grasp a terroir, to soak it up and thus better understand our wines.”

MIREN DE LORGERIL

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 72 65 29www.lorgeril.com

This wine-grower has

the Pays Cathare label.

I love these Pyrenean foothills. I love its minerality, its clayey limestone, the coolness of the

the grapes and maintains the acidity required to ensure the wines are perfectly balanced. It’s an ideal terroir

To produce my Joséphine, like for my other wines, I don’t add anything, no liqueur, no sugar, and above all I leave it the time it takes to

I’m an organic wine-grower, but above all a demanding wine-grower. I make a very strict selection on the twelve micro-plots that I farm. Spread all round

”

GILLES AZAM

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 31 63 72


TO UES ET CLOCHERS DEFENDS THE LIMOUX HERITAGE

they are produced in one

areas and their riches, the

SOMETHING SPECIAL VINEYARD WALKS

From June to September, the wine-growers of Haut-Minervois open the doors of their estates and châteaux to you. A friendly meeting to better understand the work of these passionate enthusiasts and discover the little stories and great history of wine in Minervois. Fi een wine-makers are waiting for you to take you on two-hour walks through the heart of the vineyards, at the end of the morning or of the day. Each one has concocted an original programme: «Mountain Biking» at the Domaine Fontanilles-Haut, in Laure Minervois; «Vineyard and the Fades Dolmen» at Château Pépusque, in Pépieux, etc. And to round o these themed walks, what could be better than a wine-tasting accompanied by a special «wine-grower’s dish»?Careful though, the number of places is limited, so be sure to book!Phone: +33 (0) 4 68 76 34 74 - www.tourisme-haut-minervois.fr

SOMETHING SPECIAL LES GRANDS BUFFETS: A GREAT IDEA

The wines of Languedoc have a choice showcase with ‘Les Grands Bu ets’ restaurant, in Narbonne. Ambassador for the local wine-growers, the establishment presents everything that’s best in Languedoc-Roussillon with at least 70 references on the wine list. Produced in the best areas, the wines here are all sold by the glass or by the bottle and… at the same price as by the producer! Better still: with the “Leave without paying for the wine” o er, if you appreciated the bottle you had with your meal and you decide to buy a case of six (sold at the same price as at the cellar), the bottle you had with your meal will be o ered for free.Lastly, and this is the cherry on the cake, the restaurant proposes unli-mited traditional cuisine served bu et-style. On the menu: foie gras, spiny lobster à l’américaine, not to mention golden pieces of meat spit-roasted in front of you on an impressive grill and, of course, all the great classics of French confectionery for your dessert.And all that for less than €30. Obviously, if you want to enjoy all these pleasures so popular with ever-growing numbers of people, you’ll have to book!

WHERE TO FIND OUT MOREAOP Cabardès

Vignerons de la Clape

AOP Corbières

AOP Fitou

AOP Limoux

AOP cru Malepère

AOP cru Minervois

VINEYARDS AND DISCOVERIES: THE EXCELLENCE LABEL

See the list of service providers with the label at: tourisme.legrandnarbonne.com

WELCOME TO THE VINEYARDS An immersion in ‘wine culture’ in the

middle of the grape harvest, that’s what this atypical stay proposes .

Housed in a country gîte in a village in the vineyards or directly on a wine estate, make the most of the guided tours through the vines and an introduction to wine tasting given by the owner. The most enthusiastic can even help harvest the grapes...Starting from for one week in a gîte for

people. To nd out more:www.gites-de-france-aude.com/gites-accueil-au-vignoble.html -with the ‘ ignobles et couvertes’ label

PRACTICAL GUIDE


In this land of history and ever-renewed inventiveness, traditions and know-how are passed down quite simply: from generation to generation, with passion and a resolutely festive spirit.

of ARTSA land

and MEMORIES

« Every year in Limoux they hold the longest carnival in the world!» François

Feau, co-president of the Limoux Carnival Committee rather proudly claims concer-ning the exceptional length of the festivi-ties. «Three months! Any higher off ers?!» the man enthuses with a smile and a bon-homie so typical of Aude about perpetua-ting a tradition for so long with his fellow citizens, and a great deal of fun deeply rooted in their hearts, minds and legs! «Each weekend and on Shrove Tuesday,


you can watch the ‘bandas’ marching bands parading around in groups of twenty or so, fi ring the spectator’s enthusiasm, walking beside the ‘goudils’ - participants wearing burlesque masks - but without mixing with them until permitted by the Carnival King on judgement day.»In the land of Blanquette and Crémant sparkling wines, every generation takes part in the Fécos, a dance that is played out to special tunes, some of which date back from time immemorial to the festival’s ori-gins. There are more than a hundred of them, the works of local composers or ins-pired by operas. It’s also one of the riches of this popular fes-tival, listed an immaterial cultural heritage event by the Ministry of Culture since 2012. The dancers glide by almost religiously lifting their carabène, a sort of reed wand, and throwing

confetti at the onlookers. Highly codifi ed, the immu-table saraband seems to

have sprung straight out of the past, so scrupulous is the respect shown for the rules. And, there are more than 600 carni-val-goers who, from January to March each year, entertain the onlookers, astonished and amused by the pranks of this lively crowd! Limoux Carnival is truly emble-matic of those steadfast popular traditions – festive and cultural – that the people of Aude like to celebrate as time and the sea-sons go by. POPULAR FERVOURAnd it’s not in Gruissan that anyone will deny that. Every year on the coast, at the end of June, they celebrate Saint Peter’s day. In this land of seafarers the disco-very in the middle of the 17th century of a wooden fi gurehead amongst the debris from a shipwreck came like a bolt out of

