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Near Narbonne and Carcassonne
Off the N 113 - Narbonne to Carcassonne- just a 15 kilometre drive from Narbonne - a country road leads to Raissac d’Aude, a tiny village tucked away amid the lush
vineyards of the Aude valley.  There is one shop in the village, which sells everything (including bread) but nearby Canet d’Aude has a supermarket,
pharmacy, bakery, butcher, tabac, and a bar / brasserie. There is a wide variety of restaurants within a short drive and in Narbonne.
You must take a bike ride along the world famous Canal du Midi, e.g. from the chateau at Ventenac to Le Somail which is towards Narbonne and a little gem. Or
in Homps, towards Carcassonne, one can rent a canal boat to take a day trip on the Canal or go on an organised tour. Lézignan, only a 10’ drive towards
Carcassonne, is a prosperous provincial town with a number of supermarkets and a bustling open air street market on Wednesdays.
Narbonne, a vibrant town with a beautiful old centre around the Cathedral and the Old Palace, boasts the picturesque art deco Les Halles where one finds delicious
seafood, bread, pastry, fresh meat and vegetables, wines, cheeses. All the good things of French life! La Clape, a mountainous protected natural resort between
Narbonne and the Mediterranean, beckons the visitor to its footpaths with splendid views across the sea, beyond the Pyrenees towards the rocky capes of Spain’s Costa
Brava.
The Spanish border is just a 1 hour drive, unless one stops in the Catalan capital of Perpignan.
In the other direction, much closer, past Narbonne, there is poetic Béziers to be seen and trendy Montpellier. Of course the endless sandy beaches and the yachting
marinas between Sète and Gruissan deserve a lengthy visit too. There is almost too much to see Medieval Carcassonne, object of much desire during the Albigensian
crusades, and now one of France's most popular tourist destinations, is just forty minutes from our house..
Carcassonne was restored to storybook perfection in the 1800s. Nowadays Carcassonne erupts every Bastille Day in an awesome display of fireworks.
Beyond the Cité of Carcassonne itself, vast horizons open up to you. Perched on their "Pogs" (peaks) of dizzying heights, the Cathar Country châteaux await you,
their indomitable silhouettes punctuating the Midi sky. On windy evenings you just might perhaps hear the echo of the crusade against the Albigensians. the breath of History
as described in The Labyrinth the bestselling novel by Kate Mosse.
Ryan Air now flies from Edinburgh to Carcassonne. Book now!
Quality holiday village house or gite for self catering vacation rentals in sunny Aude, Languedoc, Southern France. Close to
Narbonne, Carcassonne and the Mediterranean. Private cottage lets in the south of France chez nous at www.lamaisondumurier.co.uk 
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