Region description:
Languedoc Roussillon lies south-west of France, with Provence in the East and to the south, Spain and Andorra as it curves around a corner of the Mediterranean. The merger of two historic provinces resulted in Languedoc Roussillon. Once upon a time Languedoc was an independent area and it spoke the langue d’oc, while Roussillon was Spanish right up to the mid 17th century. It used to be known as France's Catalonia and the Catalan heritage is still evident. Languedoc-Rousillon has a unique blend of energetic cities and charming medieval villages.
While modernization is bringing Languedoc-Roussillon on par with rest of France, for the imaginative it is easy to picture the religious battles, given the ruined fortresses, the shape of the small towns and the walled cities. Medieval fantasies stay alive in every nook and cranny.
The Parc Naturel Régional du Haut Languedoc lies in the southern extension of the Massif Central which is north of Languedoc. Lozere is an isolated mountain wilderness which has been home to hermits and the exiled. The Grands Causses lie to the west and are identified by the deep canyons. The more dramatic mountain ranges are the Montagne Noire, Corbière hills and the Cévennes with the deep, deep gorges.
Cut across the middle to Carcassonne, a world heritage site, and you find flatter landscapes surrounding the peaceful Canal Du Midi. Head south and the climb starts towards Pyrennees and its amazing peaks. The Mediterranean coast is made up of river deltas and coastal plains. You will find very pretty seaside ports like Coullioure in Roussillon and beautiful fishing villages Sète and Palavas.
The region has a large service oriented employment of 68% that is working in the service sector. Telecommunications is a large industry, while milk production from goats, sheep and cows is the chief output of the agricultural sector. A large section of production lies in its yearly output of rice, apricots, melons, peaches and nectarines. The wine industry is led by Beziers which is proud of its Corbières, Minervois and Côtes du Rousillon wines.
Port Vendres, Aude, Gard, Herault, Lozère and the Pyrénées-Orientales are the different departments within the Languedoc Roussillon. Narbonne is steeped in Roman history and boasts beautiful tree lined walks, Carcassonne is the finest medieval walled city you could ever see and last but not least, the capital of the famous beef stew cassoulet is Castelnaudary.
The Pont du Gard is home to the very impressive Roman monument Nimes, a Roman arena very much in use even today. History buffs will love the unspoilt renaissance town of Uzes. In Hérault you have the famous resorts of Cap d’Agde and if water jousting is your forte then head for Sète Montpellier. Lozère is all about the great outdoors, from the gorges to the arid limestone plateau and it is home to The Parc National des Cévennes which is a stunning blend of breathtaking landscapes and great walks.
The Pyrénées-Orientales are sandy resorts which include the fashionable Canet en Roussillon and Argelès sur Mer Perpignan. It has a distinct Spanish feel to it and the local language is Catalan. The cubist movement was headquartered in Céret as the museums will show you.
