Tucked between the Pyrenees Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea, the Languedoc area is a land of historical past and secrets and techniques, the place chateaux and historic villages abound, the scent of untamed thyme fills the nice and cozy air and the swirl of deep purple Corbières wine sipped at a café in sun-kissed stone villages the place time slips gently by tastes like nectar. That is the actual south of France, removed from the Riviera’s glitz and glamour. Take a tour of the Languedoc area and uncover the wealthy tradition, historical past, wines and gastronomy within the firm of native guides Kay and Mark of the ‘Actual’ South of France Excursions.
Tour Timeless Languedoc
Kay and Mark have designed two small-group excursions (by no means greater than six friends) which supply a deeply immersive, relaxed journey via Languedoc. Every day invitations you to attach with the panorama, the folks, and the flavours of this slightly secret French heartland. There’s by no means any dashing from place to position. Lodging, excursions, meals and wine are all included. All it’s good to do is calm down and benefit from the journey.
Tour One: Languedoc for First-Time Guests (7 days)
Excellent for these new to the area, this itinerary captures the essence of Languedoc’s historical past, tradition, and pure magnificence. Count on leisurely days, wealthy storytelling, and the sort of moments that linger lengthy after you come house.
Highlights Embrace:
La Cité of Carcassonne – Stroll the 52-towered ramparts of this world well-known UNESCO-listed medieval fortress, the place turrets pierce the sky and picturesque cobbled streets echo with centuries of tales. That is adopted by a personal gourmand lunch within the coronary heart of the Minervois wine area.
Cabrespine Cavern – Descend into certainly one of Europe’s most spectacular caves, as tall because the Eiffel Tower aglow with uncommon aragonite crystal formations, waterfalls and a glass bridge in an otherworldly subterranean world.
Minerve – A ‘Plus Beau Village de France’ perched on limestone cliffs. This pickled-in the-past village with a turbulent historical past is as fairly as a postcard and after exploring the village it’s the place you’ll have lunch at a famend Michelin rated restaurant
Canal du Midi Boat Tour – Drift gently alongside tree-lined waterways, as you cross historic stone bridges…
Corbières Wine Tasting – Uncover daring reds, comfortable rosés and crisp whites at a family-run winery adopted by lunch with wines from the area in a medieval village.
Olonzac Market and Cooking Class – Store like an area on the largest market within the area proper close to your lodging and benefit from the produce at your beautiful lodging. Later you’ll take a cooking class with an area chef and feast collectively within the foothills of the Montagne Noire. Every little thing is seasonal, natural, and scrumptious.
Narbonne and Fontfroide Abbey – In Narbonne wander Roman roads together with the By way of Domitia, the primary Roman street to hyperlink Spain and Italy plus go to a well-known indoor market voted the favorite of the French. Then discover a 11th century restored Cistercian abbey adorned with stained glass and with beautiful rose gardens.
Olive Tour – Style the ‘inexperienced diamond’ olive of the Languedoc; the buttery, nutty Lucques olive cherished by everybody and learn the way the olives are grown, harvested and produced for the desk or olive oil – all at an award profitable co-operative, among the best in France.
Gruissan and Pink Salt Pans – After having a scrumptious lunch in a chateau with distinctive native wines, we head to the Mediterranean coast to find the wonderful panorama of Gruissan. With its pastel pink salt swimming pools it’s unforgettably fairly.
Tour Two: A Deeper Dive into Languedoc (7 days)
This itinerary is made for return guests or curious souls trying to peel again the area’s deeper layers. From a renaissance fort to glowing wines and sea-lapped ports, it’s a journey formed by native ardour and intimate moments.
Highlights Embrace:
Historic Port of Marseillan and Étang de Thau – Go to Marseillan, one of many oldest ports in France, and take a ship journey on the Etang du Thau tasting contemporary oysters within the vibrant lagoon the place fishermen haul within the morning’s catch. That is adopted by lunch at a famend restaurant,and a day tasting of the native vermouth Noilly Prat.
St Chinian Market and Olargues – Choose up native cheeses, honey, and lavender at a beautiful market shaded by airplane timber. After lunch at a Michelin rated restaurant overlooking the well-known bridge of Olargues (referred to as the Satan’s Bridge), you’ll be able to stroll via this medieval gem within the shadow of verdant hills.
Minervois Winery Tour – Go to vineyards and uncover the fabulous native wines made with heirloom grapes in historic terroir formed by solar and schist.
La Forteresse de Salses and Collioure – Step inside an unlimited early sixteenth century fortress constructed by the first King and Queen of a newly united Spain to guard their border with France. Then calm down by the Mediterranean in vibrant Collioure, beloved by Matisse, Picasso and Chagall for its dazzling mild and vivid façades, and an ideal place to wander the streets and do some purchasing with artwork galleries and boutiques galore.
Limoux – Uncover the birthplace of glowing wine (Blanquette de Limoux) – relationship again to 1531, and go to an artisan chocolatier whose creations are pure alchemy.
Château de Pennautier – Tour this Seventeenth-century “Versailles of the Languedoc” and style the elegant property wines with lunch within the award-winning Chateau restaurant.
Cabrespine Cavern or Grotte de Limousis – Select between the grandeur of Cabrespine or the hidden wonders of Limousis.
The true Languedoc
Tour lodging is in an award profitable Chambre d’hotes, ranked within the prime 25 in France, within the thriving village of Olonzac.
Languedoc is a area to really feel, not simply see—and these small-group excursions supply the keys to its most intimate doorways.
Uncover the Languedoc your individual means—gently, deliciously, and in one of the best of firm. Ebook your tour, and let the journey start: realsouthoffrancetours.fr
