Aude, Cathar Country

With its heart firmly anchored in the South between Languedoc and Gascony, Aude the Cathar Country displays its patchwork identity…

Mediterranean here, Pyrenean there, Cévenol and Gascon, land of diverse cultures and landscapes.

See for yourself:

On the Pyrenean side: broad plateaux, the river Aude that’s just a torrent, the canyons of Saint Georges and Pierre Lys, the great fir forests. To the west, along the Via Aquitania and the Canal du Midi, the vast cereal plain of Lauragais rolling out its golden waves of wheat. Further north, there’s the Pic de Nore and its steep slopes, an area reserved for mountain bikers and other cycling enthusiasts! To the east, the sea, its lagoons, its water reeds celebrated in song by Charles Trenet.

Lastly, Corbières and Minervois, famous winemaking regions, lands without shade where the grape bleeds, dotted with medieval castles and Romanesque abbeys, pacified witnesses of the struggle that 800 years ago opposed the Cathars relentlessly hounded by the upholders of the orthodoxy. It is this land of contrasts, this country shaped by History that invites you on countless journeys! A journey through time, provided you let yourself be invaded by the magic of an ever-present History. A sporting journey for lovers of stronger sensations: on board a raft or more simply an initiatory journey along the Cathar Trail. A more intimate journey to the centre of the earth, to the origins of Aude, in caves rich with concretions. A gourmet journey, an invitation to discover the quality of the local produce with the Pays Cathare seal of approval and the know-how of the people of Aude… winemakers and starred chefs.

Welcome to Aude, the Cathar Country, this singular yet plural land!

For more information : www.audetourisme.com

Aude Tourism Board – Comité Départemental du Tourisme de l’Aude

Allée Raymond Courrière – Conseil Général – 11855 Carcassonne Cedex 9

Tél : 00 33 4 68 11 66 00 – Fax : 00 33 4 68 11 66 01

E.mail : documentation@audetourisme.com