Carcassonne, 12kms away, has the largest medieval walled city in Europe, which still buzzes with life all summer long. In July and August an international arts festival takes place, with unforgettable 14 th July fireworks over the castle.

The main town has many shops and restaurants and a busy market on Saturdays in the main square, Place Carnot; itself fringed with cafes.

The Canal du Midi is closer still with shady towpaths all the way to the Mediterranean

The spectacular ruined hilltop Cathar castles, Queribus, Peyrepertuse and Montsegur in the foothills of the Pyrenees (1-2hrs.) are ideal for exploration by car or on foot, as is Rennes le Chateau , the mystic presumed resting place of the Cathar treasure.

The Mediterranean coast is reachable in about 40mins at Narbonne. The beaches all along this coast are long, clean and for the most part gently shelving, making them ideal for families. There are “etangs” all along the coast which host flamingos, wading birds and oyster beds.

To the east are ancient bastide towns such as Mirepoix and Revel with still thriving weekly markets.

To the south, the town of Limoux is host to the longest running carnaval in the world. It takes place every Saturday and Sunday from the end of January until Easter. Every day has completely different costumes and traditions.

Many, many sports are practiced in the vicinity such as rafting, mountain-biking, canoeing, golf etc. If you have specific interests, please ask.

Spain, the Costa Brava and the fantastic Salvador Dali museum at Figueras are about 2hrs away and even Barcelona is just about within the scope of a day trip.