EVERY YEAR IN LIMOUX THEY HOLD THE LONGEST CARNIVAL IN THE WORLD!


the blue. This bust with a bearded head and two keys to paradise could only repre-sent the saint worshiped in all sea ports! Since then the sculpture has been deeply revered by the people of Gruissan, with a special rite involving the Prud’homie, the fi shermen’s organisation, the fi shermen themselves, the authorities, the whole vil-lage along with all its visitors, mixing fer-vour, religion and folklore. Every 29 June, the overfl owing church welcomes the relic and everyone, in their place, takes part in the service. The ceremony is marked by the tempo of a scottish, an English two-four time dance rather like a polka, supposed to recall the movements and undulations of the swell rocking the fi shermen and their boats. Once the service is over, the great organ takes over and the orchestra accom-panies the Prud’hommes while the bust of the Saint stays in the church. It will only be

taken back to the Prud’homie after vespers. At the Auzils chapel, you’ll also fi nd this fervent atmosphere and respect for tradi-tion, not once but three times! Built above the Saint-Salvaire grotto, this edifi ce has been a listed building since 1964. People religiously fl ock here every Easter Monday to pray for the souls of the fi shermen, those lost in a storm in 1797; to thank Our Lady every Whit Monday for having put an end to the cholera epidemic of 1835; and then on the last Sunday of August in preparation for the grape harvest.

ANCESTRAL KNOW-HOWThis memory of tradition, this passion for those moments of communion inscribed in our genes, is also rendered by the will to transmit, to exchange. Thus, the artistic professions linked to local particularities pass down through the years and fashions.

EN ATTENDANT MIEUX


Living Occitan!On the roads of Aude, at the time of the Limoux carnival for ins-tance, you will hear the language of the Midi spoken. Still very much alive here, Occitan is pres-ent in a rich literature – from the Troubadours through to contem-porary creation, not to mention the Félibres writers’ movement – in the festive traditions as well as in the viure – a way of living together. The Institut d’Estudis Occitanes focuses on spreading knowledge of the language and its culture here and now.

Phone: occitan-aude.over-blog.com

Wrought iron-work, pottery, working clay, stone and bronze, so many creations ins-pired by history and local produce are the very illustration of this. Like the craftsmen who - such as Véronique Le Besnerais, a ceramist based in Embres et Castelmaure in Corbières - have found here a source of inspiration for their art: «Since 1992 when I bought an old sheep barn here, I have been working stoneware and earthenware trans-forming them into unique pieces led by my inspiration. It comes from a sum of things, a great mixture that makes up my living en-vironment: these magnifi cent landscapes, this terrifi c light, the closeness to the sea, the rough scrublands… I love bold objects that have a soul, even though they may be very simple and utilitarian, or that you just leave on a table because you appreciate their appearance and colours. More than typically southern, they are colourful and above all, I hope, joyful!»Joyful, like the state of mind that governs this need to create with your hands, as well as to make colourful shared moments last down through the ages!

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Like nobody else, the troubadour Raimon de Miraval practiced that courtly love revered by

or, today, by Anne Brenon and Claude Marti. Sin-ging Muse, the vibrant langue d’oc has always

whose home in Carcassonne – now the Maison des Mémoires-Maison Joë-Bousquet – houses a centre bearing his name. A listed building, the house has welcomed the greatest names: Paul Valéry, Max Ernst, Magritte, Louis Aragon, André Gide, Dali, etc. They all came to the bedside of the poet wounded during the Great War. The per-manent exhibition throws light on the life and work of Joë Bousquet, on his friendships with the artists of his day.

This world of literature, its thinkers and famous writers are also celebrated in Lagrasse and Montolieu. The former organises three Book Ban-quets every year in the sumptuous surroundings of the mediaeval abbey. Around a given topic,

sophical encounters, mixing spiritual and earthly nourishments, a taste for the spoken word and the wine of Corbières. As for Montolieu, it boasts

and Arts Museum for a population of fewer than

tion “Village of the Book”. Finally, in Brousses and Villaret there’s an old paper mill that bears witness to this interest for the written word and the history of the paper industry, that was so rich

the Dure Valley and in all of Languedoc, today it brings together all the energy needed to restore, perpetuate and pass on a certain know-how like that required to make paper by hand.

