AUDE PAYS CATHARE “THE TOP 10” REASONS FOR VISITING AUDE To make the most of the sun With 300 days of sun per year, Aude is one of France’s sunniest départements. Come and fill up on Vitamin D! To visit the whole of France in just one place! Aude is known for the richness and diversity of its countryside. Don’t we call it ‘little France’? Vineyards as far as the eye can see, beaches, high mountains, gorges, it’s impossible to get bored, you can go from one landscape to another, or one activity to another, in just a few moments. To recharge your batteries… in the heart of wild nature Aude is a little paradise for nature lovers! Here flora and fauna flourish. Take the time to look around you, to study the flamingos, to smell the scent of the olive trees, to walk in the forests of the Black Mountains or the Pyrenees... Enjoy the silence, fill your lungs with fresh air, and, most importantly, recharge your batteries! To travel through time Set off on a breathtaking journey through all the periods in history. From the dinosaur age to the present day, via ancient Rome and the Middle Ages, Aude has incomparable sites and monuments... To eat well You simply need to browse around the many markets in the region to understand the importance of ‘eating well’ in Aude. Be tempted by Aude’s culinary specialities, cassoulet, of course, oysters and mussels from Leucate and Gruissan, Truffle of the Cathar Country, olives, honey, cheeses, Lauragais poultry, coured meats from the Black Mountains or the Pays de Sault... To taste the best wines Those who appreciate wine can follow the wine routes to taste the best wines from the 8 PDO direct from the friendly wine producers’ vineyards and cellars! To let off steam Whether in nature or sport! Aude is a perfect destination for sportsmen and women of all kinds. There’s something for everyone, mountain biking, rafting, cycling, horse riding, tree walking, kitesurfing, hiking, climbing, and many more... Choose yours and... let off steam! To stroll around picturesque villages Aude has many typical villages which are pleasant to stroll around, where you can discover the unexpected, magical places, secret places.... There are villages dedicated to books, villages with legends and mysteries, villages dedicated to craftsmen and women, fishing villages or the most beautiful village in France... To have fun and party! For party lovers, Aude is also a very festive destination! Between carnivals, music festivals, theatre, or simple village fêtes you will find somewhere to party all year long! To meet the Audois! And, of course, you have to come to Aude to meet us! One thing is certain, you’ll like Aude... and the Audois! Meet the men and women who live here, come and share their expertise, their laughter, their accent and a few slices of their lives; experience the Aude rhythm! THE MUST-SEES Whether inland or on the coast, Aude has a wealth of unmissable sites. Coastal getaways, small cities full of character or monumental architecture, there is so much to see and explore... the hardest part might be choosing.... Carcassonne, its medieval Cité, classed as a UNESCO world heritage site, is reason enough to visit Aude. 3km of ramparts, 52 towers, 2,500 years of history... no excuses! www.tourisme-carcassonne.fr THE CANAL DU MIDI ET DE LA ROBINE Classed as a UNESCO world heritage site, with its locks and bridges, including many original ones, its towpath, perfect location for hiking or mountain biking... And, of course, the THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA canal cruises with pleasant mooring sites for discovering villages, Miles of sandy beaches, world famous spots for watersports, regional producers, wine tasting cellars and restaurants. perfect beaches for family holidays! THE CHÂTEAUX AND ABBEYS OF THE LAND OF CATHARS Vertiginous citadels, abbeys, medieval cities… some twenty medieval sites invite you to experience the Middle Ages in all its splendour! www.payscathare.org VINEYARDS IN THE HEART OF THE LANGUEDOC NARBONNE Where the keyword is diversity. Fitou, Corbières, Minervois, The ancient city… its historic centre, crossed by the Canal de Clape, Quatourze, Cabardès, Malepère and Limoux. Here la Robine, is a little marvel, with the Archbishops’ Palace, a true wine is a way of life, with a very wide range of quality medieval fortress, and its Gothic cathedral, one of the tallest products, including 8 protected designations of origin for in France! reds, rosés, whites and sparkling wines, and three regions www.narbonne-tourisme.com awarded the ‘Vignobles & Découvertes’ label, covering the whole Aude vineyard. PAYS CATHARE Whether you are a lover of art or heritage, whether you are thirsty for culture or sensations, take a cultural and festive break in Aude. Explore medieval towns and cities, stroll through the narrow streets of charming villages, contemplate history from the peaks of the ‘Vertiginous