Your holiday starts here: sun, sea, sand, sightseeing and wine
The Languedoc, in the south of France, offers an unrivaled combination of rural countryside and miles of lush vineyards. The region is also very close to the mediterranean coastline, and boasts an average of more than 300 sunny days per year.
Caux
Caux is a pretty village with a medieval core that dates back to the 10th century. The church of Caux is actually recorded in the "livre noir" (literally 'black book') that was published back in 1172. Today, Caux is a thriving village, even if the population is less than 2000 inhabitants.
Like many medieval communities, Caux was built on a circular plan around the church, and the more modern 18th, then 19th-century buildings have just increased the size of this circle.
The
old part of the village (where the Church House is located)
has retained its medieval charm, and here and there you
will see remains of the fortifications, including two
impressive doorways in the remains of the ramparts, one
with a sculpted fleur de lys blason that managed to somehow
survive the 1789 revolution. Throughout this old quarter
you will also see archways, mullioned windows, and
elaborately carved doors of houses in the narrow streets.
The church, a listed historic monument, is a spectacular
12th-century building of beautiful honey-coloured stone.
The tower rises above the impressive porchway to the
building's entrance, an imposing edifice built in the
14th-century.
Caux
is a lively village and there are cultural and sports
events all year round. Guided tours of the old quarter are
organised during the summer. There are also several shops,
small businesses, and a weekly market on Fridays, making it
a practical place to stay for holiday-makers.
The
Mediterranean
Just
take a 25k (15 miles) drive and you'll find sandy beaches
and the warm sea.
Places
to see (local)
Pezenas
Only
a five-minute drive away, this pretty town is a major
antiques centre with plenty of opportunity for some serious
'retail therapy' - loads of unique and interesting shops,
numerous eating places, a lively market every Saturday, as
well as banks and ATM cash machines. For culture vultures,
its Renaissance centre and associations with Moliére make
it a must.
For
more information on Pezenas, check out these links:
http://www.world66.com/europe/france/midi/languedoc/pezenas
http://www.southernfrance.com/Regional/PezenasFr.html
http://www.frenchpropertylinks.com/languedocroussillon/pezenas/index.html
http://www.creme-de-languedoc.com/South-France/southfrancetown.php?tid=1508
Sete http://www.le-guide.com/sete.html
The
charm of Sète is drawn from its many canals, the sea, the
streets, and its restaurants. Visitors can walk and
discover fishing boats, busy with their cargo, and then
stroll along the canal to find a restaurant where they can
sit and watch the world go by. There is a real warmth in
Sète, perhaps because of its cosmopolitan feeling of the
ships arriving from ports far away, or from the abundance
of young people coming from the nearby university in
Montpellier.
The
Cirque de Moureze http://www.courtinals.com/en/
The
Cirque de Mourèze, a chaotic formation of rocks not too far
from Caux, is Europe’s only dolomite world of rocks
inhabited permanently from the stone age until the new age.
The stunning scenery and clearly marked hiking trails offer
visitors the chance to explore a unique, almost surreal
landscape.
Cap
d’Agde http://www.capdagde.com/en/
Nestled
on the Mediterranean coast, le Cap d’Agde is ideally
situated on the Herault coastline, at the heart of a region
that boasts a wealth of nature, history, culture and
architecture.
Montpellier
http://www.ot-montpellier.fr
The
Montpellier tourist office organises guided walking tours
of the town, including a wide range of routes. Visitors can
choose between a tour of the old town or theme-based tours
led by qualified multilingual guides who are always ready
to share their love of Montpellier.
St
Guilhem-le-Desert http://www.saint-guilhem-le-desert.com
The
village of St-Guilhem-le Desert lies at the bottom of a
wide ravine, with a ruined castle towering over the
village from the ridge above. Ancient houses ramble down
the banks of the rushing Verdus river, which is
channeled everywhere throughout the village. The main
focus of at St. Guilhem is its abbey church, founded at
the beginning of the ninth century by St Guilhem. The
church is a beautiful and atmospheric building, which
stands on Place de la Liberté, surrounded by
honey-coloured houses and arcades. St. Guilhem makes for
a stunning day trip, with artisans selling leather
goods, handmade soaps, and a variety of unusual gifts
from the small workshops that line the narrow stone
lanes around the abbey church.
Notre
Dame de Mougeres (local wine-producing
monastery)
http://www.chartreuse-de-mougeres.com/english/
Parc Regional du Haut Languedoc
The
second largest regional park in France is close by, and
ideal for hikers and nature lovers, with Lake Salagou for
water sports and the river Herault for
canoeing.
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the church house air conditioned house to rent near pezenas
in the languedoc south of france