An open BOOK

CENTRE JO BOUS UET ET SON TEMPSMaison des Mémoires-Maison Joë-Bousquet, CarcassonneOpen from Tuesday to Saturday, free.53, rue de VerdunPhone: 00 33 (0)4 68 72 50 83

LA MAISON DU BAN UET ET DES GÉNÉRATIONS, IN LAGRASSEPublic Abbey4, rive gauchePhone: 00 33 (0)4 68 32 63 89www.lamaisondubanquet.fr

MONTOLIEU, BOOK VILLAGEGuided tour of the Book Trade and Arts Museum

month from 2 to 3 pm. Price: €4. 39, rue de la MairiePhone: 00 33 (0)4 68 24 80 04www.montolieu-livre.fr

Muse that inspires men and women of letters, the Aude lands regularly celebrate a passion

for words and books, by multiplying the places of remembrance and festive events.

LE MOULIN À PAPIER DE BROUSSES ET VILLARETIn 2014, “Love poems” exhibition until 29 June, as well as the paper mill’s twentieth birthday.Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 26 67 43www.moulinapapier.com

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PRACTICAL GUIDE

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WHERE TO FIND OUT MORECarcassonne Tourist O ce 28, rue de VerdunPhone: 00 33 (0)4 68 10 24 30www.tourisme-carcassonne.fr

Gruissan Tourist O ceBoulevard du Pech-MaynaudPhone: 00 33 (0)4 68 49 09 00www.gruissan-mediterranee.com

Limoux Tourist Departmentavenue du Pont-de-FrancePhone: 00 33 (0)4 68 31 11 82www.limoux.fr

LIMOUX CARNIVAL2015 edition: from 11 January to 22 March. Bandas parade at 11 am, 4.30 and 10 pm, on their designated day. Limoux Tourist DepartmentPhone: 00 33 (0)4 68 31 11 82

ARTS & CRAFTS

JULIENNE DANIAUX

to get her glassmaker’s CAP

Julienne Daniaux set up with her sister Irène in 2003 in the village of Montolieu to create the Diversion workshop. Tableware, ornamental ware, perfume bottles,

Manufacture RoyalePhone: 00 33 (0)4 68 24 70 17

MAISON BORFounded in 1936, in Limoux, the Bor confectioner’s shop tempts gourmets with its succulent range of nougats, touron almond cake and chocolates. It’s all the fault of Monsieur Bor and his successors – Charles de Oliveira today – creators of delicacies as renowned as the Tap de Limos, a chocolate shaped like a Blanquette cork, coated with a smooth ganache with raisins macerated in an old Marc of Blanquette de Limoux.15, avenue Fabre-d’ÉglantinePhone: 00 33 (0)4 68 31 02 15www.nougat-bor.com

VÉRONI UE LE BESNERAISCeramist set up since 1992 in the peaceful village of Embres et Castelmaure,

In the heart of Corbières, Véronique soaks up the local atmosphere to create unique pieces. Earthenware or stoneware utilitarian and

character, aiming to satisfy the eye and the senses.By appointmentPhone: 00 33 (0)4 68 45 68 37 or 00 33 (0)6 07 86 95 76

LIONEL POSTALCreative potter whose inspiration is boundless, working in Caunes-Minervois, Lionel Postal invents

as the fancy takes him. Thanks to their originality and colours, these utilitarian

extra to everyday life in your kitchen or home!1, rue Joseph SicardPhone: 00 33 (0)4 68 78 48 53www.postpot.fr

JEAN FRAN OIS MONNIN Sculptor, stone and marble mason in Pézens,

restores our heritage, but also creates and maintains more conventional building elements: doors, windows, pillars, vaults, fountains, monumental sculptures. La Madeleine – RN 113Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 24 96 29

PIERRE BIAU Bronze and wood no longer have any secrets for this bronzesmith who makes

gold work and furniture

using his trade’s traditional techniques in Carcassonne.44, rue de la BarbacanePhone: 00 33 (0)4 68 71 60 60www.pierbiau.com

These professionals all have the “Pays Cathare” label (voir page 23

MARKETPLACE

In the heart of the

Méditerrannée’ Regional

of Villesèque-des-Corbières, this bistro-terroir celebrates the seasonal produce of Languedoc-Roussillon.

gourmandise, Eric Delalande (ex-Ravanel, Michelin 2-star chef in

with propositions that’ll get your mouth watering

Avenue de la mairiePhone: 00 33 (0)4 68 70 09 13www.bistroplacedesmarches.com

SOMETHING SPECIALGRUISSAN PILGRIMAGE

St Peter’s Day shermen’s pilgrimage and pilgrimages to Au ils chapel.Gruissan Tourist O ce


Here, a succession of hills covered with garrigue scrubland; there, a vertiginous canyon overshadowed by the Pyrenean mountain tops… A mosaic of landscapes each o ering a made-to-measure playground, on water, in the air or along the paths and trekking trails.

