Things to see and do in and around Carcassonne

In Carcassonne

La Cîte, a world heritage site, is just a ten minute walk away, with its spectacular castle, numerous shops, restaurants and cafes. It hosts several wine tasting festivals throughout the year and you can spend the day sampling the many different wines produced in the region. There are also regular pageants and music festivals, see the tourist information office for specific dates and times.

You can soak up the wonderful friendly atmosphere whilst sipping your wine, and sampling the local cuisine, don't miss the cassoulet, which is a specialty of the area. Just a ten-minute walk from the house is a shopping complex - the Geant Supermarket and cafeteria offer excellent value for your everyday needs.

There's a typical French market every Saturday morning in the new part of Carcassonne, with wonderful local produce. Well worth a visit just for the atmosphere alone! There's also a daily fruit and veg market in the Place de Carnot - closed Sunday.

A ten-minute drive will take you to Lac de La Cavayere or Carcassonne Plage, for swimming, boating, sailing and windsurfing. Golf is also on offer at Carcassonne and Castelnaudary.

If You're Feeling More Adventurous

An African Safari Park just 15 km to the south of Narbonne - a drive through experience taking approximately 4 hours.

Narbonne Plage - a forty-minute drive from Carcassonne a wonderful Mediterranean beach.

The Black Mountains - where you can try your hand at orienteering, canoeing, pony trekking and for the more active there are always the climbing centres.

Trebes - sur la Canal du Midi for a leisurely boat trip.

Limoux - a thirty-minute drive through acres of vineyards - famous for its Blanquette de Limoux, a wonderful sparkling wine, Languedoc's local champagne. Visit Sieur d'Arques or Jean Babou caves on the Chalabre Road - for a tasting session. The town centre has a beautiful and atmospheric square lined with cafes and restaurants, there is also a good Leclerc supermarket on the left as you approach Limoux.

Mirepoix - with its ancient timbered houses abutting the square - which is lively, and bustling place on market days.

Collioure the picturesque fishing village on the Spanish border approximately 2 hours away.

Toulouse city of French aviation and cultural centre 1 hour to the west.

To the South the vast mountain ranges of the Pyrenées including the tiny country of Andorra approximately 3-hour drive. Many quaint villages to be explored by car or on foot, where everyday French life can be absorbed whilst drinking a coffee in the market place.