An introduction to Languedoc-Roussillon

    Languedoc-Roussillon, popularly referred to as the Languedoc, is the central region of the south of France; it stretches from the Rhone valley in the east, to the Spanish border in the south west, and comprises five departments: four of these are  Mediterranean coastal departments: the Gard (30), the Hérault (34), the Aude (11) and the Eastern Pyrenees or Pyrénées orientales (66). The fifth department is rather different, being the upland department of Lozère (48), which forms the southern bastion of the Massif Central.
       Historically, the area known as "Languedoc" covered a large part of southern France; Roussillon is a much smaller area, being more or less the area covered by the Eastern Pyrenees department. Roussillon, in the past, was the northern part of Catalonia., and people here still speak Catalan as well as French.

The regional capital of Languedoc-Roussillon is the city of Montpellier, a thriving modern city in the Hérault, with a historic centre; other major cities in the region are Nimes, Narbonne, Sete and Perpignan.
     Unlike Provence, Languedoc has a considerable coastal plain, and except in the department of Eastern Pyrenees, most of the coastal area is flat. In the past, the land was swampy and plagued with mosquitoes, which is why tourism did not develop here in the 19th century, as it did on the coast further east. However, the swamps were drained long ago, and the mosquitoes brought under control, leading to the tourist development of this long coastline as from the nineteen-sixties. Today, the coast of Languedoc is characterised by long sandy beaches, often with plenty of space, and a modern tourist infrastructure, with twentieth-century resorts such as Cap d'Agde, Palavas, or Narbonne Plage. The fertile coastal plain is given over to agriculture, vineyards and - particularly in Roussillon - fruit and vegetables. Languedoc is one of France's major wine-growing areas.
    Those who do not want to spend their holidays being char-grilled on a beach will prefer areas inland from the coastal strip, notably to  the valleys of the Cevennes, more wooded and rural, or the inland areas of the Languedoc, with their huge vineyards and "garrigue", arid rocky Mediteranean hills with their vegetation of scrub, aromatic bushes and occasional fields.
    The area has a lot of historic cities, such as Nimes with its superb Roman remains, or the famous walled city of Carcassonne . 
    The Pyrenees, forming a natural land barrier between France and Spain, are a beautiful range of high mountains,  wooded on their lower slopes, but offering good mountain and hill walking higher up - not to mention the attraction of day trips into Spain.  The coastline where they meet the sea is unlike the rest of the Languedoc coast, and is characterised by old coastal villages such as Banyuls and Collioure, rocky cliffs and small coves. The villages on the Pyrenean coastline can be reached directly by train.

Access: by TGV from Paris Gare de Lyon, or from Lille; train from many cities, motorway from Paris, Lille, Strasbourg, Nancy, Lyon, Geneva. There are airports at Nimes, Montpellier, Carcassonne and Perpignan, with low-cost flights from the UK, Belgium and Holland..

The Origin of the name "Languedoc":
The "Langue d'oc" was the version of French spoken in the south of the country, and Languedoc referred to the part of France in which the "language of Oc" was spoken. "Oc" was the word for "yes" in this part of France, at a time when people in the north of France said "oeuil", an old French word that has become modern French "oui". Today, the "langue d'oc" survives in the many patois still spoken by a few people in rural areas of this part of France.

Detailed map of Languedoc:
Click here, and drag the map to cover the Languedoc area. then zoom in or out.
When to visit Languedoc : find the best weeks, when the region is least crowded.

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The ramparts of Carcassonne The Pont du Gard, near Nimes Banyuls sur Mer - Pyrénees orientales

Nimes: (30) old city with narrow streets, and remarkable Roman remains, including the Arena and the Maison Carrée Le Pont du Gard: (30) UNESCO World Heritage site, impressive Roman aqueduct, just north east of Nimes. Aigues Mortes: (30) fortified town near the coast, once a port from which the Crusaders set forth. Montpellier: (34) regional capital, with old centre, the Musée Fabre, churches and other sites Sète: (34) fishing and commercial port Béziers: (34) traditional Languedoc city, with old streets, churches and gardens. Narbonne: (11) former Roman city, once the regional capital, with an impressive cathedral, underground Roman grain-store, and canalside quays. Carcassonne: (11) UNESCO World Heritage site, a historic city encircled by medieval ramparts. Nearby is the area of the Cathar castles. The Coast:(30, 34, 11, 66) plenty of beaches, marinas and small ports. Sigean (11) African safari park: perhaps the best and the biggest (almost 700 acres) wildlife park in France (opened in 1974). The Canal du Midi: (34, 11)  UNESCO World Heritage site, the world's oldest major canal, opened in 1681, linking the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Les Cévennes: (30, 34)beautiful mountains, with steep wooded valleys. Le Train Jaune: (66) take the train up into the Pyrenees, from near Perpignan. Spectacular scenery, and open-top wagons. Céret (66): Museum of Modern Art, with works by Picasso, Chagall, Matisse, Braque etc. Collioure & Banyuls: (66)  picturesque  villages almost on the Spanish border, where the Pyrenees meet the sea. La Lozère: (48) sparsely-populated upland area, with a dry climate, mountains, spruce forests and gorges, in particular the... Gorges du Tarn (12 - 48)  dramatic and deep gorge of the river Tarn, through the limestone rock of the Causses.

Going further:

For further information, click on one of these  links: / pour plus d'informations, cliquez....
Official Languedoc tourism site	Gites in Languedoc	Bed & Breakfast in Languedoc