NATUREWhen

is simply sensational


T hree hundred metres of cliff s towering over your heads. A dizzy eight-kilo-

metre pass, and, fl ying over the tumultuous torrents of the River Aude, a dipper dives head fi rst searching for little fi sh. The scene is set, here we are between Quillan and Axat, in the Pierre-Lys gorge, the majestic surroundings in which Emmanuel Bou-trelle works. With his colleague Mathieu Veyssière, this specialist of the upper reaches of the river has set up his small business upstream of the gorge some ten years ago. Since then they have been exploring the River Aude, and from time to time its tributary the Rebenty which weaves its way towards the Sault region. “We have a 7-kilometre open stretch and a more spor-ting one easily running for 14 kilometres,” explains Emmanuel. “Just as you enter the Saint-Georges gorge, you arrive at a lovely ‘portefeuille’ (two juxtaposed slabs, in canoeists’ jargon), here this a class 4 river,

it can be pretty hair-raising right from the very start!”From Limoux to just upstream of Axat, the River Aude is a unique playground for raf-ting, hydrospeed, canoeing and kayaking enthusiasts. A peaceful stretch of water ideal for all the family, rapids, sudden changes of slope, tricky stretches that are so diffi cult that only professionals and “head cases”

can try them, there’s something for everyone, however expe-rienced they may be. Along the banks, more than ten companies and associations each year sell around 40,000 outings. Their key asset? A tumultuous river, not to mention breathtaking sce-nery and wild, unspoilt nature. A passionate ornithologist, and

a river technician too, Emmanuel Boutrelle never tires of spying “a yellow wagtail, a pair of vultures” such as this colony nesting on the slopes of the nearby Pic de Bugarach. “here, there are species whose presence just goes to show how well preserved their

THE PRESENCE OF RARE SPECIES SUCH AS THE PYRENEAN DESMAN ARE PROOF OF THE UALITY OF THE NATURAL SURROUNDINGS


natural surroundings are,” he continues, mentioning the Pyrenean Desman (Gale-mys pyrenaicus), a mammal nicknamed the “trumpet rat” owing to its strange snout, that he has already “glimpsed twice”, or some pairs of particularly voracious otters.

NATURA 2000 Still wild and incredibly natural, the upper valley is a refl ection of the rest of the Aude département. With 182 species observed, this département is home to the largest number of nesting birds in France. It also counts 36 natural sites, the Narbonnaise en Méditerranée nature park – and no less than 40 % of its surface area is classifi ed as a Natura 2000 zone. It’s in these exceptio-nal surroundings, in the middle of varied landscapes, tiered down from an altitude of 2,400 metres to the shores of the Mediter-ranean, that a whole outdoor sports-based economy fl ourishes.In the Corbières, far from the bustle of the coast, the choice of activities on off er is im-


GR 36 A journey through wonderlandA multitude of wonders, a succession of castles perched on their rocky outcrops, landscapes

scrublands and dwarf oaks. Crossing the dépar-

mingly never-ending path linking Switzerland to Gibraltar, plunges into the area’s wild beauty. At each stage,

be lost in wonder. There’s everything there: biodiversity, the wit-nesses of history that are the dizzy citadels of Villerouge-Ter-

capes and cool wine cellars. In short, an ideal route – a variant of which will take you to Mount Tauch – for discovering the wonders of Aude, with your family, even with young children.Icing on the cake, a remarkable topoguide has just been pu-blished. It details each stage precisely, while also giving precious

cies that you will be able to see, the specialities you will be able to savour, and the sites not to be missed.

The GR topoguide, pages, is available in bookshops or on the French Hiking Federation’s website (Fédération fran aise de randonnée). www.ffrandonnee.fr

mense. On the water, in the airs or with your hiking boots on, you will discover a rugged mountainscape, dotted with vineyards or covered with scrubland. “We have 600 kilo-metres of hiking paths, 240 km of moun-tain-biking trails, and little roads with hardly a soul in sight ideal for cycle touring, not to mention the supervised swimming spots, such as the waterfalls at the foot of Peyrepertuse Castle, in the Verdouble gorge,” enthuses Anne Marserou, Direc-tor of Tourism for the Corbières-Minervois region. Between nature and heritage, from grandiose sites to wine cellars, passing by its famous towering citadels, the Corbières area is a paradise for roaming. The region is crossed from north to south by the GR 36 hiking trail (see box) and from east to west by the Cathar Trail, a recently accredited GR hiking trail. “The Loop in the Heart of Cor-


bières, setting out from the wine coopera-tives, is a 124-km long tour of the area that you can cover on foot – athletically, or more peacefully to appreciate the breathtaking views – accompanied by pack-donkeys, or on a mountain bike,” adds Anne Marserou.The area also has some lovely surprises in

store for the thrill-seeker. Didier Astre, an open-air adventure sports specialist, makes the most of the region’s potential. With him, and with many other guides too, you can discover the joys of rock-climbing near Termes, fl y over exceptional sites in a small plane taking off from Lézignan-Corbières aerodrome, or the Cathar Country castles with a paraglider, and much more besides. There are also some beautiful canyons in the area. At the foot of Termes Castle, Didier takes his clients to confront the torrents at Terminet, a superb little canyon for begin-ners with playful stretches, with its leaps and slides. There are so many lovely ways to discover this part of Corbières, whether before you go for a swim, when the low sun illuminates the pink limestone, or when you at last extract yourself from the water and there are still hours ahead of you for making the most of this region’s lovingly preserved treasures.

