Planning Vacation Trips For Holidays In Languedoc Roussillon, France
Languedoc Roussillon, one of the 26 regions of France is becoming a great tourist attraction. With the appealing areas such as the magnificent Pyrenees mountains, the miles of beautiful Mediterranean coastlines, the majestic Cathar castles including Carcassonne old city and walks through forests, valleys and mountains, Languedoc Roussillon has something to offer everyone for a holiday trip. You can make your holiday to Languedoc Roussillon more enjoyable with proper planning. This article has advice for where to go in Languedoc during different seasons.Winter Holidays in Languedoc RoussillonWith a range of runs from beginner slopes to black runs, the ski resorts including Puyvalador, Les Angles and Camurac are the perfect holiday destinations to visit in winter. People have a misconception that all the vacation attractions will remain shut for the winter, while some of the vacation spots will be shut for winter, many remain open, such as Carcassonne old city (an ancient settlement all built within the walls of a castle, which is highly recommended to visit, particularly off season, as in the summer holidays it can get rather crowded). Most museums, theatres and restaurants are also open throughout the year.Summer Holidays in Languedoc RoussillonWhen visiting Languedoc Roussillon in the summer, you will have 2 options. You can either stay close to the Mediterranean sea, where self-catering rentals and hotels can be more expensive, or you can opt for cheaper inland options. The advantage of staying inland is that the rental prices will be significantly cheaper. There are many rivers and lakes for swimming, as well as outdoor or indoor swimming pools in most of the larger towns. You will be well aware of the fact that there are many lakes (say) Arques lake, which takes 40 minutes or so to leisurely stroll around and has plenty of seating and picnic tables and Montbel. There is another lake near Carcassonne (called Carcassonne plage, which means beach in French), which has 2 beaches and takes a good 2 hours to walk round – this is a smooth path so biking or roller-skating round the lake is also possible.Languedoc Roussillon offers plenty of locations if you value your privacy too. There are countless numbers of rivers to swim in, including the river Aude, or one of its tributaries, such as the Salz. In the department of Aude some of the best attractions include the dinosaur museum in Esperaza (which is actually one of three museums that are part of the same group, the others being a hat museum and honey museum (though the honey museum is more of a shop).Food and Accommodation in Languedoc RoussillonCarnotzet, a restaurant in Couiza, Aude, is one of the best restaurants in the area and has a great selection of French cuisine. The Carnotzet is well signposted and is on the outskirts of Couiza near the Quillan side.In August there is a week long Folklore Festival with musicians, dancers and singers from around the globe. The festival starts in Quillan, with all the performers singing and dancing around Quillan’s town square and there are then regular shows in each of the nearby towns over the week (including Esperaza, Rennes-les-Bains, Couiza, Axat, Arques and Nebias). Toulouse is one of the larger cities in Languedoc and includes the Space Museum, which is very interactive and has rockets you can explore, shows and cinema presentations about space and lots of other attractions – well recommended and is large enough that you can enjoy a whole day there.Adventure in Languedoc RoussillonIf you enjoy walking we particularly recommend the walks around Hameau de Laval, Rennes les Bains and the Labyrinth at Nebias – a natural mineral formation which has a magical feel with a rock formation forming a kind of maze in the middle of a beautiful forest. As well as the labyrinth itself, there are plenty of walks nearby, including a 5 or 6 hour circular walk. Quillan is also recommended for l’Escalada – a practice climbing site where the river Aude has created an incredible cathedral of limestone in the mountains of the Pyrenees. There is also a Forest Grimp in Quillan, with ropes and cables suspended between a large area of trees to create many aerial games and rope pathways. You can also hire canoes and go white water rafting in Quillan.Traveling to LanguedocIf you’re flying to Aude in Languedoc Roussillon, there are 3 main airports – Carcassonne, Perpignan and Toulouse. The busses and train service in Aude tend to be punctual, however are only occasional. Car hire is available from a range of companies at the airports in Carcassonne, Perpignan and Toulouse.Bottom lineAude and Languedoc Roussillon have a wide range of vacation attractions for both winter and summer holidays – truly something to suit everyone.