places to visit in languedoc

There is one thing that the French want us to know about languedoc this is the world's biggest wine region, covering almost 300,000 hectares and producing more wine than Australia.

For a small skinny region, the Languedoc has a lot of places worth seeing - too many to include here, so these are two places you must see before leaving the Languedoc.

saint-guilhem-le-désert

Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert is a World Heritage Site, with Bronze Age gorges and caves to explore, and is one of the 'Plus Beaux Villages' (most beautiful villages) of France. But rather than letting these accolades go to its head, St Guilhelm has remained refreshingly modest, resisting all attempts to sell-out and go into showbiz.

Get your children to look out for the symbol of the scallop shells. They actually signify that this was part of the medieval pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostella.  Whilst you're here it's worth visiting the Gellone Abbey, the Gorges d'Herault and the Pont du Diable (the Devil's Bridge) and finding someone to tell you about the legend behind the bridge - a great tale, involving two abbeys, the devil and a dog.

carcassonne

You must go to Carcassonne. You won't regret it. I promise. I could wax lyrical about its captivating beauty, its magical appearance and romantic spires. But none of these words do it justice. It has been called the finest medieval fortified town in Europe, and could probably convince even the most hard-hearted cynic to believe in fairytales again.

July seems to be when everything happens here: one of the biggest firework displays in the whole of France, L'Embrasement de la Cité (Setting the City Ablaze); a large arts festival (Festival de la Cité) and open-air concerts in the evening. Just go. See for yourself. It will be worth it. Promise.