occitania - land of contrasts

Occitania - Languedoc-Roussillon - this inspiring land of painters and artists, consists of five Departements: Aude, Hérault, Gard, Lozère and Pyrénées Orientales, the southernmost Departement of France. Only in 1659 with the treaty of the Pyrenees peace did the Roussillon became part of France, but the Catalan heritage is still conspicious in the language.

The departement of the Aude was found in 1790 during the French revolution with Carcassonne as capitol.

One of Europe's largest holiday centres is located on the seaside of the Languedoc-Roussillon between Perpignan and Montpellier, with huge leisure centres such as Port Leucate, Cap d'Agde or Port la Nouvelle.

But it is the countryside, most of all in the Departements of the l'Aude and Hérault, where the beauty of the landscape, countless cultural monuments, the wild rivers, such as the river Aude that the lakes and the panorama of the Pyrenees are so impressive.

The fascinating stillness of the Canal du Midi with its 300 years old plane-trees is much more contemplative than the noisy jollity of the holiday centres at the seaside. People spending their vacations in one of the many Gîtes (which resemble bed and breakfast) in the countryside, will enjoy this type of accommodation in the coutryside of the Languedoc-Roussillon, and will never miss the skyscrapers in the holiday centres on the coast.

The old land of Occitania - a place of cultural monuments, ancient abbeys, cathar castles, wild rivers, high mountains, vineyards, museums, cultural heritages and prehistoric caves - is a vivid, fascinating country.

Languedoc-Roussillon with its average of more than 300 sunny days per year, will fulfil your holiday dreams: sun worshippers, mountain-climbers, wanderers, speleogolists, treasure-hunters, lovers of good wines, gourmets, families with their children ... all the contents of perfect holidays for everyone.