There are far too many historical sites to mention them all, a very religious region in the past the Audois countryside is littered with beautiful and sometimes well-preserved abbeys and churches. One of the most beautiful being Abbey of Fontfroide, others include Caunes Minervois, St Papoul, St Hilaire, Notre-dame d’Alet.
Even more famous are the Chateaux of the Cathars, whose colorful past is easily to imagine if one takes the time to visit the ruins of their castles and fortresses. The most renowned being LASTOURS. Probably the best preserved is PUILAURENS.
KING LOUIS XIV constructed the CANAL DU MIDI in 1666. It took 14 years to construct and consists of 254 KM of waterway with 60 locks. Today it provides the ideal outlet for a leisurely water holiday. There are 6 Audois ports where you can hire boats, and where the pleasure barges can moor up for the night.
CARCASSONNE : There are traces of habitation in the town which date back as far as the 6th century BC. Which would appear to be Gallic. The town was then occupied by the Romans, Visigoths, and Saracens. In 759 BC Pepin-Le-Bref took over until the dismemberment of Carolingian empire when feuds began again and Carcassonne became under the dynasty of Trencavel. After the crusade, Carcassonne became a Royal City divided into 2 parts the town which has a military role and the lower city, which takes the shape as the Royal Bastide, an important economic centre for textiles and wine.
The lower city known today as BASTIDE SAINT LOUIS boosts beautiful facades dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries, THE HALLES dating back to 1783. CATHEDRAL ST MICHEL 13th century. THE CHURCH OF ST VINCENT 15th century.
THE OLD BRIDGE connects the lower city to the town traversing the Aude was constructed in the 14th century and is now a pedestrian crossing.
CARCASSONNE CITY is a classified historical site, magnificent with its Disneyland towers ant turrets. In the 13th century after years of war the city was in ruins. Thanks to the combined efforts of the inspectors of ancient memorials the city has been almost completely restored to its original glory, boasting ramparts, draw bridge and castle it is easy to lose oneself in its colorful past. The town alive from side offers not only mystery, but also a wealth of cosy restaurants bustling walkways and an array of small interesting shops.