Residing in Aude: part of France that provides loads of sunshine, historic cities and exquisite properties which might be way more reasonably priced than the close by Côte d’Azur.
Within the south of France, inland from Toulouse and Marseille, the département of Aude is inside straightforward attain of the mountains and the coast, surrounded by charming villages and historic websites, making it an amazing place to go to or to place down roots.
Residing in Aude – The sunny south
Property agent Andrew Gluck moved from New York to France in September 2011, and he lives together with his French spouse in Carcassonne.
“I’d say there’s nowhere like this anyplace else on the earth. We get between 200 and 225 days of sunshine a 12 months, a lush panorama of cypress bushes, olive groves and vineyards, plus a Mediterranean local weather at way more reasonably priced costs than you get on the French Riviera. If you would like a dip within the sea, Narbonne is shut by, and if you need the snow, it’s a brief distance to the Black Mountains or the Pyrenees inside a few hours. It actually provides you entry to a few of the greatest features of France, and that features the native wines!”
Equally smitten with the world is Honor Davis-Marks who, in 2007, moved from Kent to Ferrals-les-Corbieres (40km east of Carcassonne), the place she runs midlife retreats.
“Initially, we got here right here for sunshine and that elusive way of life, nevertheless it gave us a lot greater than we anticipated. We get superb climate right here as early as March, and you may actually ski within the morning and be on the seashore within the afternoon. Accessibility was essential as I wished to run a ‘me-treat’ enterprise, and Aude has nice transport hyperlinks – even Barcelona is barely a 2-hour prepare journey from Narbonne.”
Property and way of life
Because of its location, local weather and landscapes, Aude attracts each French and overseas vacationers all 12 months spherical, so there are many occasions and actions and no scarcity of interesting locations to remain. If you happen to’re contemplating a transfer right here, Andrew Guck recommends the village of Montoulieu (22 minutes northwest of Carcassonne), providing a energetic centre with dozens of outlets, or Caunes Minervois (25 minutes northeast of Carcassonne), a medieval city well-known for marble, and it’s surprisingly cosmopolitan: a excessive share of residents have chosen to relocate right here from abroad.
To get essentially the most out of your shopping for finances, look inland away from the coast and the preferred cities, maybe heading towards the Black Mountains, the place the climate’s a little bit cooler, and the properties are a little bit bit extra rustic.
Key cities within the Aude
The medieval city of Carcassonne (pop. 48,000) is likely one of the nation’s hottest vacationer locations, welcoming round 2.5 million guests annually. Its star attraction is the medieval city itself, which is completely photogenic and free to go to: discover its 3km of ramparts and admire its 52 separate towers as you browse the outlets inside the partitions. Working proper by means of the center of the decrease city which can be fabulous, is the well-known Canal du Midi, initially constructed within the 1600s to attach the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. Rent a pleasure boat to navigate the canal or stroll or cycle alongside, having fun with the surroundings.
Forty minutes west, Castelnaudary (pop. 10,000) claims that that is the place engineer, Pierre Paul Riquet, first got here up with a plan to create the Canal. The city additionally claims to be the capital of the dish cassoulet, however has loads extra to supply: a captivating port, clusters of terracotta rooftops and an avenue of bicentennial aircraft bushes.
If you happen to desire the coast, Narbonne (pop. 51,000) is about an hour south, within the coronary heart of a Regional Nature Park between Montpellier and Perpignan. One of many wealthiest Roman colonies outdoors Italy, Narbonne has a wealth of structure from this era, together with the Through Domitia cobblestones main from the primary sq., whereas the Narbo Through museum homes greater than 6,000 artefacts and wall work.
Thirty minutes west of Narbonne is Lézignan-Corbières (pop. 11,000), capital of Corbières wine nation. The city has developed over the centuries round its Gothic-style church, Saint-Félix, which dates from the 1200s, though a church has been right here since 800 AD. Additionally within the centre is an outdated wine property, Maison Gibert, the place you’ll be able to see the unique cellar in addition to the employees’ quarters and stables.
Much less well-known locations to dwell in Aude
Inland, Lagrasse was formally recognised as one essentially the most stunning villages in France, and also you’ll instantly see why. Centred across the beautiful Sainte-Marie Abbey, Lagrasse is house to cobbled streets, artisans and the picturesque River Orbieu. It’s additionally attainable to take a freshwater swim both within the river or upstream in Saint-Jean lake, the place you’ll be able to cool off beneath the bushes.
Additionally inland, Lastours sits 20 minutes north of Carcassonne, and is a very stunning location that includes the stays of 4 château turrets constructed within the late 1200s to switch historical feudal buildings, however archaeological finds date again to at the very least 1500 BC. The turrets survey the valley from a dizzying 300 metres altitude, and you may observe the rocky path as much as the turrets, however you’ll want at the very least two hours and a few sturdy footwear! (See Andrew’s properties on the market in Aude)
If you happen to’re a fan of unspoilt seashores, head to Gruissan’s Plage de Mateille, a spacious 1.2-kilometre seashore whose northern part is commonly utilized by naturists. Working parallel to the seashore is the Étang de Mateille, a sheltered lagoon of shallow waters that’s excellent for kayaking and crusing.
Why is that this Cathar nation?
You may hear Aude known as ‘Cathar Nation’, referring to a faith that took maintain in southern France round 800 years in the past, selling values of equality, neighbourliness and charity, in distinction to the pomp, hierarchy and materials wealth of the Catholic church. Most of the Languedoc commoners and nobles adopted Catharism, distancing themselves from each French royalty and from Rome. Unsurprisingly, they had been then attacked, and the world’s fortified castles, villages and cities are a stark reminder of these crusades. Aude is house to the final Cathar stronghold, Château de Peyrepertuse, which fell in 1255.
Gastronomy of Aude
You’ll be able to inform from all of the vineyards in Aude that wine manufacturing is taken severely right here, with ten completely different AOP high quality labels, its best-known being Corbières. Because of the olive groves, you’ll additionally get pleasure from native tapenade, however the rustic casserole dish of cassoulet is a regional favorite. For fantastic eating, you’ll be able to select from 5 Michelin-starred eating places in Aude, certainly one of which has the uncommon distinction of three Michelin stars: the Auberge du Vieux Puits in Fontjoncouse. For a very particular celebration, this restaurant can be laborious to beat!
Attending to Aude
Aude is extraordinarily accessible, with direct flights from throughout Europe into Toulouse or Carcassonne. Trains from Paris to Carcassonne take round 5 hours.
Discover properties on the market in Aude: frenchesetateagents.com/aude
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