From sightseeing, markets, and eating, here is a small selection of local activities….
It’s a 15 minute drive to this medieval town with its ancient arcaded central square and its cathedral (500 years to build).
The centre is stunning with its colourful, medieval buildings and is bursting with great restaurants, bars and shops.
The Monday market is a MUST.
Bureau de Tourisme: 05 61 68 83 76
Lac de la Ganguise
The Lac de la Ganguise is a 25 minute drive.
A fully stocked sailing club, for experts and beginners, and claims winds up to force 4 for 300 days a year. You can simply rent, or take lessons, and people who have been say it’s great, run by helpful, friendly staff.
There is also a bar offering refreshments and snacks, together with viewing balcony if you just want to watch.
Contact: +33 4 68 60 35 68
There’s more if you want to drive the 1¼ hours or so to the Mediterranean.
Carcassonne
A World Heritage Site you must see. A wonderful medieval walled city! A 45-minute drive, and 2 hours to walk the streets and ramparts; it’s culture that even children enjoy. In high season, it can be very hot and crowded, so think about saving this trip for a cooler day, or go first thing in the morning, before the crowds arrive.
There is a wonderful main square, full of restaurants. The ancient cobbled streets within the castle walls are amazing to see and also offer lots of shops, including plenty of souvenir shops, local artisan shops and others selling swords and shields for the children!
The view of the whole castle can be spotted from the main road on the way there – see who spots it first! It’s an amazing sight!!
Check out the Basilica St Nazaire for its stained glass, and where you may catch a free choral recital during the high season.
Check whether there’s Ramparts et Lumière during your stay: a great evening’s insight into some spectacular and bloody history! www.remparts-lumieres.com/en/
There are some pretty spectacular events in Carcassonne, details to be found on their website: www.tourisme-carcassonne.fr
The Pyrénées
A 40 minute drive will bring you well into the foothills with a huge range of walks, all very beautiful.
The Mirepoix and Foix Bureaux de Tourisme have maps, guides and advice.
The nearest resort for skiing and summer trekking is Mont d’Olmes. This is a 1 hour drive away. There are a variety of bars and restaurants here, together with two ski equipment hire shops. You can buy day or half day lift passes at a very reasonable price.
The chair lift still runs during the summer for those wanting to climb to the top!
Montségur
From Mont d’Olmes, you can easily get to Montségur, a short drive away (1 hour due South from Pech Luna, via Mirepoix and Lavelanet).
This castle was at the heart of the Cathar movement. Built in 1204, it finally fell in 1244, and 225 Cathars opted to be barbecued below its walls, rather than recant.
If you’re not superfit, and it’s hot, the climb up to the stronghold can take up to an hour, but the wonderful view from the top will be reward enough.
There is also a beautiful village below this castle with a friendly bar/restaurant.
Vineyards
20 kilometres away is the wine-growing region of the Malepère (mainly reds, but some quite exciting and original whites. 10 kilometres beyond that, the Limoux , and they also do some of stunning whites.
We recommend a visit to Domaine le Fort +33 4 68 76 20 11, between La Force and Montréal. It offers a wide choice of wines. www.domainelefort.com
Or visit the cellars of Domaine J Laurens at Limoux +33 4 68 31 54 54 for great sparkling wines – very friendly family run business, tours and tastings before you buy (and don’t forget that Limoux invented “bubbly” long before those upstarts in Champagne. Here it is called ‘blanquette’). www.jlaurens.fr
Domaine Gayda +33 4 68 31 64 14 also has a top class restaurant +33 4 68 20 57 75 (good value lunch at 25€ including wine (best to book), and full blown wine school. www.domainegayda.com/en
Canal du Midi
walking, cycling or just lazing…..
The canal runs peacefully and very beautifully all the way from the Mediterranean to the Gironde.
We’re under 25 minutes from the quiet lock at Le Seuil de Naurouze, and the busyBassin at Castelnaudary (make sure you see the locks), both good start-points for a stroll along the plane-tree-shaded towpath, or you can hire bikes by the hour. www.canalmidi.com
White Water Rafting
You can hire canoes in nearby Belpech at Atalaya Canoe, a 10 minute drive from our house. They offer 1h30 or 3h durations and we can highly recommend it! +33 6 40 57 59 31 or http://www.atalaya-canoe.fr
There are also two companies which both offer a full- or ½-day white-water descent of the Ariège. – Ariège Évasion www.ariege-evasion.com +33 5 61 05 11 11 (they offer canoe hire from beginners upwards).
or Roc Aqua www.rocaqua.com +33 4 68 20 53 97
There are a lot of river-sport establishments in and around the Pyrénées – details can be found on the website below:
https://www.audetourisme.com/en/see-and-do/activities/white-water-sports/
The Mediterranean
The med is about 1hr 15 – 1hr 30 away, along the A61. The beaches to the South or Narbonne are the nearest and there are lots to choose from, from bustling fishing ports to great swathes of sand, stretching for miles. Many have restaurants and watersports centres have a look before you go or you can spend ages driving around trying to decide!
You can go via the D roads (it is a beautiful drive) but takes a bit longer, if you are going to make a day of it.