The Cathar Country
Activities and centres of interest

  Inside the domain and around, walking and open-air enthusiasts will find paths for long walks or bicycle rides on the 600 square yards of the Malepère massif. The fauna and the flora you will meet on your way won the Malepère its Natura 2000 classification and the recognition as a zone of faunal and floral interest. Thus the Malepère obtained the european «environmental quality» certificate.

  A «Youth and Sports» approved equestrian centre will offer you rides in the Malepère, whether you are a confirmed rider or not. Riding in the nature is a pleasant new way to discover the paths of the Malepère.

  If you feel interested in the very rich history of the ancient Septimanie, you will have the chance to discover a number of cathar castles, fortresses formerly considered as impregnable, and which howling ruins are still tearing landscapes as wild as that history that sculpted them.

  Universally known due to its recent classification in the UNESCO World Heritage, the city of Carcassonne represents an outstanding group of military medieval architecture. Every year in july, the city of Carcassonne is the theatre of prestigious shows.

  Aude also offers the visitor the loveliest abbeys : Fontfroide, Villelongue, Lagrasse, Saint-Papoul, Saint-Hilaire, Saint-Polycarpe, Caunes-Minervois : colourful names where Historic Buildings guides will make you live again the greatest times of Christendom.

  The « Canal du Midi » (also belonging to the UNESCO World Heritage) sprays its romantic charms on the 155 miles between Toulouse and the Mediterranean sea. You can rent a boat for a day or have peaceful rides along its fresh and shaded banks.

  The high valley of Aude will surely stir up the curiosity of those who like historical enigmas and treasure seekers. Eminent specialists say that these places still keep the treasure of the Temple of  Jerusalem that Wisigoths brought here after the sack of Rome in 70. Others say that the mystery is a heavy esoteric secret about Jesus of Nazareth, a secret the first Templars would have found in Palestine. Others talk about some dark operations referring to the Cathars and the famous surrender of the castle of Montsegur in the year 1244. Until now, none of these questions has found an answer and they're still feeding a rich literature and very exciting and... excited debates ! Anyway, all that justifies some pretty hikes in the heart of epic landscapes located between Rennes-le-Château and Bugarach.

  Those who are fond of ancient books, calligraphy and parchments will find food for their passion and curiosity in the shops of Montolieu, named the « village of the book ».

  But Aude will also offer you its sunny beaches, the very impressive chasms of Cabrespine, of Limousis and of Aguzou, the ponds of Bages and Leucate, the spas of Rennes-les-Bains and Alet-les-Bains, the remarkable sites of Bugarach, the pass of Pierre-Lys, the gorge of Galamus. Aude has also a plethora of museums, and the magnificent soils of la Clape, le Minervois, les Corbières, Limoux, le Cabardès and la Malepère: places where you will meet wine growers devoted to their lands and who will set their heart on telling you about their work, about wine alchemy, and will make you (moderately) taste the best products of an ancestral « savoir-faire ».