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Aude, France travel guide

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Aude is one of the departments of France that forms part of the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France - it is to the south of the Languedoc region. The department attracts increasing numbers of visitors since the opening of Carcassonne Airport.

The Aude is also known affectionately as Cathar country, because of the strong links with the cathars that occupied the region, predominantly in the 12th and 13th centuries.

It is predominantly the monuments associated with the cathars that are best known to tourists planning to visit the Aude...although there is much else to enjoy as well...

Cathar castles of Aude

The Aude department is centred around the extraordinary fortified town of Carcassonne and the cathar castles - the best known are perhaps those at Queribus and Peyrepertuse, but don't overlook the Chateaux de Lastours.

Continue to perplex yourself with the peculiar mystery of Rennes-le-Chateau and the nearby village at Rennes-les-Bains then visit the towns of Quillan and Limoux.

Tear yourself away from the cathar castles for a while to visit the cluster of villages around Revel, Saissac and Montolieu.

Other attractions

Need to cool down a bit? Visit the two cave systems at Limousis and Cabrespine, east of Chateau de Lastours for some very impressive rock formations- the Giant Cave of Cabrespine is one of the largest caves in Europe.

A long stretch of the Canal du Midi flows through the region - the canal is a UNESCO listed world heritage site and popular with those taking a river cruise in the region - see also Castelnaudary, a town on the canal.

South and the Aude Coast

The coastal section of Aude runs south from Narbonne, and includes several popular beaches such as Leucate Plage, Saint-Cyprien, Port-Barcares and Gruissan.

This coastal region also includes the 'Parc de la Narbonnaise en Méditerranée' which includes Narbonne plage, Leucate, and the popular 'African Reserve of Sigean' - an extensive nature reserve near Sigean holding thousands of african animals.

Inland towards Minerve (Herault department) visit the village of Bize-Minervois, and also the Fontfroide Abbey a little way south of Narbonne.

To the south of Carcassonne, the classified most-beautiful-village of Lagrasse is to the south-east, as is the town of Limoux. Another particular scenic highlight of the Aude is the valleys and ravines of the Gorges de l'Aude near Quillan (also south of Carcassonne).

Walking in the Montagne Noire

In the north of the Aude (and across into the Tarn department) are a group of perched villages - a network of small villages in the rocky forested landscape of the Montagne Noire.

Perfect hiking territory, the villages are interlinked by a series of footpaths and tracks. Among the villages to explore are Albine, Lespinassiere, Cabrespine, Castans, Hautpoul, Labastide, Latourette, Pradelles and Roquefere. Note: Roquefere also holds a jazz festival for a few days each summer, a lovely setting to sit and listen to some great music.

Aude is generally warm with typical Mediterranean weather - hot, dry and stormy summers - although temperatures are lower inland in the more hilly regions. It is also one of the windiest departments of France.

Photo of Roquefere in the Montagne Noire kindly contributed by Alain Falvard