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
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homepage
or
click
here
to
book online now!
©2010 The Stone House
B&B air conditioned B&B near Pezenas in the
Languedoc South of France