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Caunes-Minervois

Visit Caunes-Minervois (Languedoc-Roussillon, France)

Caunes-Minervois is a medieval village in the Aude department of Languedoc-Roussillon in the south of France. It lies at the foot of the Black Mountains.

Exploring Caunes-Minervois

Caunes-Minervois is a small medieval village in the middle of the Minervois wine growing area. It has a beautiful abbey dating back to the 8th century. As part of a paying visit you can see the 14th century nave and wooden stalls inside the church and the delightful 12th century cloister.

The oldest part of the church is the 8th century crypt which can be seen in the basement. Its 11th century Romanesque apse with its round shape, conical roof and pillars with carved capitals can be best seen from outside. Inside is beautifully decorated with red marble from the local quarry that you can visit if you wish.

Caunes marble has been used in Versailles Trianon and the triomphal arc of the Louvre amongst many others. There are three different quarties with different shades of red marble quarried in each.

Also of interest in the village is the Logis Abbatial next to the abbey on the Place du Monestier. The Logis Abbatial was built in the 12th century but what we see today was mostly rebuilt in the 1600s.

The Hotel D'Albert is a large Renaissance house and has an Italian style and is the most impressive in Caunes-Minervois. Another large house is the Hotel Sicard which was built in the 14th century and changed somewhat in the 15 and 16th centuries. It has two distinct styles. There is a Gothic part and, to the right of the round tower, a Renaissance part.

There are also the remains of some of the ramparts of the village and four of the ancient gateways into Caunes-Minervois.

Attractions nearby

1.5km from the village is the Notre Dame du Cros chapel built at the site of a water source which is said to have cured fevers. Villagers make an annual pilgrimage to the site in September but it is a pleasant walk any time of the year and the surrounding hills are good for climbing and walking.

A visit to nearby Carcassonne is unmissable.

Photos of Caunes-Minervois

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Address: Caunes-Minervois, Peyriac-Minervois, Carcassonne, Aude, Languedoc-Roussillon, 11160 || GPS: latitude 43.3275, longitude 2.5289

Map of Caunes-Minervois & places nearby



 

Highlights close by

More suggestions: Lagrasse 27km; Bize-Minervois 28km; Saissac 29km; Saint-Hilaire 31km; Saint-Chinian 35km; Fontfroide Abbey 37km; Castres 38km; Limoux 39km; Soreze 40km; Olargues 40km; Narbonne 42km;

See lots more places to visit nearby and a more detailed map at places near Caunes-Minervois.
See Languedoc-Roussillon and Aude (the region and department for Caunes-Minervois) for more travel ideas...

Suggested tourist attractions to visit near Caunes-Minervois, France

• Gouffre de Cabrespine - site of natural beauty (7km)
• Minerve - most beautiful village (18km)
• Carcassonne City - grand site of france (19km)
• Carcassonne - heritage site (19km)
• Lagrasse - most beautiful village (27km)
• Haut-Languedoc - regional natural parc (29km)
• Abbaye de Fontfroide (Narbonne) - religious monument (37km)
• Fraisse-sur-Agout - ville fleurie 4* (38km)
• Jardin de l'Évêché - remarkable garden (39km)
• Limoux - recommended detour (39km)

The French version of this page is at Caunes-Minervois (Francais)