In Roquebrun
canoe trip on the RIVER orb
Next to the bridge in Roquebrun, you will find the Canoe and Kayak club. In the summer months you can rent a canoe here and then board a bus that will take you up the river Orb, depending on how far you want to go. The longest trip is 15 km, the shortest is 5 km. You can stop along the way, have a picnic, take a swim and spend the whole day padling back to Roquebrun. Children must be 6 years or older and know how to swim.
jardin méditerranéen
This is Roquebrun's botanical garden, located at the top of the village. It shows the flora of the mediterranean and Roquebrun, scattered over ancient terraces bound together by stairs and pathways. The garden also has a little terrace where you can buy sodas and enjoy fantastic views of the Orb valley.
The Orb river offers a variety of water sports and a chance to cool off on a hot day.
View of Roquebrun and the Orb Valley from the Jardin Méditerrannéen.
Around Roquebrun
gorge d'Heric
Several hiking trails start from this gorge in the Orb valley, 18 km from the house. The easiest route is the paved walking trail leading to the tiny hamlet of Héric, where one of the locals runs a small café in the summer months. It's an easy 5 km, suitable for the whole family including grandparents and baby strollers, but you don't have to walk that far to enjoy a dip in one of the natural pools. There are also numerous places to go rock climbing here. For maps and information, ask at the tourist information in Saint Chinian.
sunday market in saint chinian
The weekly market in Saint Chinian offers everything you would expect to find at a village market of a decent size: Local produce, flowers, bed linen, clothing and pottery, among other things. One of my favourite things to get here is the savoury free range chicken, roasted at the market. Make sure you pop into the Maisons de Vins at the end of the square to sample a few local vines.
wine tasting
Languedoc-Roussillon is the single biggest wine producing region in the world, accounting for more than a third of France's total wine production. The wine district of Saint Chinian, in which Roquebrun has its own appellation, has enough domains to make sure you don't have to travel very far to do a wine tasting. The size and their manner of catering to visitors vary greatly, so ask around at the local wine shops and make an appointment before you go.
olargues
This village 20 km from Roquebrun is officially listed as one of the most beautiful in France, a fact that will make roquebrunians raise their eyebrows, as they think Roquebrun is far mor beautiful. Well, one of the criteria for getting on that famous list is to have at least two natural heritage sites, of which Roquebrun only has one, (the tower), whereas Olargues has two: its bell tower and the Pont du diable (devil's bridge), dating from 1202. The village also has a great restaurant, the Fleur d'Olargues, run by a Danish family.
Bedspreads for sale at the Sunday market in Saint Chinian.
Dipping into the clear water in one of the natural pools in the Gorge d'Heric.
A little further ahead
béziers
Béziers is your typical mid size regional town that is not really famous for anything. I am quite fond of it and use it a lot, as it is the nearest town to my house. It's rather pretty with the tree lined Allées Paul Riquet, the tranquil Plateau des Poetes and the impressive Cathedral with a view of the Orb. It's also a place where you can have dinner at 4 pm if you like (which you can forget about in any village) or shop during lunch. The nicest shopping streets are Rue du 4 septembre, Rue Guilbal and the little passageways around them. Béziers is also home to one of my favourite restaurants in the region, La Maison de Petit Pierre.
A day at the beach
The nearest Mediterranean beaches are located 45 minutes from the house (if there's no traffic). Vàlras Plage is the closest, but I prefer to drive another five minutes to Sérignan or Portiragnes Plage, which are both very nice. Unlike the crowded beaches of the Cote d'Azur, where five star hotel take up a good chunk of the seashore, the beaches of Languedoc are public and there is always enough room to put up your parasol. You will find beach clubs here too; my favorites are Les voiles in Portiragnes and Les Vagues in Cap d'Agde.
canal du midi
This is the crazy and impressive undertaking of one man, Pierre-Paul Riquet (1604-1680), a local businessman who wanted to connect the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean by building a canal straight across France. And you know what? He did. Today, the Canal du Midi is one of the top tourist attractions in the country and a UNESCO World heritage site. It runs 240 km from Toulouse to Sète, offering a range of activities, from boating and cycling to a meal right by the water. A nice day trip from the house is to have lunch at the Auberge de la Croisade in Cruzy and then head to Les 9 ecluses de Fonseranes to see the most famous example of Riquet's master engineering.
The Cathedral in Bèziers, which also offers some nice views of the surrounding areas.
The coast of Languedoc is scattered with dunes. To a Scandinavian like me, it reminds me of Denmark, only with better weather.
And even further ...
CARCASSONNE
The Cité de Carcassonne takes you right back to the middle ages. Situated 1 1/2 hour from the house, it's a great day trip and arguably the region's top tourist attraction. It's also a nice place to try the regional dish cassoulet, a rich stew with duck and beans. Even though this is a UNESCO Heritage Site and a hugely popular destination, Carcassonne still feels like a real medieval fortress, not a theme park. When you pass through the entrance, take a left and walk along the ramparts before you enter the core of the citadel. It will prevent you from walking in line with other tourists and give you a proper impression of how impressive this construction really is.
MONTPELLIER
A third of Montpellier's population are students, providing it with a youthful, modern ambiance and a slight hipster vibe. The little shopping streets around the Eglise Saint Roch are filled with concept stores, small design shops and top French brands. Other nice places to visit are the Jardin des Plantes and the city's art museum Musée Fabre. A great place to have a meal is the Place de la Chapelle Neuve, lined with restaurant and filled with students and families having dinner and drinks under the plane trees. If you want to spend the night, try the charming and reasonably priced Hotel du Parc, which also offers parking on site.
MINERVE
Minerve is on the list of the most beautiful villages sin France, and when you see it, you won't object. This is not least due to it's rather spectacular location on top of a gorge. Around 100 people live here all year round – also the only ones that are allowed to enter the village by car, the rest of us are directed to a large parking space just outside the village gate. Minerve was one of the last strongholds of the Cathars, and the site of one of the most dramatic battles in the region. Today the village is a lovely place to spend the day, have lunch and explore it's history.
Pézenas
If you like to go shopping for antiques, you will love this little town which hosts a large antiques market twice a year and has an entire street, the avenue de Verdun, lined with such shops. (You'll find a few others in different locations also.) Prices here are lower than in Paris or other French towns known for their antiques, but still a bit on the pricy sides. But of course, you can always haggle. Spend a day browsing and have lunch at Les Marronniers in the same street, a truly quintessential French restaurant with a wonderful garden.
The Cité de Carcassonne is the most famous tourist destination in the region and a great place to immerse yourself in Mediveal history.
A table at Les Marronniers restaurant in Pézenas.