CAR-FREE NATURE ESCAPADE IN THE GREAT SITES - FROM BÉZIERS TO CARCASSONNE VIA THE NORTH

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Our adventure begins in Béziers, where we arrive by train on an autumn morning. We set off to discover France's oldest city, its Acropolis, the banks of the Orb and the Canal du Midi. On foot, we walk through the Grand Site, past the 9 locks at Fonseranes, a masterpiece of civil engineering and a World Heritage site, and explore the lock-keepers' islet. Boat traffic is heavy on the canal, much to the delight of walkers who observe the operation of the staircase of locks, where the boats cross a 21-meter difference in height over a length of 312 meters. At the Maison de Site, we watch an immersive film that plunges us into its incredible history. The walk continues along the Orb to the Pont Vieux, a splendid over-water structure! A new path takes us to the Gothic cathedral of Saint-Nazaire, in the town center. From its forecourt, you can enjoy a breathtaking panorama, from the Mediterranean to the foothills of the Montagne Noire. For lunch, we immerse ourselves in the colorful world of the Halles de Béziers, where merchants and shoppers cheerfully jostle each other from stall to stall. We feast on a stew of cuttlefish with olives and take away dessert: a shell of Saint-Aphrodise, a soft brioche scented with orange blossom. In the afternoon, we stroll through the Plateau des Poètes, a typical 19th-century park with remarkable trees, romantic statues and the Titan fountain. We return to the B&B, where a lovely surprise awaits us: our hostess has organized a musical evening on the patio! We share a meal with the other guests, and let ourselves be enchanted by the delightful voices of the singers.

2

We leave Béziers on our electric bikes, picked up the day before. We follow the towpath along the canal, overlooking a landscape of vineyards and large estates, towards Lespignan and Nissan-lez-Ensérune. We stop for a moment in front of the gates of the "Folies Languedociennes", the châteaux of the Pinardi family, testimony to the rich winegrowing history of the Biterrois region. It's market day in Nissan-lez-Ensérune. We stop off to see the little church of Saint-Saturnin, then enjoy a coffee and a chat with the locals. We're recommended to visit the Ensérune oppidum, the remains of one of the most important ancient Gallic cities in the Midi. The immersive tour and collections of the brand-new archaeological museum fascinate us. A real leap back in time. From the steep slopes of fragrant pines, we enjoy a breathtaking view of the Etang de Montady. Dried out in the Middle Ages and planted with vines and cereals, it looks like a sun! Beneath the hill of Ensérune lies yet another curiosity: the Malpas tunnel. Dug to allow passage of the Canal du Midi, it is the last technical feat of its ingenious creator: Pierre-Paul Riquet. We leave the canal to reach Montady, with its impressive watchtower overlooking the dry pond, the plain and the hill of Ensérune. We stop for a bite to eat in Cazouls-lès-Béziers, before returning to the banks of the Orb. The landscape changes, and we leave the plain for the first foothills of the mountain. Arriving in Saint-Chinian, we spend the night in a B&B just outside the village. It's housed in an old watermill, whose owner tells us all about its history.

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Energized by a generous breakfast, we stroll through the cloister of Saint-Chinian's town hall, housed in a former Benedictine abbey. Before leaving, we do a little shopping for our picnic and Isabelle from the Espace Vin de Saint-Chinian takes us on a lively tour of the Languedoc-Roussillon appellations. Faugères, Saint-Chinian, Minervois, Corbières... names we've seen on the map and are now familiar with! The track rises quickly, lined with olive and cypress trees, then the hilltops give way to garrigue with its oaks and rosemary. In Assignan, the facades are painted in the crimson colors of wine-making. We then move on to the Minervois terroir and its hard limestone causses. The road is very pleasant and takes us to Saint-Jean-de-Minervois, famous for its Muscat wine. Nature offers us a magnificent picture of the region, and at Agel, in the Cesse valley, the 12th-century medieval castle is a remarkable heritage site. The arrival at Minerve is a pure marvel. We leave our bikes on the heights, where we enjoy the beautiful views towards the village perched on a rocky spur, recognized as one of "Les Plus Beau Villages de France". We're about to explore a Grand Site, an exceptional territory. After admiring the Tour Candela, we stroll through the pretty garden beneath the ramparts, which leads us into the bed of the Cesse. The experience of sinking beneath the vaulted natural bridges is truly impressive! We return to the village via the south postern and take a look at the archaeological museum. The square in front of the town hall is a moving place, with its monument to the Cathars burned during the Albigensian Crusade in 1210.We continue on to La Caunette, where we meet our evening hosts and dine at the Café de la Place. It's "Dédé" who runs this bistro, a real village meeting place!

