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Minerve
Minerve ('most beautiful villages of France') is 25 kilometres north-west of Narbonne.
Tourist Information and places to visit
Minerve is a fortified medieval village, with many of the fortifications still in place, perched high above a canyon in the barren Languedoc landscape - the village is on top of the gorge carved by the River Cesse before it disappears underground in a natural tunnel.
Minerve had its moment of infamy in the early 13th century. It was in 1210, that a group of cathars, having escaped from Béziers under attack in the Albigensian crusade, found refuge in the heavily fortified village. It took the brutal Simon de Montfort six weeks of siege, but eventually the village gave in. Following the town surrender 140 cathars were burned at the stake.
Things are slightly more tranquil nowadays, and Minerve is an attractive town to visit.
While here, try and find time for a walk or two in the surrounding region - the paths and tracks around the nearby cliffs are a great introduction to the countryside of the area.
Minerve gives its name to the famous wine of the region - Minervois.
Visit Minerve France: travel, tourism, gites and hotels
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Minerve |
Visit Minerve |
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Map of Minerve, France |
Travel, hotels and holiday gites, Minerve
See the Visit Minerve section above for gites and hotels local to the area. For more general French travel options, see the Gites in France listings, or French holidays for other holidays, and Travel to France for ferries, Minerve car-hire, eurotunnel, cheap flights etc.
Places to visit - Minerve
- Lagrasse Most beautiful village
- Minerve Most beautiful village
- Olargues Most beautiful village
- Fontfroide Abbey Abbey
- Narbonne Coastal city
- Roquebrun Town and gardens
Any places listed above are within about 20-25 km (as the crow flies)
Information and photos of Minerve, France
This Minerve tourism guide, has information and holidays and photos when available. If you have any photos or relevant information please send them to us! Full credit will be given if they are used.
Minerve : Herault : Languedoc-Roussillon
