Why You Should Visit Languedoc in the Fall
The South of France as a whole is a dreamy place where you’re encouraged to move at a slower pace and drink bubbly at any time of day (also known as heaven I think?) Blessed with Mediterranean weather year-round, enjoying your apertif outside is a way of life. Restaurant tables are commonly spilling onto every square, filled with people chatting over wine and charcuterie. So, while considering where our Autumn trip would be, this was at the forefront of our minds. We were only able to take a long weekend and planned it with very little notice, so we booked the most affordable flight we could find, leading us to Montpellier in Languedoc-Roussillon.
Before we moved to the Netherlands, when I imagined Southern France I thought of Nice, Monaco, Cannes, or maybe Saint-Tropez. But as you travel closer to the Spain border, you’ll find another coastal region, Languedoc-Roussillon, now a part of Occitanie. These vineyards produce a third of wine from France, but are much less touristy than the better known region of Bordeaux, and more affordable as well. In the Fall, the vineyards become multicolored, the weather is gorgeous and even less people are travelling. It was exactly what we had hoped for and more.
Day 1:
Getting to Montpellier City Center:
Walk outside to the Airport Shuttle, Line 120. You can pay for your ticket on the bus and, for a better price (only 2.60 euros pp), also pay for the tramway ticket as you will have one transfer. It will be combined onto one ticket. In 15 minutes, you will arrive at Place de l’Europe Tramway Station and take the Tramway, Line 1 towards Montpellier St Roch. We found the process to be super easy and quick! The Airport Shuttle runs at different times during the week vs. the weekend, but you can download the timetable here: https://montpellier-airport.com/to-from/by-public-transports-montpellier-airport/
Montpellier:
We had about 4 hours to explore Montpellier before catching the train to our Airbnb in Carcassonne, so we took to the adorable, cobblestone streets in search of our first priority…Croissants. Just before we wandered into the energetic main square, Place de la Comédie, there was a woman hustling croissants out of a window and we didn’t even question the decision. This was quite possibly the best croissant I’ve ever had. Note to self: ALWAYS stop for window hustlers.
It was obvious this square is somewhat of a tourist trap, so we continued on to Écusson, the Old Town and heart of Montpellier – quaint squares split by multiple narrow streets appearing at every turn, lined with endless boutiques, cafes and restaurants. This was exactly where we wanted to get lost. We found ourselves sitting in a square, soaking in the laid-back vibes of the locals, ordering pizza and wine, and spending most of our time people-watching. After a slight buzz, we decided to explore further and made it about a block before posting up at a wine bar facing the most beautiful plant store.
There are plenty of highly-rated, free walking tours on Trip Advisor and, if we had more time, we would have enjoyed learning about the rich history. Even without the walking tour, we felt like we spent enough time there and were excited to head to Carcassonne.
Day 2:
Carcassonne:
Carcassonne was where we settled as our home base and we are SO happy that we did! We stayed in the lower city, and on our first day, we wandered down the main square to get breakfast at a café and continued our people-watching at the Saturday Market. I ordered something questionable and had to trade with Luke, as is the story of our marriage. We then joined the locals in fruit and vegetable shopping and made friends with a Kombucha brewer (of course), who was determined to make it popular among the French. She was precious. Although, if I had the choice of sparkling wine or kombucha at noon, the answer should be obvious. I’m pretty sure we accounted for 50% of her sales.
Limoux:
Limoux is just a 20 minute train from Carcassonne and was a must see on my list because A) sparkling wine and B) drama. The city itself dates back 2,000 years and believes to have been making sparkling white wine even earlier than the 1500s. Legend claims Dom Perignon stole the idea when he stopped through a local abbey. I can tell you firsthand they may be right. There are two versions – Blanquette, which is the original, and a dryer Cremant. You will relish both. Multiple times.
Canal du Midi:
As soon as we arrived back at the Carcassonne train station, we walked a short distance to the Canal du Midi to sign up for the next boat tour. To continue our theme of the trip, we grabbed a bottle of wine as we waited to depart then joined a rowdy group of Canadians in the bow. As one does.
The UNESCO World Heritage Site was Europe’s first long-distance canals and considered one of the most impressive construction works of the 17th century. Lined with Plane Trees, the Canal du Midi is especially beautiful in Autumn as the leaves change into various shades of yellows. If boats aren’t your thing, there is a bike path along the canal and bike rentals available.
Day 3:
Cité de Carcassonne – The Heart of the Languedoc Tourism Map:
Walking to the citadel from the lower city is an uphill trek worth taking. Beat the crowd of tourists and head to the castle in the morning, only stopping for the necessary croissant and deliciously-rich espresso on the way (or, if you’re an annoying American like me, “the biggest coffee you have”).
Once you arrive through the gates, don’t be distracted by the adorable shops and cafes scattered throughout the alleyways of the walled city. Continue straight for a tour of the castle so you can absorb the Roman history and take pictures of the stunning views over the rest of the city in peace.
NOW you can wander the fortified city. In all of Europe, La Cité is the largest citadel with it’s walls still intact. You will get lost, but at least everyone is selling chocolate and shortbread.
Narbonne – A Secret Languedoc Riviera:
Leave the tourists behind in Carcassonne and take the train towards the Mediterranean coast. After a short 30 minutes of passing through multicolored vineyards, rolling hills and tall grasses, you will arrive in Narbonne, the first Roman city in France. We regrettably didn’t plan enough time to make it to the coast, so we found the first oyster bar we could in this sleepy little town.
We lounged lazily here until we were ready for dinner and walked across the canal to an Italian restaurant because that’s what you do in France, right? And guys, Dolce Italia was SO. GOOD. Now that we found the best Italian in Languedoc, we could claim this a successful trip.
Why we love Italians – “house pours”
Day 4:
Our last morning was spent eating breakfast in the main square followed by a stroll to the Cathedral of Saint Just and Saint Pasteur, erected in the late 1200s and never completed.
Full of wine, oysters and charcuterie (and Italian apparently), it was time to leave the charm of Languedoc and head home to Amsterdam.
If I could go back and do this trip differently, I would have skipped Montpellier and spent more time in Narbonne or the Black Mountains, which are just a 10 minute drive from Carcassonne and would have been a gorgeous hiking destination – stretching through medieval villages and vineyards, complete with truffle picking tours and picnics. There is also a beach near Narbonne lined with oyster shacks and a National Park in the wilderness of Cévennes. I suppose we’ll just have to adventure in Languedoc-Roussillon again.
