This summers great value property: Our featured property for this summer is a must see. This stone house brings together a lot of pluses - It's in great condition, it's close to the beaches and its in a wonderful Medieval village. Click on the photo for more details.

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Things to do and see in the Languedoc

Art and Painting workshops in the Languedoc.

Landscape Painting. Six day intensive field based course with multiple tutors. Mentoring from professional painters, the course includes workshops, slide shows and visits to locations. Based at Renaissance château in Cathar country.
Telephone + 33 (0)468 20 11 42
e-mail: sophie@ferreolus.info
Website: www.ferreolus.info

Sasha Hetherington, illustrator and fine artist.
Painting, printing, illustration & design courses.
Painting Holidays A La Carte. En Ramounas, amid wheat fields and sunflower fields. Tuition can be arranged for individuals or groups. Help with materials and equipment.
Website: www.gopaintfrance.com

Food, eating and regional specialities

Generally the phrase à la languedocienne means garnished with garlic, tomatoes, aubergines and cèpes (mushrooms). A la catalan indicates a rich tomato sause. Olive oil is a basic element of Mediterranean cooking. Its taste and health benefits are now both widely recognised.

The Languedoc has a fantastic regional cuisine and below is some of the specialities of the region - For a detailed description of the foods mentioned below download this PDF

Starters - Entrées Aligot, Cargolada, Escargots Catalans, Olives, Saucisse de Toulouse à la languedocienne, Hammon.
Mushrooms - Champignons Cèpes and giroles mushrooms.
Fish & Sea Food - Poisson & Fruits de Mer Ancovies, Anchoïade, Oysters, Brandade de Nîmes, Bourride de Séte, Gigot de mer à la palavasienne, Encornets farcis, Local Seafood Platters, Tielle, Tellines, Ttoro.
Main Course - Plats Principals Camargue beef, Ollada, or ouillade, Gardiane, Cassoulet, Lamb 'sous la mère', Boles de picolat.
Vegetables - Vegetables Asparagus, Pardailhan turnips, Camargue Rice, Sweet onions of Languedoc.
Cheeses - Fromages Crotin de Chèvre. Roquefort. Pélardon. Perail. Tielle. Tomme de Lozère and Tommedes Pyrénées.
Fruit - Fruit Red apricots from Roussillon, Almonds, Cherries from Céret, Figs, Peaches from Roussillon, Pears from Conflent, Pippins from Le Vigan, Grapes from Clermont-Hérault.
Puddings - Desserts Berlingots de Pézénas - boiled sweets, Rousquilles, Oreillettes, Limoux nougat, Villaret croquants.

Wine Tasting and making

Wine has been produced in Languedoc for more than 2000 years. The Greeks, and later the Romans, established colonies to produce wine and oil here. In later times the area produced high volumes of poor quality wine to blend with the strong wine imported from the North African colonies. During the 1960's the vines were replanted with the high volume, stronger, but still undistinguished Carignan grapes.

With the worldwide excess production of wine, vignerons in the Languedoc area have been replanting with varieties intended to produce better quality wines. Producers from California, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and elsewhere are currently buying up vineyards because of the terroir and the cachet of a French label.

Increasingly, Grenache, Syrah, Merlot, Cinsaut, Mourvedre, Sauvignon and Viognier are used for wine making. The Languedoc is becoming a respected producer of quality wines. Many domains already produce wines that command high prices. As in historical times, production of sweet wines, such as Muscat de Lunel and Rivesaltes continues along the coastal plains.

As you drive around the Languedoc, you will see numerous signs reading "dégustation". The word originally denoted the art of recognising a wine, its place of origin, quality, and age just from the taste, but now it just means free tasting. You can stop and taste wines at these places, and if you like what you taste you buy direct from the producer, sometimes at a significant discount.

If you want to find out about what is currently recommended in the region, buy a copy of "Hachette" - it reviews the wines every year and provides reasonably comprehensive information about them.

Take a look at some of these Wine and Food Experiences in the Languedoc -
www.wine-food-languedoc.com
An epicurean guide to the Languedoc. Offers guided tours of Languedoc wine domaines and Michelin or Gault Millau listed restaurants. Also covers Languedoc Culture.

