South France trip

[Lancstree]

Looking for some tips. Just bought a cheap flight to Carcassonne near Toulous and I haven't been to this area before. I'm sure there will be plenty of sight seeing to do but I'm wanting to maybe fit an activity or two in like canooing or anything of the likes. I'm travelling alone so a group activity would be good because I like meeting folk.

 

If anyone has any local knowledge please point me in the right direction. I'll be staying for a week, in the city and without a car.

 

Thanks

[flatyre]

my brother-in-law lives just south of Toulouse so we visit every year, Carcassone is a must see but there are a number of amazing medieval towns in the area like Mirepoix (not the vegetables), there are the Garonne and L'Ariege rivers, but i'd take a day trip to the Pyranees, stunning!

[Bigfellers]

Google Rennes le Chateau,

[Chris at eden]

If you want to go canoeing then try Pont-du-Gard. Its an old Roman aquaduct. You can sit and eat next to the river if you take a cool box with food, really nice. There is a café also. You can swim in the river or hire canoes up stream and then they pick you up down stream. Its an awesome day out just chilling by the river but its about two hours by car from where you are staying so you would need to hire a car or there maybe some trips. Well worth it. It would be worth checking out Arles while you are up that way also.

 

Carcassonne is amazing, probably my favourite place I've been to, if you like old places you should love it. Are you actually inside the old city or the spread out part outside of the walls?

 

If you are into wine tasting then Chateauneuf du Pape is up near Avignon. Again probably a couple of hours though. Its a pretty interesting day though.

 

Enjoy - south of France is an awesome part of the world which is seriously underrated by most brits. Mega hot in summer though.

[GreenGui]

Carcassone is a fantasic city, we went 2 years ago and are going back this Autumn to visit some of the sites we missed last time. Might be worth thinking about car hire even for a couple of days, there's so much to see. Recommend Las Tours about 20 minutes north and Peyrepertuse to the south east as historic monuments, amazing views and you can explore all over them unlike National Trust monuments in UK.

 

For wine, just to the east/south east there is Corbieres and Fitou. Minervois to the north east, Cabades to the north ans Malepere to the south west. Your spoilt for choice really as they are all good and on the doorstep, our favorite is a Fitou from the Vignerons of Mont Tauch in Tuchan.

 

Stop off at the Tourist Office in Carcassonne and pick up some info re climbing, canoeing, rafting etc. they have all the details and would be happy to help - understandably they are very geared up to tourism and label the region as "Cathare Country". Read the wiki entry before you go re the history of the region and Catharism, gives a background to the region.

 

Lastly if you had a car I would also recommend the coast road south of Perpignan crossing into Spain.