THE MYSTERIES OF THE FOREST In the Upper Valley of the Aude, and in the Sault area too, a deep-rooted tradition of forestry endures. Grown for the construction or energy sectors, the woods

spaces for a family ramble. So, an ‘interpretation path’ runs through, Callong forest,

allowing you enjoyably to discover the local forestry industry and see how the forest environment functions.

uillan Tourist O cePhone: 00 33 (0)4 68 20 07 78www.quillan.fr

PIC DE BUGARACH It hit the headlines worldwide at the end of 2012. An interpretation of a Mayan calendar led some people to believe it would be one of the only places that would survive the end of the world… As, happily, the apocalypse didn’t actually happen, peace and quiet has been restored to the site, along with the interest of its scenery. The mountain is criss-crossed with underground galleries, and the climb to the top, although strenuous, is

Pays de Coui a Tourist O cePhone: 00 33 (4) 68 69 69 85www.paysdecouiza.com/fr/accueil

PRACTICAL GUIDE


EXPLORATION HIKES IN CORBI RESMINERVOIS The family walks are sign-posted on the way out of the villages. The latest one, the geologists walk in Albas – a theme-based path marked out with notice boards describing the site’s geological history – allows you to better understand the formation of the astonishing syncline. You can get these two 100-page topoguides at the

WHERE TO FIND OUT MORE

Pays TouristiqueCorbières-Minervois

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 27 88 10 www.tourisme-corbieres-minervois.com

Service Tourisme des Pyrénées audoises Square André-Tricoire,

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 20 07 78 www.pyreneesaudoises.com

Pays Haute-Vallée de l’AudePlace d’Alcántara

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 20 58 38 www.payshva.org

THE CORBI RES DONKEY FARM In Fontjoncouse, there are donkeys gambolling over near-ly seven hectares of scrubland. They are there just waiting to meet you or to carry your baggage by the hour, day or for a whole weekend. Make the most of them to set out on a tour of “la ronde au c ur des Corbières”. Mas du Mont-MijaPhone: 00 33 (0)6 81 45 63 09www.asineriedescorbieres.com

Minervois counter. You can also download hiking fact sheets from www.tourisme-corbieres-minervois.com.

RENNES LECH TEAUMany are the adventurers

treasure. Treasure or not, Rennes-le-Château, its Magdala Tower and its

undeniably well worth the visit.

www.rennes-le-chateau.fr


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STAYS IN THE WILDS Angling enthusiasts should head for the lakes and rivers, where they will be able to stay in one of the gîte B&Bs situated less than metres away from a shing spot.

As for sports lovers more interested in history they should choose a -day “ ando ibert ” stay on the “Sentier Cathare”.

Following in the footsteps of the Cathar “Bonshommes”, they will discover impressive sites in an exceptional natural d cor. Starting from per person. Find out more on www.gites-de-france-aude.com/gites-pour-amateurs-de-peche.html and www.sudfrance.fr/sejours-randonnees.html


A SELECTION OF SPORTING ADDRESSESRoc Aqua, white-water and mountain sports, Cailla

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 20 53 97Alet eau vive, Alet-les-Bains

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 69 92 67Embarquement immédiat, Saint-Martin-Lys

Phone: 00 33 (0)6 87 37 24 74La Forge, uillan

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 20 23 79Pyrène Ra ing, Axat

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 20 52 76Rodeo Ra , Belvianes et Cavirac

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 20 98 86Sud Ra ing, Axat

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 20 53 73Eauri on, Termes

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 49 99 82Parapente au départ de Peyrepertuse Phone: 00 33 (0)6 76 75 18 91 VTT, Saint-André-de-RoquelonguePhone: 00 33 (0)6 81 45 63 09Chutextrem, Lé ignan-CorbièresPhone: 00 33 (0)4 68 49 99 82

All these professionals have been awarded the “Pays Cathare” label (see page 23)

Riding:L’ trier du Lauragais, Castelnaudary Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 23 28 47Ferme équestre Cheval cathare, Cucugnan (GR 367) Phone: 00 33 (0)6 84 33 74 37Chevaux aux vents, Davejan (GR 36) Phone: 00 33 (0)6 10 93 18 50Les ls de Natche , Termes (GR 36) Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 70 05 92

PEYREPERTUSE AND UÉRIBUS, SENTINELS OF CORBI RES Watch out for the gusty Tramontane wind during the visit to these two eagle’s nests! Perched on rocky spurs at an altitude of more than 700 metres, Peyrepertuse

apart. Historical landmarks, Cathars took shelter in them, these spectacular citadels

of the Roussillon plain to the south. Panoramic views of the sea, the Pyrenees, the scrublands and vineyards, the choice is yours!