Citadels’, experience the atmosphere of festivals throughout the year, admire the expertise of artists and craftsmen and women. YOU’LL LOVE… MOVE TO THE JAZZ AND ELECTRO VIBRATIONS OF THE AUDE FESTIVALS THE CÉRÈS FRANCO COLLECTION Lovers of electro will definitely choose the sparkling atmosphere IN MONTOLIEU of Limoux, the home of Blanquette. Here, decks, samples, scratch, rhythm boxes and synths set the tone. There are many Montolieu, a village devoted to books and graphic arts, filled ingredients and the recipe can be changed to suit, but the with old bookshops and artists’ studios, is home to the Cérès result is the same, an explosive cocktail of ‘Bulles Sonores’! If Franco cooperative, an old wine cellar now converted to a you prefer jazz, then maybe the sounds and gourmet dishes genuine Museum of Naive Art. It houses a remarkable collection of the château de l’Hospitalet are for you. There, in the heart of ground-breaking, contemporary art and also hosts temporary of the Clape massif, in a summer atmosphere with scents of exhibitions. The 2020 “Les voleurs de feu” exhibition will certain scrubland, brass, bass, sousaphones and piano resonate... broaden your horizons. Every season has its festival ! The village of Duilhac-sous- www.collectionceresfranco.com Peyrepertuse reflects the excitement that brings it to life during www.grand-carcassonne-tourisme.fr the ‘811 Festival Vertiges Contemporains’, where there is a constant stream of concerts, exhibitions, and performances. www.audetourisme.com/en/activities/events.php VISIT FONTFROIDE ABBEY AT NIGHT! DID YOU KNOW? A pearl of Cistercian art that combines the sobriety of Limoux Carnival Romanesque art with the abundance of the Gothic period, Fontfroide Abbey is a masterpiece of medieval religious In terms of a popular festive spirit, Limoux has a carnival architecture. We love the richness of its collections, the with centuries-old origins, which lasts... 3 months! Every freshness of its cloister, the serenity and calm of its gardens, weekend from January to the end of March, hundreds but we especially enjoy discovering it at night! A timeless visit of carnivaleers invade the streets of the city. The event where the play of light plunges you into a magical atmosphere, culminates with the procession, trial and condemnation simply unforgettable. (July and August only). In the evening, of King Carnival on the last Sunday of March. after a gourmet dinner at the Table de Fontfroide, stay for a www.limoux.fr concert by Jordi Savall... A real whirlwind of activity! www.fontfroide.com Carcassonne and mountain citadels: eight castles are in the running for UNESCO More information on citadellesduvertige.aude.fr To find out everything about the Châteaux, abbeys, and medieval towns, visit www.payscathare.org FOCUS ON “THE ROMAN EMPIRE” Since Ancient Times, Aude has been located at a crossroads linking rivers, land and sea routes. In 118 BCE, the Romans founded Narbo Martius, capital of Gallia Narbonensis, thus demonstrating the importance of this historic period for Aude and the significance of the evidence that remains. Today, there are several sites where we can learn more about these Ancient Times: Amphoralis in Sallèles-d’Aude, the Eburomagus museum in Bram, the Via Domitia or Roman Granary in Narbonne. NarboVia, the Museum of Ancient Narbonne, will open its doors in Autumn 2020, bringing the history of the region to life. visit-lanarbonnaise.com www.narbonne-tourisme.com MÉDITERRANÉE With nearly 50km of sandy beaches, seaside resorts and nature zones follow on from one another. Saint-Pierre-la-Mer, Narbonne- Plage, Gruissan, La Palme, Port-la-Nouvelle, Leucate... Each resort has its own atmosphere and a wide range of activities. There is something for everyone, with boardsports, watersports and seaside activities, hiking... Have a change of scenery using the cycle routes or boat connections. Spend time on the mythical Chalets beaches at Gruissan, or beaches suitable for families, or wild beaches shaped by the dunes. Nature lovers will be delighted with the Narbonnaise Regional Natural Park in the Mediterranean. This area, rich in biodiversity, is home to an exceptional flora and fauna, natural areas, vineyard landscapes, typical villages of the Languedoc ... YOU’LL LOVE… VISIT THE SALT FLATS OF GRUISSAN AND DISCOVER NATURE AT ITS PUREST LA PALME As a protected site, the regional nature reserve of Sainte-Lucie offers a condensed view of typical Mediterranean landscapes. A thousand-year-old activity, the salt harvest has shaped the On the island of Sainte-Lucie, a stunning walk takes you landscapes and the people along this part of the coast. Come through pine forests and garrigues to beautiful viewpoints, and discover this ancestral expertise in a carefully preserved looking down onto the Canal de la Robine and the lagoons of environment. The salt flats at Gruissan, with their magical Bages-Sigean and Ayrolle.