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“This Cinderella
of the south was once overshadowed by gorgeous Provence and the brash
Côte d’Azur. Now, she stands as their equal,
displaying a discreet charm that her more-visited siblings lost long
ago”
-
Lonely Planet: 10 best destinations
Introduction
The Languedoc has, until recently, been in the
shadow of its more famous and glamorous sister, Provence. But whereas
Provence has suffered over-development and high property prices,
Languedoc has been able to hold on to its traditional charm. The result
has been a boom in recent years in tourism and house buying, amongst
the French and other Europeans - who flock to the region to enjoy the
warm weather, dramatic countryside and relaxed, traditional way of
life.’
Languedoc stretches from the Camargue wetlands
just to the west of Marseille, down to the Spanish border, where the
Pyrénées mountains tumble into the Mediterranean.
The coast, unlike that of Provence and the Côte
d’Azur, is generally quite flat and straight, giving the
region fabulously huge sandy beaches. In from the coast, the land rises
gently to form an area of gently rolling hills, mostly covered in
vineyards. These, in turn, give way to mountains - the
Cévennes in the north, the Montagnes Noir in the centre, and
the Pyrénées in the south.
Languedoc-Roussillon is still one of the poorest regions in France, but
also one of the fastest-growing, with the wine industry (which used to
provide cheap table wine) now diversifying into much higher-quality
wines, and the tourist and property trades booming. That tourism is
growing is no surprise - the region offers visitors everything they
could want from a holiday destination - over 300 days of sunshine a
year, huge beaches, some of France’s prettiest villages,
superb food (especially seafood), increasingly exciting wines, and some
of the country’s most spectacular historical sites.
Montpellier, the capital of the region, is
officially the favourite city of the French in which to live. Thousands
move here every year from the cold, wet cities of the north. The city
is also one of the most beautiful in France, with a large
pedestrianised centre dominated by impressive 19th century buildings of
cut sandstone, leafy squares overflowing with cafés, and a
vibrant student population. Nîmes, the second largest city,
features France’s most impressive roman ruins, such as the
Maison Careée temple, the ‘Les
Arènes’ amphitheatre, and not far out of the city,
the massive Pont du Gard Roman aqueduct. Narbonne and Carcassonne, both
small cities on canals, offer relaxed city life, and Perpignan,
France’s most spanish city, is alive with catalan
nationalism, tapas and a thriving art scene.
Transport links have helped Languedoc achieve its
high growth rate. The region sports five international airports, and
another five lie just beyond its borders. All are busy with low-cost
flights that bring in visitors from all over Europe. France’s
impressive TGV trains ply their trade along the Languedoc coast - and
inland to Toulouse. And the A9, A62 and A75 motorways also provide easy
access to the area.
The wine industry has long dominated the
region’s economy. Languedoc was, and may still be, the
world’s largest wine-producing region. But quantity is now
giving way to quality, with investment and know-how coming in from
other parts of France and the New World - to produce what many think is
currently some of the world’s most exciting wines. Reds from
the Minervois, Corbières, St Chinian and Faugères
wine areas regularly win prizes. As do crisp Languedoc PicPoul whites,
and aromatic Viogniers and Muscats.
History
Languedoc’s history is richer than that of neighbouring
Provence. The Greeks and Phoenicians colonised the seaside town of
Agde, using it as one of their major trading ports. The Romans then
dominated the area, linking it to their empires in Italy and Hispania
with the Via Domitia - a portion of which you can still see in
Narbonne’s city centre. They built capitals here at Narbonne
(Narbo) and Nîmes (Nemausus) - leaving behind some of the
most impressive Roman ruins outside of Rome itself. In the middle ages,
‘The County of Toulouse’ as Languedoc was overrun
by crusaders, sent by Pope Eugene III o wipe out a growing christian
sect known as the Cathars - whose increasingly independent ways of
thinking had started the threaten the hegemony of the Catholic Church.
What followed was decades of slaughter, as crusaders attacked Cathar
strongholds (now some of the most spectacular castle ruins in France)
exterminating all who refused to renounce their rebel religion.
