Getting READY for the TRIP Before leaving for the Mediterranean coast, I can browse through a Web travel book allowing me to explore the region through five routes: canals and rivers, nature, heritage, archaeology and the art of living. Craftspeople, artists, video-makers, illustrators and graphic designers all share their own personal vision of the Narbonne region. This way I can calmly review all of this from home: Short videos about natural and historical sites but also about the environment. Drawings by artists with back-ground sounds from various sites and some interviews. Photo slide shows with exclusive shots. Did you know you’re embarking on a one-of-kind experience in France? www.voyages-en-narbonnaise.com Okay, here I GO ! On the road to La Narbonnaise, Surprenante Méditerranée, I find tools at hand to help understand the history of this magical region. The Explanatory Mini videos: understand Cultural Centres Totems it all in 1 minute and 30 seconds Around twenty works of art in corten These videos are highly educational and These are centrally-located areas steel can be found around the Nar- understandable for the whole family. to discover individual route the- bonne Region. They are located wit- They can be seen using the site: mes: nature, archaeology, canals… hin the most remarkable sites and visit-lanarbonnaise.com Each time, visitors will find a mo- provide information regarding the dern, fun and instructive museum heritage as well as show mini-videos area for more detailed historical facts. 2 Right, I’m ready to EXPLORE La NARBONNAISE, Surprenante Méditerranée I decided to explore this destination as I only really knew the coastline and its 50km of fine-sand beaches. When I go swimming in the sea what I love is interchangeable background – sometimes there’s a cliff or chalets, the Clape mountain range, or the salterns … and the seaside resort towns are all reasonably sized, festive and fun. Here I find the coastline is really special as nature has been preserved, giving it a slightly wild side…most probably as it’s content been protected by the Regional Narbonne-Mediterranean Nature PAGE of this Reserve for over twenty years. I can feel this almost primitive GUIDE nature when wandering around the lagoons or in the massifs. Narbonne cannot only be admired for its nature and exceptional Page 5 landscapes and biodiversity as its history is just as astonishing Heritage Route and picturesque, with an intermingling of civilisations since The wild stones ancient times. I’m in fact surprised to learn that Narbonne was Page 8 the capital of a Roman settlement going from the Pyrenees Archaeological Route to the Alps … and it was also the second largest western Antiquity Unveiled Mediterranean port. While visiting, I’m often struck by the huge Page 12 remaining middle age structures such as the Archbishop’s Palace Canals and Rivers Route and Narbonne Cathedral, Fontfroide Abbey … and the canals! Stones and Water Did you know that there isn’t one but three? They are all listed Page 16 as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. My route is certainly full of Nature Route surprises. Salty or Fresh ? Page 20 Lastly what I love is the ambiance you find in the surrounding Art of Living Route villages, the genuineness of its inhabitants, especially the Inspired and Local Lives producers (wine-makers, olive-growers, oyster-farmers, fishermen, etc) who love sharing their regionally-based passions. Narbonne boasts the Vignobles & Découvertes label, a well- Photos : Claude Cruells, Jean Belondrade, deserved acknowledgement for the quality activities proposed Emmanuel Perrin, Christophe Baudot, Gilles Deschamps, Nomah, and the tailor-made accommodation offered in this wine-growing The City of Narbonne. Illustrations : region. Laurent Bonneau, Laurence Malherbe, Marine Saunier With my Smartphone in my pocket, my adventure can start... 3 THE LEADING HERITAGE SITES TO SEE UNIQUE STRUCTURAL ENSEMBLE IN NARBONNE The Archbishop’s Palace and the Saint-Just and Saint-Pasteur Cathedral are part of an exceptional complex of monuments which is unique in France and can only be compared to the Pope’s Palace in Avignon. They are the patrimonial heart of Narbonne on the banks of the Robine Canal and the Via Domitia, where passers-by can casually admire the ruins. The surrounding secular architecture is admirable with its blocks of ancient reused stone, its fine radiant Gothic touch in the cathedral and the cloisters, but also the modifications undertaken by Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th century. FONTFROIDE ABBEY Tucked away in a wild massif (and listed as a UNESCO Heritage Site), this abbey enchants visitors with it extremely modest architecture. It’s recommended to have a tour-guide to learn everything possible about its fascinating past, but visitors can also borrow a tablet for a multimedia tour. A GOOD DEAL : The Billet Pass ANTIQUITY IN NARBONNE : is valid for 15 LAPIDARY MUSEUM, ROMAN HORREUM days and gives access to all AND THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM the Narbonne In Narbonne there are no arenas, no temples and no forums… monuments and and yet the city was packed with prestigious antique museums. monuments. It was Narbo Martius, the capital of the largest settlement outside of Italy and the second largest port of the Mediterranean. An immense port where merchandise was routed through from all around the Mediterranean. Today this unsung history can be seen at the Lapidary Museum, where hundreds of sculpted stone blocks are stored, along with an archaeological museum boasting some incredible Pompeian frescos and the Horreum, an underground gallery used to store merchandise. All this is waiting for the planned 2019 opening of the Regional Museum of Antique Narbonne. THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUMS OF SIGEAN AND PEYRIAC-DE-MER On the banks of the Bages-Sigean lagoon, you’ll find two great little museums where you can step back in time even before the Romans had settled in Narbonne. The Elisyques were autochthonous people with a kingdom full of oppida (villages of the time), who were already trading with all the other populations of the Mediterranean: Greeks, Etruscans, Iberians but some of their traits seem to resemble that of the Celts. A mysterious history indeed to unfold. 4 Find the top 10 heritage sites on : visit-lanarbonnaise.com HERITAGE ROUTE The WILD STONES 5 HERITAGE ROUTE The THE ROMAN CHURCH OF WILD SAINT-JEAN L'ÉVANGELISTE in Ouveillan STONES In the heart of the Côteaux de Narbonne wine-growing region, Ouveillan is a typical Languedoc village with its wine-maker homes and medieval remnants. A real Hidden in a lush green setting at the bottom of a cliff or in the thumbs up for this beautiful Norman church. middle of a vineyard … the stones reveal their secrets to all those wanting the truth to be unfolded. THE BOUSSECOS TOWER in Bize-Minervois I’m starting my trip along the Cesse River, in the heart of the Minervois region. It’s here that I witnessed my first wild stones with this small unusual fort built on a rocky promontory. This very ancient tower is thought to date back to Visigoth, Roman or even pre-historic times. All plausible theories … the totem is located in the village. THE FORMER CORBIÈRES BORDER THE SAINT-LAURENT CHAPEL in Feuilla near Moussan I’m here in a village inhabited by a hundred souls nestled I feel particularly moved when approaching this small between several mountains. The inhabitants relate the story of a Norman chapel in the middle of the vineyards as this forgotten border … it’s incredible to imagine that 350 years ago, site is quite simply magical. people entered into the Kingdom of Aragon right about here. Today, it’s where the cultural Occitania border ends … THE CASTELLAS in Montredon-des-Corbières At the entrance of the Fontfroide massif, I notice the ruins of a 9th century castle, also called “Saint-Pierre-des-Clars”. THE FONTCALVY BARN near Ouveillan Not far from the village I’m drawn by the silhouette of a strange- NOTRE-DAME-DES-OUBIELS looking building. A church? A castle? No, it’s actually a fortified in Portel-des-Corbières barn! It was built by the Fontfroide Abbey monks in the 13th I go even further on my trip into the heart of the century to protect their harvests: olives, wine, salt, cereals. Corbières and find an unbelievably reposing site: a magnificent Gothic church half in ruins. From the shade of the olive trees I look out over the vineyards and listen to the sounds of the close-by Berre River. The poetry of this secluded spot is astounding. 6 LEUCATE CASTLE The panorama from the Leucate uplands just takes my breath away with the sea, the lagoon, an oyster park, Corbières and even the Canigou Mountain, the highest peak of the Pyrenees. Not surprising that this 360° promontory had an immense fortified castle built atop, like the Vauban … today in ruins! The SAINT-MARTIN explanatory totem is located in Port-Leucate. CHAPEL in Roquefort-des-Corbières The Saint-Martin chapel offers an incredible panorama over the village and its surroundings: the ‘Roque’ cliff, the windmills, the Serre and still further out … the Mediterranean. This stop also allows me to grab a little shade under the beautiful trees. From here I can start hiking to discover the pastoral life of bygone days. THE CHURCHES OF NARBONNE Narbonne is a city of over 2000 years-old. During the middle ages, it was a major cultural and religious hub with its acclaim going beyond the French borders. When strolling along the streets, I FONTFROIDE ABBEY feel this powerful influence from the past. It’s even near Narbonne quite usual to walk in front of discrete porches of My walk leads me to the majestic former churches given the city has nearly eighteen Fontfroide Abbey.