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Strawberry, apricot, rhubarb... we cycle to the hamlet of Mayranne, thinking of the delicious home-made jams we had for breakfast. Here we meet Thibaut, a young winegrower cleaning his small tractor, known as a "vigneron". We take time to walk the 6 km discovery loop "La Malvoisine", named after the reconstructed catapult we saw in Minerve the day before. Through vineyards and garrigues, our senses are enchanted by the aromatic scents. We overlook the gorges du Brian, majestic in the morning light. We return to the gorges de la Cesse and gradually climb to the causses du Minervois, vast limestone plateaus with breathtaking views. We pass the small plateau of Fauzan, overlooking numerous troglodyte dwellings, including the Aldène or "Coquille" cave: human occupation here has been attested for 450,000 years! We continue along the superb "route des crêtes", amidst carefully tended cedar and holm oak groves, with a magnificent panorama of the Pyrenees. Before reaching Saint-Julien-des-Meulières, we stop at the old millstone quarry that gave the village its name. It supplied many mills in Languedoc in the early 19th century. The village of Félines-Minervois is located in the area of the Languedoc premier cru: "Minervois La Livinière", a red wine dominated by Syrah, Mourvèdre and Grenache grapes. From here, we can see the ruins of Ventajou. We finally arrive in Caunes-Minervois, where we have lunch and visit the Benedictine abbey, whose Romanesque chevet alone is worth a visit. In the evening, we return to our B&B in the heart of the village, run by a charming English couple.

5

After a restful night, we discover the historic village of Caunes-Minervois, which owes its wealth to the red marble quarries. On foot, we follow the "Roy's Quarry Loop", which tells the amazing story of the quarries that supplied the Trianon building site in Versailles and the Garnier Opera House in Paris. Some of these quarries are still in operation. After returning to our bikes, we have lunch in the village of Peyriac-Minervois and visit the Romanesque church of Rieux-Minervois, a curiosity with its heptagonal shape. Before rejoining the Canal du Midi, we stop in Trèbes, a pretty village known for its marina and church. We take the 12 km greenway to Carcassonne, along the Canal du Midi, which we share with pedestrians and boaters! The canal winds its way through the vineyards of Greater Carcassonne. At the slow pace of the water, we discover the locks and picturesque ports. We stop at the Fresquel bridge-canal to observe its arched architecture. A few more pedal strokes and we're in Carcassonne as the sun sets. In perfect harmony with the Aude river, an impressive stone landscape unfolds before our astonished eyes. Tomorrow we'll be discovering this Grand Site, the medieval city and its unspoilt landscape.

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We rise at dawn to take in the view from the Pont Vieux of the astonishing fortress of the medieval city of Carcassonne, with its 52 towers and 3 km fortified wall. We enter through the Porte Narbonnaise, then visit the Château Comtal* to learn about the history of the city, its restoration by Viollet-le-Duc, understand its defense system and climb to the dungeon. A plunge into our memories of knightly times! We then walk along the ramparts, masterpieces of Gallo-Roman and medieval military architecture. We leave them at the Saint-Nazaire basilica, where we admire the exceptional stained-glass windows dating from the 13th and 14th centuries. We descend through the Porte d'Aude and walk along the banks of the river, a pleasant, cool haven. At the water's edge, lush, fragile nature blends with the imposing stone monument, the reasons for its inclusion on the World Heritage List. We cross the river to the bastide Saint-Louis, also known as the lower town. We climb the 232 steps of the Saint-Vincent church tower to marvel at the panoramic view over the town, from the ochre-tiled roofs of the bastide to the Pyrenees and Montagne Noire. The tour continues on to the Calvaire garden, the vast cathedral and the 18th-century town hall. We end our escapade on a typically Occitan gourmet note, tasting Lucques olives in the shade of the plane trees on Place Carnot. It's an opportunity to reminisce about this unique stay, alternating between peaceful waters, vineyards and garrigues, hilltop villages and verdant gorges.

https://www.herault-tourisme.com/fr/

Hérault Tourism

Car-Free Nature Getaway