Languedoc-Roussillon

Sandy beaches with some stylish resorts - shadowed inland by the swift A9 autoroute - means it’s easy to loll in Languedoc, roam in Roussillon or zip between the towns and cities.

Nîmes to Montpellier is about an hour’s drive, but to cover the entire arc of coast by car takes a good four hours. Worthwhile inland detours to Carcassonne and the further flung mighty Parc National des Cévennes.

Languedoc was once independent of France speaking a separate language – the langue d’oc, while Roussillon was Spanish until the mid 17th century, and the Catalan heritage is still evident.

Although the effect of modernisation is bringing Languedoc-Roussillon more into line with the rest of France, the area still strikes the visitor as being distinctly different. Medieval fantasies exist everywhere in the shape of small towns, walled cities and ruined fortresses bearing the memory of past bloody religious battles.

Inland, the countryside torched by the heat, is wild and untamed, although fertile enough to support the rounded red wines of Minervois and Corbières.