the stone house B&B near pezenas south of france
languedoc
your holiday starts here: sun, sea, sand, sightseeing and wine
the languedoc, in the south of france, offers an unrivaled combination of rural countryside and miles of lush vineyards. the region is also very close to the mediterranean coastline, and boasts an average of more than 300 sunny days per year.
caux
caux is a pretty village with a medieval core that dates back to the 10th century. the church of caux is actually recorded in the "livre noir" (literally 'black book') that was published back in 1172. today caux is a thriving village, even if the population is less than 2000 inhabitants.
like many medieval communities, caux was built on a circular plan around the church, and the more modern 18th, then 19th-century buildings have just increased the size of this circle.
the old part of the village has retained its medieval
charm, and here and there you will see remains of the
fortifications, including two impressive doorways in the
remains of the ramparts, one with a sculpted fleur de lys
blason that managed to somehow survive the 1789 revolution.
throughout the old quarter you will also see archways,
mullioned windows, and elaborately carved doors of houses
in the narrow streets.
the church, a listed historic monument, is a spectacular
12th-century building of beautiful honey-coloured stone.
the tower rises above the impressive porchway to the
building's entrance, an imposing edifice built in the
14th-century.
caux
is a lively village and there are cultural and sports
events all year round. guided tours of the old quarter are
organised during the summer. there are several shops, small
businesses, and even a weekly market on fridays, making it
a practical place to stay for holiday-makers.
for
more photos of caux, click
here
(photos courtesy of regular stone house guest - and friend
- steven fowler)
the
mediterranean
Just
take a 25k (15 miles) drive and you'll find sandy beaches
and the warm sea.
places to see (local)
pezenas
only
a five-minute drive away, this pretty town is a major
antiques centre with plenty of opportunity for some serious
'retail therapy' - loads of unique and interesting shops,
numerous eating places, a lively market every saturday, and
even an atm cash machine! for culture vultures, its
renaissance center and associations with moliére make it a
must.
for more information on pezenas, check out these links:
http://www.world66.com/europe/france/midi/languedoc/pezenas
http://www.southernfrance.com/Regional/PezenasFr.html
http://www.frenchpropertylinks.com/languedocroussillon/pezenas/index.html
http://www.creme-de-languedoc.com/South-France/southfrancetown.php?tid=1508
sete
http://www.le-guide.com/sete.html
the
charm of sète is drawn from its many canals, the sea, the
streets, and its restaurants. visitors can walk and
discover fishing boats, busy with their cargo, and then
stroll along the canal to find a restaurant where they can
sit and watch the world go by. there is a real warmth in
sete, perhaps because of its cosmopolitan feeling of the
ships arriving from ports far away, or from the abundance
of young people coming from the nearby university in
montpellier.
the cirque de moureze
http://www.courtinals.com/en/
the
cirque de mourèze, a chaotic formation of rocks not too far
from caux, is europe’s only dolomite world of rocks
inhabited permanently from the stone age until the new age.
the stunning scenery and clearly marked hiking trails offer
visitors the chance to explore a unique, almost surreal
landscape.
cap
d'agde
http://www.capdagde.com/en/
nestled
on the mediterranean coast, le cap d'adge is ideally
situated on the herault coastline, at the heart of a region
that boasts a wealth of nature, history, culture and
architecture.
montpellier
http://www.ot-montpellier.fr
the
montpellier tourist office organises guided walking tours
of the town, including a wide range of routes. visitors can
choose between a tour of the old town or theme-based tours
led by qualified multilingual guides who are always ready
to share their love of montpellier.
st
guilhem-le-desert http://www.saint-guilhem-le-desert.com
the
village of st-guilhem-le desert lies at the bottom of a
wide ravine, with a ruined castle towering over the
village from the ridge above. ancient houses ramble down
the banks of the rushing verdus river, which is
channeled everywhere throughout the village. the main
focus of at guilhem is its abbey church, founded at the
beginning of the ninth century by st guilhem. the church
is a beautiful and atmospheric building, which stands on
place de la liberté, surrounded by honey-coloured houses
and arcades. st. guilhem makes for a stunning day trip,
with artisans selling leather goods, handmade soaps, and
a variety of unusual gifts from the small workshops that
line the narrow stone lanes around the abbey church.
(to see more photos of st guilhem, click
here)
notre
dame de mougeres (local wine-producing
monastery)
http://www.chartreuse-de-mougeres.com/english/
parc regional du haut languedoc
the
second largest regional park in france is close by, and
ideal for hikers and nature lovers, with lake salagou for
water sports and the river herault for
canoeing.
click
here
to return to the stone house
homepage
or
click
here
to
book online now!
