Carcassonne - Largest fortified town Europe

CARCASSONNE –– The largest fortified medieval town in Europe and a World Heritage Site.

The Citadel

A former Cathar stronghold, Carcassonne (www.carcassonne-tourisme.com) is most famous for its stunning fortified ‘cite’. Situated on the equally famous Canal du Midi (also a World Heritage Site), it is rich in history and offers a wide range of cultural and music events.

 
To explore the region, why not stay in one of South France Villas properties:

AU026A Domaine de Marseillens and AU006A Chateau Aragon  are ideally situated for exploring both Carcassonne and the rich and diverse attractions of the Aude region.

 A6 Chateau Aragon

A26 Domaine de Marseillens

The walled city offers a range of restaurants and shops in a striking and historic setting, whilst the nearby lower town is alive with all kinds of entertainment, including theaters, music venues and cinemas. There are many bars and restaurants, giving the opportunity to sample the excellent local wines and cuisine - why not try Chez Fred

Like an oasis in the desert Lac du Cavayere nestles close to Carcassonne and offers a large lake with water activities and a beach!

UZES - Throughout the ages

Uzes has a history of being a tolerant and open community. In the Middle Ages, civilised Uzes was a stark contrast to Northern France, which was ruled by the Franks. In the Christian World during the Middle Ages, Jews generally lived outside the feudal system and their rights were very limited. Although the Languedoc wasn’t a Utopia, it was much more tolerant towards the Jewish population than other areas in Europe. For example, at Easter, there was a popular christian tradition called “Strike the Jew”, however this was outlawed in the Languedoc. Jews began to settle in Uzes from the 5th century and the bishop of Uzes invited them to dinners and became friends with many Jewish people. Although he did dedicate quite a bit of energy to convincing Jews in Uzes to convert to Christianity, it was not an aggressive pursuit. Unfortunately, his friendliness was noticed and reported to King Childebert I, who was not quite as tolerant. The Bishop was ordered to compel the Jews in his community to convert - and if they refused, they were to be expelled from the town altogether. After his death, many Jews that had been baptised decided to return to Judaism.

By the 13th century, Uzes became known for its community of wise Jewish scholars, and also housed a community of Cathars, a gnostic religious sect. It also was known for being one of the largest Protestant cities in France - a somewhat dangerous position in a strongly catholic country. During the religious wars of the Reformation in the 16th century, the city suffered for its religious stance, and all its churches were destroyed. So Uzes has had a history of open-mindedness, generally making its own decisions and not simply following popular trend.

Uzes also happens to be the first Duchy of France. That is, the Dukes of Uzes are the most important Dukes in the country, and rank after the the title of Prince. (In other words, the Duke of Uzès would theoretically be first in line for the French throne after the royal family itself. That is, if France was still a kingdom!) In the past, it was part of the job of the Duke of Uzès to defend the honour of the Queen Mother. Over the centuries, the dukes of Uzes have well and truly proved their loyalty, with twenty-one dukes having been wounded or killed in the name of their country.

When the French Revolution came, the Ducal family went into exile - being close to the Royal family, they weren’t too popular during this time. However, the family got some of their property back under the Restoration and the family still owns the colourful chateau in the middle of the town -- this chateau has remained the residence of the family for over a thousand years.Uzes really came into its own in the 16th century, when it established itself as a major player in the textile industry. The town produced silk, stockings and woollen cloth with over 2,000 people being employed in textile factories in Uzes. The affluence of the town suffered with the introduction of the railway, however - suddenly the town had to compete with far away markets, which had a more competitive edge and sold their goods more cheaply. Uzes couldn’t compete against this new influx of goods, and so business began to decline. With money suddenly not being so abundant, fewer houses were built, so the effect is that Uzes is frozen in time, with more of the Medieval architecture having been preserved. When the town became more prosperous around the 19th century, building boomed again - so we have this architectural contrast in Uzes, between the older medieval styles and the newer, grandiose 19th century styles.