ALFMED: Academie de Langues France Mediterannée:
www.alfmed.com/uk/alf-4100.php
Learn French in Perpignan in the Roussillon. The intensive programmes offered by ALFMED are focused on a group of diplomas called FLE (Francais Langue Etrangère or "French Language for Foreigners"). But accademic learning can be combined with activities such as gastronomy - based on the local food and wine. www.alfmed.com/uk/alf-4100.php?CatID=19&ArtID=119

GOLF

For a detailed contact list, with phone numbers and websites, of all the golf clubs in the Languedoc download this PDF

Winter Sports

For more detailed information on winter sports in the Languedoc download this PDF - This PDF contains information about Down hill skiing, Cross country Skiing, Snow Kiting, and Dog Sledging.

Carcassonne Festival.

Each year there is an excellent summer season (normally from the end of June through to the end of July) of opera, orchestral and pop concerts, theatre, dance and jazz in the open air theatre of the medieval city of Carcassonne: www.festivaldecarcassonne.com Cathédrale Saint Michel, 52 rue Voltaire, 11000 Carcassonne, Tél: 04 68 25 14 48, The cathedral is between Rue Voltaire and Boulevard Bardés in Square de L'Armistice. Organ concerts are held here, particularly during the period of religious festivals. Basilique de Saint Nazaire: La cité, During the summer months, that is July, August and the first half of September, there are organ recitals each Sunday.

Markets

For a detailed list of all the markets in the Languedoc - their times and venues download this PDF.

Most towns have regular market days. Languedoc markets sell local meat, fruit, vegitables, cheese, sea-food, clothes, jewellery, fabrics, shoes, kitchen utensils, tools and flowers. Look out for the charcuterie and the many varieties of olives.

Look out also for brocants, puces and vide-greniers.
Brocantes: markets for second hand household items, bric-a-brac rather than antiques but often with interesting items.
Puces: flea markets (as well as fleas and thumbs) - often at regular times and places.
Vide-greniers: vide-grenier means "empty attic". The idea is that everyone in a village will rake out accumulated rubbish from their house to sell to their neighbours and anyone else interested.
Brocantes: markets for second hand household items, bric-a-brac rather than antiques but often with interesting items.

The Canal du Midi

Brief Description = This 360-km network of navigable waterways linking the Mediterranean and the Atlantic through 328 structures (locks, aqueducts, bridges, tunnels, etc.) is one of the most remarkable feats of civil engineering in modern times. Built between 1667 and 1694, it paved the way for the Industrial Revolution. The care that its creator, Pierre-Paul Riquet, took in the design and the way it blends with its surroundings turned a technical achievement into a work of art.

The Canal du Midi is the oldest working canal in the world, and is mostly now used for leisure. You can travel along the 240 km of its length by barge on the canal, or walking or cycling along side it, and eating and drinking at various beautiful spots along it.

There are many companies who operate barge tours and cycling tours along the Canal some are mentioned below.

Boat and cycle hire -
For a gastronomic barge tour of the canal, try La Tortue Tours. They have a luxury barge and the owners are culinary superstars. Eat well and travel along the most beautiful waterway in Europe! www.latortue.com
Go Barging www.gobarging.com
The Barge Company www.thebargecompany.com
Cycling the Canal du Midi www.veloloco.com

Fishing

Rivier fishing (angling) in Languedoc Roussillon, South France is excellent - thanks to the variety of fish species. Hundreds of rivers, streams, lakes and etangs (salt-water lakes) are full with a wide variety of fish - from Trout to Eels.

You have to have a fishing pass to fish in Languedoc (Carte de Pêche Vacances). It's valid between June 1st and September 30th for fifteen consecutive days. You can also buy daily or weekly licences at tabacs (newsagents) for various spots. A "carte jeune" (youth pass) allows youngsters under 16 to fish during the entire fishing season.