uéribus CastlePhone: 00 33 (0)4 68 45 03 69 www.cucugnan.fr

SOMETHING SPECIAL BENEFICIAL WATERS AT RENNES LES BAINS

On the banks of the Sals a small river that springs up at Fontaine salée and then wends its way between rocky walls the therapeutic virtues of the water have been known since ancient times. Rennes-les-Bains is a family spa resort bene ting from the slightly mineralised sulphate-, magnesium- and iron-bearing waters that spring from the ground at a temperature of between 33 C and 44 C. Ideal for treating rheumatism and the a er-e ects osteoarticular trauma! Of course, you can also pro t from all these bene cial e ects at the time of a simple get- t stay interspersed with treatments, each more agreeable than the last one. Hammam, Jacu i, body-building room, the Rennes-les-Bains spa resort also proposes numerous amenities for visitors simply passing through. At the gateway to Corbières, the resort a small family-friendly a air that focuses particularly on the quality of the reception it a ords is also the ideal starting point for a multitude of walks and hikes in the enchanting surroundings of the hinterland. Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 74 71 00 – www.renneslesbains.com

Peyrepertuse CastlePhone: 00 33 (0)4 82 53 24 07www.chateau-peyrepertuse.com Find out more at :Association des sites du Pays Catharewww.payscathare.orgwww.lesentiercathare.com

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All you need to prepare your TRIP!

BY CAR

A61 Deux-Mers Motorway:

A9 “La Languedocienne” Motorway:

D6113 secondary road:



Secondary road 118:

BY TRAINMain Railway Stations

TGV Méditerranée high-speed train

AVE high-speed train

logitravel.com

Main Lines

TER Regional Express Trains

Information and booking: 36 35Timetables: 0892 335 335www.voyages-sncf.fr

BY AIR International Sud de France –Carcassonne Airport

Contacts : Airport

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 71 96 46www.aeroport-carcassonne.comRyanairPhone: 00 33 (0)4 68 71 96 65www.ryanair.com

Toulouse-Blagnac Airport

Contact :

Phone: 0825 380 000

Phone: 00 33 (0)1 70 46 74 74

www.toulouse.aeroport.fr

Montpellier Méditerranée Airport

Contact :

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 67 20 85 00www.montpellier.aeroport.fr

CARCASSONNE AREA Association du Pays Carcassonnais

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 26 73 79www.payscarcassonnais.com

NARBONNE AREA,ASTONISHINGMEDITERRANEAN Le Grand Narbonne

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 58 14 58www.legrandnarbonne.com

UPPER VALLEYSyndicat Mixte de la Vallée de l’Aude et des Pyrénées Audoises

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 20 58 38www.payshva.org

LAURAGAIS AREA Syndicat Mixte du Pays Lauragais

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 60 56 54www.payslauragais.com

Pays Touristique Corbières-Minervois

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 27 57 57www.tourisme-corbieres-minervois.com

WHERE TO FIND OUT MORE

HOW TO GET HERE

You’re a lover of culture, old stones or festive traditions?

You’re looking for an original idea for your weekend? This

practical guide is just what you need!

LES FESTEJADES DE GRUISSAN

From 6 to 8 June.Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 49 09 00www.gruissan-mediterranee.com/festejades

A RESTAURANT FOR THE EMBRESET CASTELMAURE CELLARS

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 45 91 83www.lacooperativecastelmaure.com

SERENITY OF THE ABBEYS

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 11 37 97www.payscathare.org

DINOSAURIA, AN IMMERSION IN THE AGE OF THE DINOSAURSGo back 70 million years in time, and set out to discover these fascinating animals that lived then in the Upper Aude Valley. In this great palaeontology museum – the biggest in France outside the Paris region – tremble at the sight of the dinosaur skeletons from all round the globe, observe the researchers as they work to free and clean the fossils found there, and wonder about the great debates gripping the scienti c community today.Dinosauria also sets out to please its young visitors, who can follow Eva, the museum’s dinosaur mascot, through all her adventures!This visit can be combined with a visit to the Bellevue excava-tion site, the richest source of dinosaurs in France, 3 km from the museum.Open all year round, except in December.Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 74 02 08 - www.dinosauria.org

FAMILY OUTINGS

DISCOVERY GUIDE

SOMETHING SPECIAL QUARRIES THAT WON’T LEAVE YOU WITH A

HEART OF STONE....What do the Versailles Trianon, the Garnier opera house, the Saint-Sernin basilica in Toulouse, the Great Mosque in Cordoba, Saint-Peter’s in Rome all have in common?The red marble of the Caunes-Minervois quarries that decorates these buildings. To nd out more about how this famous red rock is quarried you can visit the Villerambert or Terralbes quarries, still being worked; hike to the historic “Roy” quarry or follow the ‘Monumental Sculptures’ route in the heart of the village of Caunes-Minervois.Information and booking at the Haut-Minervois Tourist O ce.Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 76 34 74 - www.tourisme-haut-minervois.fr

