The beautiful stone bridge across the gorge, leading to the village of Minerve
Minerve is one of the most beautiful villages in the Languedoc. Built on a steep cliff top at the confluence of two rivers, it is steeped in the history of the Cathars. In 1210 the village, thought to be impregnable due to its position, was attacked by Simon de Montfort and the army of the Second Crusade. The besieged village eventually surrendered when the well was contaminated by the bodies of animals that had been shot over the walls by giant catapults. The inhabitants of the village were asked to renounce their Cathar religion and embrace Catholicism. The majority refused and 140 men, women and children were burnt to death on a giant pyre.
Minerve still retains its medieval buildings and narrow streets and has two museums showing the history and prehistory of the area.
The Canal du Midi
Sit and watch the boats go by or take a relaxing stroll along the canal bank.
This UNESCO World Heritage site is the oldest working canal in the world, completed in 1726, taking slmost 60 years to construct and linking the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. For the technology of the 17th century this was a breathtaking feat of engineering with the highest point of the Canal being over 200 metres above sea level.
Homps, on the Canal near Olonzac, has cafés and restaurants and is a centre for hiring boats. A relaxing 4 hour cruise on the Canal du Midi can be booked with Vineyard Partners. Just give us a call to organise.
L'Olibou Olive Cooperative
Watch the olives being crushed, taste a wide variety of oils and browse around the shop.
In our opinion some of the finest olives in Europe come from the Languedoc. Local production is centred on the olive Cooperative of L'Olibou at Bize-Minervois. Here, between October and January, you can watch the olives being pressed into oil using the traditional grit stone mill wheels.
In the superb visitors centre at L'Olibou you can taste and buy the olive oil and many different varieties of olives. Our favourite is the low yielding Lucque olive, only grown in this part of France, with its wonderfully mild and nutty flavour.
Olonzac Market
The small town of Olonzac, the 'capital' of the Minervois, has a range of shops, bars and restaurants but really comes to life on market day, held every Tuesday throughout the year, as well as Fridays in the summer. On offer are clothes, hardware and household goods, and a fine range of fresh, locally produced foods such as cheeses, poultry, mushroom, hams and specialities such as tapenade. Take a break with a coffee (or Muscat) in the Café de la Poste and watch the world go by. The village of Olonzac comes alive on market day.
In The Corbières:
Cathar Castles
The Corbières countryside is much wilder with large out-crops of rocky promontories, ideal for the siting of castles in medieval times. Many of these ancient fortifications, such as Termes, are associated with the Cathars and many of the most famous, such as Peyrepertuse and Quéribus are within easy reach.
Lagrasse
Lagrasse is the largest, and one of the most beautiful, of the Corbières villages with the majority of its medieval centre still intact, including arcaded houses and the ancient covered market. The village is in a lovely setting and hugs the bank of the river Orbieu. A short walk over the 11th century bridge brings you to the Abbey of Ste-Marie d'Orbieu, one of the region's oldest. This is a great place to take a picnic, and is the starting point for many walks in the beautiful Corbières countryside.
Les Étangs
On a steep rocky outcrop overlooking the Étang de Bages is a picturesque fishing village of the same name. From here you can view the transient population of pink flamingos and other wildfowl. The calm beauty of the lagoon, and the quality of the light, attract many artists to Bages, and their work is to be found on display in the local galleries.
The étang at Peyriac
A delightful road takes you along the narrow strip of land between the shore and the salt marshes to Peyriac-de-Mer, a fishing village on the banks of the lagoon. Part of the lagoon has been declared a nature reserve, and this is a good place for spotting flamingos, herons, storks, and many other maritime birds. The smaller Étang de Doul,near Peyriac, has the notable feature of being 43% salt....comparable to the Dead Sea!
