Product Description

The definitive guide to one of France's most varied and exciting regions. The Rough Guide to Languedoc and Roussillon combines rich cultural and historical information and lively coverage of all the sights with detailed practical information - for all budgets. Special attention is given to outdoor activities, including cycling and hiking as well as boating the region's famous inland waterways. Expert advice is given on making the most of the region's gastronomic specialities and vineyards. Coverage is close up and critical - the guide tells you what to see, what to pass up and gives you all the inside information to make your travels in the region rich and rewarding.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #267336 in Books
• Published on: 2004-06-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 496 pages

Excerpted from The Rough Guide to Languedoc & Roussillon by Brian Catlos. Copyright © 2001. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved
The extraordinary geophysical range of Languedoc and Roussillon is matched by an historical legacy that lends the area much of its appeal. Settled as far back as any part of Europe, the region boasts evidence of our ancestors of over a half million years ago, while habitation in the Ariege valley some fifteen to thirty thousand years ago has yielded a rich and mysterious heritage of prehistoric cave art, some of the most engaging in southern Europe. As history dawned, the hill forts of Celtic tribes, or oppida, punctuated the broad Mediterranean plain – their scattered remnants are still visible today – while later Phoenician and Greek colonization on the coast paved the way for the eventual Roman expansion into the area in the second-century BC. The Romans built almost every town of importance in Languedoc today – the greatest being Nimes, Narbonne and Toulouse – and linked them by roads such as the mighty Via Domitia, which sliced through the region to link Rome wit! h southern Spain. An outstanding array of Roman monuments is the result, including Nimes’ amphitheatre and probably the world’s most famous aqueduct, the Pont du Gard.

After the Romans it was the turn of local nobility, the counts of Toulouse and Barcelona respectively, to dominate Languedoc and Roussillon. Their wealth prompted a cultural renaissance in the Middle Ages, providing for the building of the sumptuously decorated and ubiquitous Romanesque churches and monasteries which still characterize the region, and engendering a mood of enlightenment as courtly troubadours and pilgrims en route to Santiago crossed the whole territory. Both left their mark, but the golden age wasn’t to last, and in Languedoc popular dissatisfaction with the Church led to the following of a new – heretical – religion, Catharism, catalyst for the bloody series of wars known as the Albigensian Crusades. The military onslaught from the north and subsequent purge wrought destruction on the lands, leaving behind a record of events remembered with bitterness even now, and a string of spectacular and dramatically sited medieval fortresses, some restored like the cit! e of Carcassonne to their glory, others, like the Cathars’ last redoubt at Montségur, left as desolate and romantic ruins. And as if this period wasn’t unsettling enough, after three hundred years of submission to the crown and a brief period of prosperity based on dye manufacture – resulting in Toulouse’s most opulent mansions – Languedoc rose up in rebellion again, this time as part of the Huguenot movement. The ensuing Religious Wars left the region scarred, repressed by autocratic rule and, with already poor Roussillon absorbed by the French crown too, marginalized and neglected. Even today it remains one of the least populated and poorest regions in the country.

But Languedoc and Roussillon are recovering. The principal cities of Toulouse and Montpellier are now bustling metropolises of industry and administration, injected with an alluring vibrancy by their university life, while towns such as Nimes and Perpignan are managing to pull themselves out of a centuries-long slumber, their streets buzzing with people keen to savour a distinctive Mediterranean atmosphere and take in the new museums, art galleries and shops sprouting up across this part of the country. Away from the cities the mainstay is wine production, but tourism runs a close second. Languedoc’s long sandy Mediterranean coast, lacking the overexploitation of the Cote d’Azur, has made it a prime destination for summer-time beach-goers, the coastal towns chock-full of facilities for every type of watersport imaginable. And this is only the tip of the activities iceberg. The Languedoc and Roussillon region is crisscrossed by an extensive network of long- and short-range hiki! ng trails, or, if walking is too slow, you can opt to putt along the placid Canal du Midi in a converted barge, rent a vélo in just about any hamlet and pedal on the well-maintained bike trails, or chug up into the mountains on restored narrow-gauge train lines. The ranches of the Petite Camargue offer ample opportunity for horsemanship, and the high valleys of the Pyrenees are peppered by ski resorts for the winter, while summer is the season for mule-trekking, canyoning and caving. Add to this a calendar packed with festivals ranging from local wine fetes to the bullfights of Nimes, from the traditional Catalan sardana dances of Roussillon to the cavalcades of horsemen and water-jousting revelry of Camarguaise celebrations and, in short, you have a variety which few parts of France, or indeed Europe, can match.

Diversity is also a feature of Languedoc and Roussillon’s cuisine, which, though it shares in the finest Gallic culinary traditions, has in turn been infused by recent influences: immigration, both from Europe and abroad, has brought additional variety, with a strong Spanish influence complementing the already singular Catalan cookery of Roussillon, and Maghrebi and African newcomers adding a piquant element. In every village and town you’ll find the solid, delicious terroir fare on which the region has subsisted for centuries: hearty cassoulet, foie gras, duck, a whole range of pork sausages and cheeses, fruits, nuts and olives from the sunbaked hills of Roussillon and Hérault, as well as truffles, mushrooms and other local products. Though it tends to get overshadowed by neighbouring regions, Languedoc and Roussillon is no slouch when it comes to wine either. Gaillac, from near Albi, is the oldest and most respected of the local appellations, but the eminently drinkable wine! s of the Corbières and Cabardes are also well reputed. Even if you’re not a connoisseur you should take the opportunity to try out unique local vintages, such as Limoux’s blanquette or the "sand wine" of the Petite Camargue.