Uzes also hosts the biggest Truffle market in the Languedoc. (For more about Truffles, please see this previous blog entry.) It’s a good town for shopping and food, with some great markets and boutique stores.For more information and other beautiful luxury viilas, please visit our website!
Contributions by Katarina Byrne

THE CATHAR ROUTE - Castles in the Sky

Ready yourself to delve into some history and hiking! This entry will explore the Cathar Castles, in particular a couple of lofty ruins which have been named the Languedoc's 'Castles in the Sky'.
History of the Cathars

The Cathars were ascetic types - they didn't eat meat, eschewed alcohol, and avoided material possessions. The idea was that by doing this they could escape the corruption of the world. Whether they were successful or not in their endeavour, the Catholic Church took exception to differences in their religious doctrine, and in 1208, they launched a Crusade on the Cathar Church. (The fact that the Cathar nobles in Languedoc also owned very valuable land may have also been part of the motivation..!)

The inner circle of Cathar leaders, (named 'Bonshommes', or 'good men') fled the Crusaders by a route now known as the 'Chemin des Bonshommes'. It was an arduous journey of 220 kilometres, from the Medieval town of Foix, over the Pyrenees and to the relative safety of Spain. On the way to Spain, they stopped at Cathar castles for shelter. These Cathar castles were soon set upon by the Crusaders. Whilst the fortifications and geographical advantages of the sites held strong against the invaders, supplies eventually ran out and they were forced to surrender.

The sieges and massacres that occurred during these Crusades were vicious and bloody -- many atrocities were committed. Today we see the destruction and devastation of this group of people through the crumbling, stark, lonely ruins which still stand in the Languedoc region.

Cathar Hiking Routes

The routes which the Cathars used to flee from the invading Crusaders are today a destination for travellers with a taste for re-tracing history and those who simply enjoy wandering through gorgeous wilderness.

The hiking routes mostly centre around the atmospheric ruins of Cathar castles - picturesque and haunting, these majestic ruins sit starkly on the summits of rocky mountains. Their position was chosen for strategic military reasons and today we can enjoy these vantage points for their incredible views of the surrounding land.

There are many sections of the Cathar route which you can explore: the entire 'Chemin des Bonshommes' route takes around twelve days to complete on foot! But if you're looking for something a little more relaxed than a 12 day hike, we suggest renting a villa in the area and exploring sections of the route at your leisure.

At South France Villas, we are fans in particular of the walks around Quéribus and Peyrepertuse.

Peyrepertuse (meaning 'Pierced Rock')is a ruined fortress, perched at a lofty 800m in the Pyrenees. Peyrepertuse clings to a narrow, rocky ridge 70 metres wide and 300 metres long. Its precarious position makes you wonder at how such an architectural feat was possible back in the Middle Ages. How did they manage to haul building materials and construct the Castle all the way up there? It's enough of a hike as a tourist carrying only a digital camera and a bottle of water! But the exertion to reach the summit is definitely well worth the effort. Not to mention that the scenery on the way to castle is delightful in itself -- it is a winding route with lovely trees, rocks and wild flowers greeting you around every twist and turn.

Nearby, you'll find the smaller castle at Queribus. It is a shorter walk than the climb to Peyrepertuse, but steeper. The views are less dramatic here, but it makes up for this with the interior of its castle which is the more interesting and well-maintained of the two.

You need good walking shoes for both these walks, but you don't need to be an Olympian to attempt them. In fact, if you take it slow and steady, you don't really need to be very fit at all!
For more walks in this region, there are several good books which provide extensive information. For example, this one from amazon.com.
Another must-see in the region is the city of Carcassone -- you can read all about it in an earlier blog entry here.




Villas in the area
We can recommend a set of three beautiful holiday villas owned by a couple in the village of Cascastel, with lovely rural views over the surrounding vineyards. They are separate accommodations and are generally rented individually, however large groups can rent two or even all three of these luxury villas.

The owners run an organic 12 hectare wine domaine from a wine 'cave' next door - so no need to travel far for a wine tasting! The villas are typically French, built in the early 20th century - although since then the owners have renovated them to include modern conveniences, such as ensuite bathrooms.

AU010A Maison Guilhem 10-14 people
AU012A Maison des Vendangeurs 10-12 people
AU014A L'Estiu 4 people



If you don't want to spend all your time hiking, there are plenty of other things to do in the region also. Nearby to Cascastel you can find beaches, canoe hire, bike hire, golf, horse riding, hang gliding, boules, vineyards, a African Safari park and more! Also there are some great historic towns to discover, such as Narbonne, Carcassone, Beziers and Montpellier.

We hope we've inspired you to discover this wonderful part of South France - if you have any enquiries please VISIT OUR WEBSITE  www.southfrancevillas.com. We'd be more than happy to help!


Contributions by Katarina Byrne