France
Languedoc-Roussillon

The French region of Languedoc-Roussillon stretches west of the Rhone up the Spanish border and into the Pyrenees. You can spend endless holidays in this sun-kissed scenery alongside beaches stretching for some 200 kilometres or go on hikes in the high mountains of the Pyrenees. The region is characterised by hilly landscapes where wine is grown.

Languedoc-Roussillon also has a lot to offer in terms of culture. A prime example is the Roman aequaduct Pont du Gard near Remuolins dating back to the first century AD which was declared a Unesco world cultural heritage. The little town of Cambous, the oldest restored settlement in France which dates back to between 2800 to 2400 BC is also worth a visit. Visitors interested in history are likely to find the towns of Narbonne, Béziers and Nimes highly interesting. Here you can find architectural monuments from the Gaulic-Roman era. Mediaeval fortifications, walls and towers can also be marvelled at in the towns of Carcassone, Salses and Aigues-Mortes.

Remains of old Catharist castles are to be discovered in Puivert and Peyrepertuse. If you are fond of the Romanesque, you will find Maguelone, Rieux-Minervois or Saint-Martin-du-Canigou more than just very rewarding. Another unique attraction are the many caves in the region. Fifteen have been made accessible for tourists. Younger visitors will certainly be mesmerised by the Dinosaur Park in Mèze. France’s most beautiful region is front-runner in another respect: 40 per cent of the total surface in Languedoc-Roussillon are overgrown by wine. The region produces some 20 million hectolitres of wine each year, primarily red and rosé wines.