The Languedoc-Roussillon
LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON
OVERVIEW
The Languedoc-Roussillon has 220km of
coasts, which includes fine sand beaches and wild rocky
sceneries.
It sits between
the Pyrenees and Provence, stretching along the Mediteranean
coast, offering everything from great beaches, wonderful mountains, lakes, and
of course large expanses covered in vineyards,producing good quality red and
white wines,including a sparkling variety every bit as good as
champagne.
Ideal for those
seeking an active lifestyle / holiday, you can cycle, hike, fish, and even ski
in the Pyrenees in winter.
Font-Romeux and Andorra are within
easy travelling distance.
It is
France's largest wine making
region (350000 hectares), three times the combined area of the vineyards in
Bordeaux. It is
estimated that one in ten bottles of the world's wine was produced here during
the 20th century.
With a population
of 2.3 million, and a rich history, there is plenty to see and do. Some of the
better known places to see are:
- Montpellier, capital of the Languedoc, home of the oldest medical
school in Europe
- Narbonne, university city, on the
coast
- Adge and La Grande Motte, with
great family friendly resorts
- Perpignan, capital of Roussillon, home of the Catalan Dragons (rugby league) and
a city submerged in Catalan history and Spanish influences
- Nîmes, with its
almost intact Roman amphitheatre
- Carcassonne, UNESCO World Heritage site,
stunning medieval citadel
- The Canal du
Midi, a slendid example of result of 17th century
engineering, connecting the Atlantic coast to the Mediterranean
The
Languedoc-Roussillon is made up of 5 departments:
- Aude
- Gard
- Heraults
- Lozère
- Pyrénées-Orientales
THE
DEPARTMENTS
Capitale:
Carcassonne
Sub-préfecture: Limoux - Narbonne
Area: 6
139 km
Districts: 3
Counties: 35
Communes: towns
Name of the
inhabitants: les Audois
The Aude is surrounded by the Ariège, the
Haute-Garonne, Tarn, Pyrénées-Orientales et
Héraults. It also has borders on the Mediteranean sea and Limoux produces a
famous sparkling white wine, the « Blanquette de Limoux », which is
reputed to have been produced before Champagne.
Capital: Nîmes
Subs-préfecture: Alès - Le Vigan
Area: 5 853 km²
Districts: 3
Counties: 46
Towns: 353
Name of the inhabitants: les Gardois
The Gard’s south border is the Mediteranean sea; this department was, in
Roman times, a highly cultured region, together with the Provence region, the
Cevennes and the Camargue.
Capital: Montpellier
Subs-préfecture : Béziers - Lodève
Area: 6 101 km²
Districts: 3
Counties: 49
Towns: 343
Name of
the inhabitantss: Les Héraultais
The Hérault is made up of 49 cantons,
each with its own characters. Thirteen of these were created within a 20 year period, mainly in urban areas,
caused by its demographic growth of the last few
years
Capital: Mende
Sub-préfecture : Florac
Area: 5 167 km²
Districts: 2
Counties: 25
Towns: 185
Name of the inhabitants: Les Lozériens
Bordering the Cantal (famous for its cheese), the Gard, the Haute-Loire,
the Ardèche and the Aveyron, the Lozère gets its name from its highest point,
Mount Lozère. It benefits from two types of climate: Mediterranean in the East and oceanic in the
West.
Capital: Perpignan
Sub-préfecture : Céret - Prades
Area: 4 116 km²
Districts: 3
Counties: 31
Towns: 226
Name of the inhabitants: Catalans or
Roussillonnais
The PO (as it is commonly known) borders
Spain’s Gerona province, as well as the Aude, Andorra and the
Ariège. It is one of those few places that benefits both from high mountains and
the sea.
THE WEATHER
Being the southermost region of
France, the Languedoc-Roussillon also boast the best climate.
The region benefits from a
Mediterranean climate, with an average temperature for summer months the highest
in France: 22,3°C in
Perpignan and 23,7°C in Montpellier within the summer
months. During the day maximum temperatures have been
known to reach 42,9°C. The average number of hours of sun in Montpellier, for the month
of July, reaches 369 hours.
FOOD AND DRINK
With its strong links to Spain, bordering the Mediterranan, and a varied
heritage, food is diverse and rich, includng seafood, olive oil, tomatoes,
garlic and olives.
In the Languedoc, the traditional dish is the Cassoulet, while in the
Roussillon it is the Ovillade.
Other regional specialties include the "bolse de picolat (meat balls), creme
catalane, bleu de causses (cheese), morue catalune (cod with tomatoes and
peppers).
Regional wines - of which there are plenty - can be found more and more in
the UK. They include Fitou, Corbieres, Coteaux de Languedoc, and the famous
Blanquette de Limoux (first sparkling wine to be produced in France, prior to
Champagne). You can also find Banyuls, sweet wine from the town of Banyuls,
similar to port, although often served cold and as an aperitif.
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