Carcassonne
15 mins from Lastours
Set high up on a hill, Carcassonne’s ancient walled city is Disneyworld-perfect. This fairytale collection of drawbridges, towers and atmospheric cobbled streets was reputedly the inspiration for Walt Disney’s The Sleeping Beauty, and it’s a must-see on any trip through this part of southern France. Its medieval core, the cité, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1997.
In the shadow of its smaller but more famous sibling Carcassonne’s (lower) town dates back to the Middle Ages. Known as the ‘Bastide Saint Louis’, it features typically French bars, shops, cafés and restaurants, as well as all the standard services and amenities you’d expect.
A guide to La Cité
www.carcassonne.org
www.carcassonne-tourisme.com
www.creme-de-languedoc.com/Languedoc/city-guides/carcassonne
Carcassonne Unesco website
Some pictures of Carcassonne
Montolieu
30 mins from Lastours
Known as the “Village of Books”, Montolieu contains dozens of bookshops and a book market on the third Sunday of every month.
Villeneuve-Minervois
10 mins from Lastours
Villeneuve-Minervois is famous for truffles with the village playing host to several truffle festivals during the winter months.
Caunes-Minervois
20 mins from Lastours
It is known particularly for its ancient Abbey, dating from the eighth century, and the outstanding red marble that has been quarried locally from Roman times.
www.mairiedecaunes.fr
wikipedia.org/Caunes-Minervois