THE ÎLE SAINT MARTIN SALTWORKS

Phone: 00 33 (0)9 54 35 47 56www.lesalindegruissan.fr

LES VINS DU PALAIS

Rond-Point de la Liberté11100 NarbonnePhone: 00 33 (0)4 68 45 67 85 www.lesvinsdupalais.com

‘HOSTELLERIE DES CORBIÈRES’ RESTAURANT

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 43 15 22www.hostellerie-des-corbieres.comwww.logis-aude.fr

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AMPHORALIS, EMPEROR AUGUSTUS’S POTTERS An experimental archaeological centre, the Amphoralis museum, situated in Sallèles-d’Aude, is also a place of discovery and events. The visit of this Gallo-Roman village, discovered at the time of the archaeological digs that have been carried out in the district since 1976, allows you to see the activities and day-to-day life of the potters in Emperor Augustus’s times. You can see no less than 14 kilns on this site that was active for more than 300 years, from 30 BC until the 3rd century AD.As you come out of the cra smen’s workshop, a path takes you to the reconstitution of a village, where you can wander around a garden where hundreds of plants grow, that would have grown there in Gallo-Roman times.Information and programme of events: Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 46 89 48http://culture.legrandnarbonne.com

FAMILY VISITS

THE LAST OF THE CATHAR PERFECTS

Termes

Villerouge-Termenès

Termes CastlePhone: 00 33 (0)4 68 70 09 20www.chateau-termes.comVillerouge-Termenès Castle Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 70 09 11 chateauvillerouge.wix.com/termenesMediaeval rotisserie

Villerouge-Termenès Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 70 00 10restaurant-medieval.com Association des Sites du Pays Cathare www.payscathare.orglesentiercathare.com

IN NARBONNE, THE ESPACE LIBERTÉ

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 42 17 89www.espaceliberte.com

GÎTES IN THE WILDS Waking up in the absolute calm or to the song of the cicadas, glimpsing out of the window hillsides of vineyards and garrigue… That’s what the gîtes in the wilds propose, all with the Gîtes de France label. In the mountains, by the seaside or in the country, they are dotted all round the département and all have one thing in common: a garden and a living room with an unobs-tructed view of the surrounding nature.

www.gites-de-france-aude.com/gites-en-pleine-nature. html

DISCO

VERY G

UID

E

In an exceptional location and unspoilt surroundings, these two

lodgings with their attentive service won’t fail to keep their

promise!

LES CABANES DANS LES BOIS

Cabins open from mid-May 2014.Phone: 00 33 (0)9 70 75 99 00 www.lescabanesdanslesbois.fr

LE DOMAINE DE L’ESPINET

Open all year round.Phone: 00 33 (0)6 68 20 88 88www.lespinet.com/fr

DIS

OVE

RY

GU

IDE

BEST ADDRESSES

CULTUREIN THE ROMANESQUE

ABBEYS OF AUDE

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 11 74 37www.artsvivants11.fr

CANAL DU MIDI

Phone: 00 33 (0)5 62 19 06 06www.festivalconvivencia.net

CARCASSONNE Carcassonne Festival

‘Embrasement’ reworks in the Mediaeval City, Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 115 915www.festivaldecarcassonne.fr

Temporary exhibitionsIn the ‘Joë Bousquetet son temps’ centreMax Ernst – GeorgesRibemont-Dessaignes,The soldier’s ballad, in thecompany of Joë Bousquet

Paul Pugnaud – JoëBousquet, two poets,one publisher: Rougerie

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 72 50 83

CAUNES MINERVOISSculpture and marble

festivalPhone: 00 33 (0)4 68 78 03 88www.lesmarbrieresdecaunes.fr

‘The Classical Fridays’ Festival,

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 76 34 74www.tourisme-haut-minervois.fr

CONILHAC CORBIÈRESJazz Festival

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 27 71 99www.jazzconilhac.fr

CUCUGNAN‘Storytelling at Quéribus

Castle’ festival, Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 45 03 69

DUILHAC SOUSPEYREPERTUSE

Falconry show,

Great Mediaeval Festival in Peyrepertuse, 12 and 13 AugustPhone: 00 33 (0)4 68 45 40 55www.chateau-peyrepertuse.com

FONTFROIDE Music and History Festival,

Orchids at the Abbey,

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 45 11 08www.fontfroide.com

FLEURY D’AUDE SAINTPIERRE

Percussion Festival,

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 46 61 31

GRUISSAN Les Festejades

Hace calor

Fishermens’ Festival

Festival 37,2 (Betty Blue)

Gruissan Mediaeval Festival

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 49 09 00www.gruissan-mediterranee.com

LAGRASSE The Book Banquet

Spring Banquet:GreeceSummer Banquet: Who is ‘us’ today? Questions around ‘being together’,and Autumn Banquet: the contemporary novel factory