WHEN TO GO Languedoc and Roussillon is an exciting region to visit at any time of the year, all the more so because of its gentle climate. The weather is rarely extreme, although August temperatures can come close to sweltering, and mountain evenings remain cool all year round. Pack with this in mind, and bring along at least a jumper and raincoat, even if you’re coming in the warmer months. Many activities and events in the region are restricted by season. This doesn’t apply so much if you’re sticking to the major towns and architectural highlights – you’re better off avoiding high-season accommodation prices and hassles, particularly in places like Carcassonne, Pézenas and Cordes, and entertainment and nightlife tend to be better out of season too, but apart from that you’ve no major worries. Getting off the beaten track out of season, however, will need more careful planning, as many museums and monuments have very short hours from October to May, and restaurants and hotels frequently board up for the winter. Bus services are also liable to change; in summer months coastal services increase, while rural ones (often for school children) scale down. Likewise, most outdoor activities are limited by season: swimming and watersports are practical from late June to early September, canal boating from April to November, and skiing from December to April (sometimes lon! ger depending on the weather). Other activities, like hiking, can be done year round, but bear in mind the potential both for high temperatures in summer and unpredictable weather in the mountains.

In addition, the cultural and sporting calendar may determine when you want to travel. You’ll find colourful folk festivals and musical events taking place just about every month, but you might want to plan your visit to coincide with, say, a bullfight, in which case you should visit between Easter and September. Rugby leagues adjourn for the summer, while the coastal water-jousts are only held from June to September. Many towns have their local fete in late summer or early autumn, timed as often as not with the local harvest, and this time of year also sees a profusion of theatre and music festivals. Bastille Day (July 14) and Midsummer’s Day (June 24) are major national celebrations, while Setmana Santa (Holy Week) in Roussillon, has a distinctly Catalan flavour. All things considered the best month to visit is probably June, when the weather is warm but not hot and you’ve got the widest range of activities and events, without the crowds of July and August. Next best are the "shoulder" seasons of late spring (mid-April to May) and early autumn (Sept to mid-Oct) – particularly good if you plan on doing a lot of hiking or biking. But even if you do go in peak season, you can easily escape the crowds by wandering off the beaten path; you’ll find that even a slight detour from a bustling town or city can bring you to a village where you’ll find no shortage of accommodation, and a bit of peace.

Customer Reviews

A great travelling companion!
I used this guide when driving around this area of France this summer and found that not only did it provide accurate factual information, but that it also captured the atmosphere of the area. It covers individual towns and villages in sufficient detail that you do not need to get individual guides, and the coverage ranges from describing the architectural features of a building to where you can go white water rafting.

I went to several of the hotels and restaurants mentioned in the guide and these had been accurately described and the prices in the guide were up-to-date.

The guide has a very helpful section on local food and wine, so that you can understand exactly what the regional specialities are before you order them.

I do however have one criticism: I did not find the maps of the city centres easy to follow.

If you are driving around this area, the green Michelin guide is also very informative and suggests lots of good routes along country roads.

Nearly excellent
One of the enjoyments of any holiday for me is buying the guide books in advance and reading them in bed last thing at night for at least the month before going away! Being restricted by weight considerations (flying) to how many I could take with me on holiday with me this summer, after much reading I ended up taking the Rough Guides to (1) the Dordogne and the Lot and (2) Languedoc and Rousillon.

They were both very helpful and the highlight was undoubtedly reading the section on Montsegur and its lost treasures to my companions as we surveyed the "pog" and fortifications on a pleasant Sunday evening with no tourists! Well worth the detour - although we decided we weren't upto the climb to the top.

However, I did search for two restuarants - one in Carcassone and one in Lautrec - which could not be found. I came to the conclusion that they may have closed or changed owners/names - or the directions needed to be improved.

Very poor
This is easily the most feeble of all the many Rough Guides I have used while abroad. If the author did all the research and writing on his own, than that's a mistake which shows. He's clearly uninterested in art (viz. cursory descriptions of Musee Fabre in Montpellier and Musee Goya at Castres), so someone who is interested should have been employed to help him out.

There are glaring omissions - the rural area around the Herault Valley is fascinating and offers lots of walking possibilities, and there should have been clear advice on where the best beaches are on the Languedoc Coast in the Montpellier-Narbonne-Beziers sector; Catlos more or less dismisses this whole littoral, which is wrong, as there are a few nice, uncrowded places among the dross, and that's just the kind of thing that a Rough Guide should know about and pass on.

I also think it's pretty unhelpful, re accommodation, to say: "you could try the Hotel Moderne at x village" without any comment at all on its merits or prices.