Some of Languedoc's rivers and lakes are protected - and certain species can be only be fished between different times. These as you will notice tend to be all of the inland rivers and lakes which are restricted, as the majority of them are man-made lakes, as opposed to the naturally formed ones nearer to coastline.

Fishing in the Gard:
Best spots: The Rhone river, La Dourbie, l'Hérault, l'Arre, la Vis, le haut Vidourle, les Gardons cévenols, la basse Cèze, le moyen and bas Gardon
Fédération du Gard pour la Pêche, Te: 0033 (0)4 66 02 91 61

Fishing in the Hérault:
Best spots: Lake Salagou, le barrage des Olivettes, Lake Avène, La Raviège, l'Hérault river, Orb river (at Cessenon), L'Agoût, Le Vidourle.
Federation de l'Herault pour pa peche. Tel: 0033 (0)4 67 96 98 55

Fishing in the Aude:
Best spots: Le lac de la Cavayère, Laprade, Le Lampy, Cennes-Monestiers, Arques, Jouarres, Saint-Ferréol, Montbel, Régembert, La Ganguise
Fédération de l'Aude pour la Pêche, Tel: 0033 (0)4 68 25 16 03

Fishing in the Pyrénées-Orientales:
Best spots: Le lac du barrage de l'Agly, le lac de barrage du Lanoux
Fédération des Pyrénées Orientales pour la Pêche, Tel: 0033 (0)4 68 66 88 38

Sailing

The Languedoc-Roussillon coast has 25 harbours (with 22,000 marina berths) along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea from the Camargue to the Côte Vermeille.

All the marinas welcome visiting yachtsmen, and many offer superb facilities. The largest marina in Europe is at Port Camargue.

The harbours are busy all year round, with everything from family regattas to stages of the Sailing Tour de France and Clairfontaine Trophy. You can watch training sessions for the America's Cup in the bay of Aigues Mortes.

For an excellent site (with maps) for yachts sailing in the Mediterranean, visit www.1yachtua.com/Medit-marinas/France/frmarlist.htm

Boat hire: Rental of monohulls and catamarans

Navisud,
Zone technique,
Port Argeles
Tél: 0033 (0)4 68 81 45 56,
Fax: 0033 (0)4 68 81 40 02.

Sailing school. Maneuvering training courses for adults and adolescents (5 x half a day). Weekend cruises (Saturday and Sunday). Open from April until November. First sailing trip: half a day.

Migjorn,
Quai Jacques Cartier,
Port Argeles,
Tel: 0033 (0)4 68 81 27 03 and 0033(0)4 68 81 66 24,
Fax: 0033 (0)4 68 81 64 29

Sudwindsports is based in St. Pierre-la-Mer, a small seaside village in the Languedoc-Roussillon, famous for its big market and its endless beaches. They offer lessons and rentals of the following boats:

Catamarans. For the beginner, New Cat have created the "F2", offering a user friendly, easy to learn on cruising machine. For experienced sailors the "F1" catamaran will get you planning and enjoying the strong breezes often found in the area.

Optimists. A small boat for children to learn the skills and even start competing in the safe shallow etang.

Goëlette Mercator. A three sailed 8m schooner taking from 2 to 10 people to crew, making a great group activity cruising on the Med, taking fishing trips or learning how to navigate and control a bigger boat on the open sea.

http://www.sudwindsports.com/sailing/index.php

Hot Air Ballooning.

Try Rennes-les-Bains. Be prepared to fly when the air is still: just after sunrise or late afternoon.
Contact One World Dreaming, a small family group whose passion is flying Hot Air Balloons. They fly a Hand Painted Cameron N-90 Balloon and a Firefly 105 Special Shape Lightbulb over 'Le Haute-Vallée de l'Aude', close to the Pyrenees, some 50 Km N.W of Perpignan in the South of France. As they say, 'La Montgolfière' is the best way to see this region. Flights mornings/evenings (weather permitting) for groups of 3 adults (or 2 adults and 2 children) lasting approximately one hour. Available from 20 April onwards. For more information, telephone Dave Smith on : 04 68 69 83 76 (+33 4 68 69 83 76) or e-mail oneworlddreaming@mageos.com