The Aude departement is in the South of France, in the Eastern part of the Languedoc-Roussillon region.
It is naturally popular for tourism : for its mild and dry climate, an incredibly wide variety of landscapes (the Mediterranean coast, mountains, wooded hills, spectacular limestone gorges, wild heathland...) and a fascinating cultural history.
In the Cathar country, between Perpignan and Toulouse, there are impressive fortresses perched on rocky crests, deep gorges, the waterfalls of the upper valley of the River Aude... The medieval city of Carcassonne has 3 kilometres of ramparts and 50 towers.
The Canal du Midi, an 18th century engineering masterpiece, links the Atlantic ocean and the Mediterranean sea. The sunny vineyards of the Corbières and the Minervois, the sparkling Blanquette de Limoux, the forests of the Pyrenees and the Montagne Noire and the traditional festivities of the Limoux Carnival make the region a rich and unique place to visit or to live in, always with the legacy of Catharism. |