Finally, in the 13th century, the region become officially a part of
France, having spent hundreds of years with close ties with the Aragon
and Catalan kingdoms of Spain.
Languedoc, being relatively distant from Paris, remained a relative
backwater until the 19th century, when a disease called Phylloxera
wiped out France’s entire stock of vines. It was in Languedoc
that the first new, disease-resistant varieties of grapes from the New
World were planted, leading to a boom in the region. Languedoc became
the world’s largest wine-producing area, and wealth poured in
- allowing the building of impressive chateaux and the expansion of the
area’s cities.
In the twentieth century - the draining of the swamplands that lined
the coast led, at last, to the opening up of Languedoc to tourism - and
the subsequent boom in the past 20 years. In the past 10 years, a
thriving technology industry has sprung up in and around Montpellier.
Sights
There are so many things to do and see in Languedoc, that
it’s hard to know where to start. Here are the highlights:
- The Roman ruins of
La Maison Carrée and Les Arènes in
Nîmes, and the impressive Pont du Gard aqueduct
- Cathar castles in
the Aude department - such as Queribus and Peyrepeteuse (you can see
one from the other), as well as Puilaurens and Lastours.
- La Cité castle in
Carcassonne - the world’s largest example of a
medieval castle
- The Canal du Midi
- walk, boat or cycle down it, under a canopy of plane trees. Stop off
for lunch along the way.
- Pretty villages -
Minèrve, Lagrasse, Roquebrun, Olargues, Collioure and St
Guilhem le Désert being the best examples
- Historic Towns -
Pézenas, Uzès, Sommières and Limoux
all offer interesting architecture and lots of lovely shops and
restaurants
- Beautiful churches and abbeys
- The cathedrals at Narbonne and Mende are spectacular. As are the
Abbeye de Frontfroide, the Abbeye of St Martin de Canigou and the
Priory of Serrabone.
- Spectacular natural wonders
- Such as the Cirque de Navacelles (a hill and river in a deep canyon),
the Cirque de Mourèze, Lake Salagou (with its Martian
landscapes), the Gorges Héric (magical rock pools), Gorges
du Tarn, numerous magnificent caves, and the wetlands of the Camargue -
with their wild horses, black bulls and flocks of flamingoes.
- Activities - Wine
tasting is a must in Languedoc, there are literally hundreds of domains
al keen for you to try their wines. You can sail on the coast or on
Lake Salagou or canoe down one of the region’s many rivers.
The area is also great for fishing, bird watching, mountain cycling,
rambling, golf and skiing in the Pyrénées in
winter.
The Languedoc Property Market
Languedoc underwent a property boom from about 2002 - 2008. Since then,
the market has cooled and prices have levelled off. Property is still
great value here, being quite a bit cheaper than Provence. The general
trend has been for local, poorer families to move out of centre-village
houses into new-build homes in developments, offering them superior
electrics, water and comfort. Northern Europeans, Americans and
Antipodeans then buy these properties up, renovating them. Thus estate
agents tend to fall into two groups - French-based agents catering to
the French market, and selling mostly new-build homes. And more
internationally-based agents (such as Real Estate Languedoc) who
understand the needs of non-French buyers.
Properties in Languedoc fall into a few main
groupings. Village houses, generally made of stone covered in
‘créppie’, that sometimes have small
gardens or roof terraces. These make perfect holiday homes, as they
rent well. Detached houses, mostly on the edge of villages and towns,
are often converted farm buildings - offering tons of character in the
form of wood beams and exposed-stone walls. These usually come with
some garden - although the dominance of vineyards in the area mean that
huge plots of land are rare. You can also find larger
‘Maisons de Maitre’ in villages, more ornate houses
built during the wine boom, that offer period features and gardens.
Generally - the closer you are to Montpellier and
the coast, the higher prices are. Hérault and Gard
departments are slightly pricer than the Aude and
Pyrénées-Orientales. Certain towns and the areas
around them are particular popular - such as Pézenas,
Marseillan and Sète.
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