The ‘Abracadagrasses’ Festival

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 43 11 56www.lagrasse.frwww.lamaisondubanquet.fr

LASTOURS Cabaret Mediaeval Camp,

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 77 56 02www.payscathare.org

LIMOUX NAVA Festival

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 31 85 08 ‘Bulles sonores’ Festival

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 31 85 26 Carnival (201 ),

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 31 11 82 www.limoux.fr

Toques et Clochers (201 )wine-growing and heritage. Cave Saint-Joseph, , Cave du Sieur-D’Arques,

www.limoux.fr

MAYRONNESThe Sculpture Path

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 43 12 37

NARBONNE Tempo d’été (summer tempo)

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 65 15 60www.narbonne-tourisme.com

OUVEILLAN Fontcalvy Festival

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 33 73 00www.festival-fontcalvy.com

PORT LEUCATE Voix d’étoiles (Star Voices)

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 40 91 31www.tourisme-leucate.fr

PUIVERT Summer Youth Workshops

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 20 80 98www.quercorb.com/musee

AUDE PYRENEES International Folklore

Festival

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 20 04 91www.pyreneesaudoises.com www.festival-folklore.com

SALLÈLES D’AUDE Potters’ Market

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 46 89 48www.sallelesdaude.fr

SPORTS ARGELIERS Roc Minervois Mountain

Bike tourPhone: 00 33 (0)6 47 67 90 81

CARCASSONNE Tour de France Departure,

CUBIÈRES SUR CINOBLE Salt Market, July

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 69 82 94

CUCUGNAN Cathar Country Trail

les3vents.free.fr

ESCUEILLENS 13th Razès Hike

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 31 11 82

GRUISSAN Dé Kite (Kitesurf),

Dé Wind (Windsurf)

Stage on the Sailing Tour of France, www.gruissan-mediterranee.com

FLEURY D’AUDE SAINTPIERRE

European Junior Kitesurf Cup, 17 to 21 Aprilwww.snkite.com

LEUCATE Mondial du Vent - Wind

World Cup,

www.mondialduvent.com

QUILLAN La Carach Bike

Phone: 00 33 (0)6 71 98 04 81 International

Cycling Gala

‘3 Quilles’ mountain bike tour

www.pyreneesaudoises.com

SAINT LAURENT DE LACABRERISSE

La Ronde au c ur des Corbières (tour around the heart of Corbières),

Phone: 00 33 (0)6 76 65 45 04

DIARY

www.routard.com

- P

hot

o :

Don

Sm

ith

/Get

ty

C’est vrai, le luxe d’une chambre d’hôtelse juge à son nombre d’étoiles.

Le Routard, l’indispensable de vos voyages.

VILLEGLY La Cap Nore

www.capnore.com

LOCAL PRODUCEAIGUES VIVES

Apple, Wine and Rice Festival

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 79 29 20

BELPECH Fatted Foods Fair

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 11 79 79www.aude.chambagri.fr

BELVIS Pays de Sault Potato

Festival

www.aude.chambagri.fr

BIZE MINERVOIS Olive Tree Festival

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 46 10 29

CABRESPINE Tru e Market


CARCASSONNE Wine Festival

Fatted Foods Fair

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 10 56 00www.agglocarcassonnais.fr

CASTELNAUDARY Cassoulet Festival

Gourmet Market,

Fatted Foods Fair

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 23 05 73www.castelnaudary-tourisme.comwww.aude.chambagri.fr

CITOU Sweet Onion Festival


ESPEZEL Aude Département

Stockbreeding Fair

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 20 30 34

LAURE MINERVOIS Springtime in

Laure Minervois


LÉZIGNAN CORBIÈRES Promaude, Regional

Produce FestivalPhone: 00 33 (0)4 68 41 40 09www.wmaker.net/promaude

Young Wines Festival

www.tourisme-corbieres-minervois.com

LIMOUX Toques et clochers

Vine and Local Produce Festival,

Fatted Foods Fair

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 31 11 82 and 00 33 (0)4 68 11 79 79www.limoux.fr www.aude.chambagri.fr

MISSÈGRE Cattle and Local Produce

Fair


MOUSSOULENS Ampélofolies

Tru e Market

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 24 80 80www.tourisme-cabardes.frhttp://ampelofolies.over-blog.com

PEZENS Melon Festival


RIEUX MINERVOIS Fatted Foods Fair


ROULLENS Tru e Market


TALAIRAN Tru e Market


TRAUSSE MINERVOIS Cherry Festival

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 11 79 42 and 00 33 (0)4 68 76 34 74www.aude.chambagri.fr – www.hautminervois.com

VILLARDONNEL Chestnut, Wine and Lamb

Festival

Phone: 00 33 (0)4 68 11 79 79 et 00 33 (0)4 68 26 52 41www.aude.chambagri.fr

VILLENEUVEMINERVOIS

Tru e Market


INFO + All the events on

www.audetourisme.com

LOCAL GROWERS’ MARKETS


DIA

RY

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