St. Julia de Bec sits in an area of outstanding natural beauty. |
The Mediterranean is just over an hour’s drive in one direction and the High Pyrénées an hour in the other with the nearest ski-station approximately half an hour away. The Spanish border is within easy reach, making a day trip to Gerona or a weekend in Barcelona an attractive possibility.
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| The Region |
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| Things to do |
The area hosts a huge range of activities :
The nearby Thermal spa towns of Rennes Les Bains and Ax-les Thermes have treatment centres. In the close vicinity there is horse riding, all-terrain biking, quad biking, fishing and tennis as well as caving and rock-climbing. The nearby town of Esperaza contains a Dinosaur Museum, the foremost of its kind in Europe. There is also a hat museum, reflecting Esperaza’s past as a centre for hat making. The wine museum in Lezignan Corbieres is well worth a visit, as is the small but exquisite collection of impressionist paintings at Limoux’s Musée Petiet. Tax Free Shopping at Andorra, which is a particularly beautiful 2-hour drive distant. Wine Trails and Château Tours. The Languedoc is one of the major wine producing areas of France, with a number of the wines having Apellation Controlée classification, including those of Fitou, Minervois and Corbieres as well as the Vin Doux Naturel wines such as Muscat de Rivesaltes and St. Jean de Minervois and of course Limoux is home to the oldest sparkling wine, the Blanquette de Limoux.
Some useful links: www.polle.net/ton/ (Hiking in Europe)
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The village nestles in the foothills of the Pyrénées not too far from either ski slopes of the Mediterranean. We are situated in the Aude which is not only one of the warmest and driest Departments in France but is also one of the least populated and most unspoiled, a region where its inhabitants have held on to their traditions. Numerous species of butterflies, orchids and raptors thrive here, thanks to the continuation of ancient farming practices such as the transhumance. 
The countryside is wild but easily accessible with over 190 km of well-marked trails, including the famous Sentier Cathare which passes our door. The Languedoc as a region is considered to be the birthplace of the French wine industry with vine cultivation dating from the Roman occupation in the 2nd century BC. 
L’Arc En Ciel is only a few minutes drive from the picturesque market town of Quillan where supermarkets, shops, restaurants and cafés can be found as well as being a venue for various sporting and leisure activities. The region is easily accessible by air, with Carcassonne airport (Ryanair) 45 mins. away and Perpignan an hour (Ryanair and Flybe). Toulouse airport (BMI, BA, Easyjet and other international carriers) is one and a half hour's drive and Montpellier (Ryanair) approximately two.
The area is steeped in history, its Roman heritage evident in a wealth of architectural remains from Amphitheatres to Aqueducts. It is also Cathar Country. The Cathars were a 13th century Christian sect critical of corruption in the established church, and who became victims of a crusade led by Simon de Montfort in 1209, which set out to crush the « heretics » The Cathars took refuge in a series of defensive castles, situated on remote and rocky crags, the remains of which can be visited today. The most famous in the close vicinity being Montsegur, Querigut, Puilaurens, Qheribus and Peyrepertuse. 
The fortress village of Minerve is also a ‘must’, where in 1201 the inhabitants resisted Simon de Montfort in a seige lasting seven weeks. This culminated in the execution of 140 Cathars who were burned at the stake after refusing to renounce their faith. Today visitors enter Minerve by the high bridge spanning the gorge and then carry on into the village past the Romanesque arch of the Porte des Templiers, to the 12th century church containing a 5th century alter, the oldest in France.
The Canal du Midi stretches 240 km from Sete to Toulouse where it links up with the Garonne river, providing a vital link between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. An incredible feat of engineering for its time, it was completed in 1681 and has recently been given the status of a World Heritage site by UNESCO. It is a wonderful way to spend a day or two, floating along on one of the many pleasure boats that sind their way between the plane trees, vineyards and sleepy villages.
The medieval city of Carcassonne is a 45 min. drive north. It is a perfectly restored medieval town, crowning the steep bank of the Aude river. Mirepoix is the same distance to the west and is a superb example of a Bastide town, arcaded around a central square. Toulouse, Narbonne and Perpignan are also within easy reach, Toulouse boasting the new Cité de L’Espace Europe’s answer to the Houston Space Center with its exhibit of the Ariane rocket.
Water Sports on 150 km of river, with the Gorges de la Pierre Lys and St. Georges being centres for white water rafting and kayak-ing, whilst the calmer sections of the Aude river south of Limoux are excellent for canoeing.
In July, the area hosts the prestigious International Folklore Festival. There are numerous other festivals, fetes and activities throughout the summer, from Fireworks on citadels to classical music concerts in abbey cloisters, as well as special evening markets and vigneron festivals. Limoux is also home to the longest carnival in the world, running from January to march each year.
In winter, the mild climate makes the area an excellent base for those wanting to escape the harsh Northern European winters and perhaps enjoy hiking or walking with routes ranging from a gentle stroll through the vineyards to mountain hikes in the Pyrénees. There is ski-ing half an hour’s drive away into the mountains at the small family centre of Camurac, with several other larger resorts within easy reach. |
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