Languedoc-Roussillon places to visit and attractions
Below you can explore some of the most popular highlights and places of interest in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. See also our Languedoc-Roussillon travel guide.

Agde (Herault)
Agde is a very pleasant, unspoiled town a few kilometres from the Mediterranean coast See guide
Aigne (Herault)
The fortified village centre of Aigne make it one of our favourite Minervois villages See guide
Aigues-Mortes (Gard)
The remarkable town of Aigues-Mortes is a fortified town that retains its entire medieval defences and an interesting historical centre See guide
Aigueze (Gard)
The pretty village of Aigueuze, listed among the 'most beautiful villages in France', also has great views across the Gorges de l'Ardeche See guide
Alet-les-Bains (Aude)
The abbey ruins are the most imposing monument in Alet-les-Bains but be sure to explore the town to discover the other highlights See guide
Anduze (Gard)
The historic heart of Anduze, with its small squares and medieval houses, is very pleasant to explore See guide
Argeles-sur-Mer (Pyrenees-Orientales)
The long beach, the forest and the lively town mean Argeles-sur-Mer is a very popular summertime resort See guide
Arles-sur-Tech (Pyrenees-Orientales)
The main highlight in Arles-sur-Tech is the Benedictine Abbey and cloisters, mostly dating from the 13th century See guide
Aumont Aubrac (Lozere)
Not perhaps a major destination but Aumont-Aubrac is pleasant to explore when you are nearby See guide
Avene (Herault)
More famous for the beauty products produced here, the steep streets of the old village of Avene are also enjoyable to explore See guide
Bagnols-sur-Ceze (Gard)
Bagnols-sur-Céze is one of the largest towns in the northern Gard region of Languedoc-Roussillon See guide
Balaruc-le-Vieux (Herault)
Balaruc-le-Vieux is a small village on the Etang-de-Thau and near Balaruc-le-Bains, a long-established spa town See guide
Banyuls-sur-Mer (Pyrenees-Orientales)
As well as the beach in Banyuls-sur-Mer there is also an old town of narrow streets to explore See guide
Barjac (Gard)
Barjac is a historic market town in the lovely countryside of he northern Gard department See guide
Beaucaire (Gard)
Beaucaire is well situtaed for exploring the popular towns of Arles, Nimes and Avignon See guide
Beziers (Herault)
Beziers is a lively, thriving town with a good number of interesting monuments to see See guide
Bize-Minervois (Aude)
Bize-Minervois is a small village but its pretty houses and popular swimming river in summer make it a good place for a detour See guide
Bouzigues (Herault)
No visit to Bouzigues, on the Etang de Thau, would be complete without sampling the fresh oysters and mussels See guide
Cap d'Agde (Herault)
The resort at Cap d'Agde is one of the liveliest on the Languedoc coast, well known for its naturist and non-naturist beaches See guide
Carcassonne (Aude)
The medieval fortress-town of Carcassonne is very extensive and very interesting. Highly recommended! See guide
Castelbouc (Lozere)
The tiny village of Castelbouc, in the Gorges du Tarn, is very lovely and in an exceptional riverside location See guide
Castelnaudary (Aude)
Slightly away from tourist routes, Castelnaudary has a pleasant canal port and is the town where cassoulet was invented See guide
Castelnou (Pyrenees-Orientales)
The picturesque village of Castelnou, overlooked by a castle, is one of our favourite Languedoc-Roussillon villages See guide
Caunes-Minervois (Aude)
If you are exploreing the Minervois wine region you will also want to take a break in the small village of Caunes-Minervois See guide
Ceret (Pyrenees-Orientales)
Ceret has an extensive historic town centre and a Picasso Museum among its highlights. Among our favourite towns in the western Pyrenees. See guide
Cevennes National Park (Gard)
The varied landscapes of the Cevennes National Park are famous as the setting for Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Travels with a Donkey'! See guide
Chateau d'Aguilar (Aude)
The Château d'Aguilar is one of the most famous Cathar castles in the south of France See guide
Chateau de Peyrepertuse (Aude)
Visit the Peyrepertuse Castle, the most popular of the Cathar castles found in the south of France See guide
Chateau de Puilaurens (Aude)
Castle Puilaurens is a Cathar castle of France in a beautiful mountain location See guide
Chateau de Queribus (Aude)
Castle Quéribus is a famous castle on the summit of a mountain in the south of France used by the Cathars See guide
Chateau de Termes (Aude)
Château De Termes is one of the most important Cathar castles in southern France See guide
Chateaux de Lastours (Aude)
The four ruined castles in Lastours, in cathar country, were built in the 13th century See guide
Cirque de Moureze (Herault)
The Cirque de Moureze is one of the loveliest scenic spectacles in northern Languedoc-Roussillon See guide
Clermont-l'Herault (Herault)
Clermont-l'Herault is a pleasant place to take a break if you are exploring the scenery of the region such as the Lac du Salagou and the Cirque de Moureze See guide
Collioure (Pyrenees-Orientales)
With a very attractive traditional harbour town to exlore and a small beach, Collioure is our favourite Languedoc resort See guide
Cornillon (Gard)
Cornillon, France is a hilltop village with an interesting historic centre in the north of Languedoc-Roussillon See guide
Elne (Pyrenees-Orientales)
Elne is a quiet town, with the cathedral cloisters among the highlights in the town See guide
Etang de Thau (Herault)
The large lagoon of the Etang de Thau has several interesting small fishing villages around its edges See guide
Eus (Pyrenees-Orientales)
The steep streets of Eus re very lovely to explore - and it is said to be the sunniest village in France! See guide
Florac (Lozere)
Both the surrounding scenery and the town centre of Florac make it a very enjoyable destination See guide
Fontfroide Abbey (Aude)
The Abbey at Fontfroide dates from the 12th century, and is one of the most interesting abbeys in the region See guide
Fort de Salses (Pyrenees-Orientales)
The medieval fort of Salses was transformed by Vauban to create a substantial and impregnable fortress See guide
Gorges de l'Aude (Aude)
The Gorges de l'Aude are a scenic highlight to explore close to Carcassonne See guide
Gorges de la Fou (Pyrenees-Orientales)
In the Gorges de la Fou you can walk along the bottom of one of the deepest gorges in the Pyrenees See guide
Gorges de la Jonte (Lozere)
Less dramatic and less well known than the Gorges du Tarn north of here, the Gorges de la Jonte are also very scenic and a pleasure to explore See guide
Gorges du Tarn (Lozere)
The cliffs and deep wooded slopes of the Gorges du Tarn make it one of the most lovely places in France to explore See guide
Goudargues (Gard)
Goudargues is a small town on the banks of a canal in the Gard department in the Cèze valley See guide
Gruissan (Aude)
As well as the pleasure port and old village centre, Gruissan is also well known for its windsurfing See guide
Ille-sur-Tet (Pyrenees-Orientales)
In Ille-sur-Tet it is the remarkable rock formations on the edge of the village that are most interesting to visitors See guide
La Garde-Guerin (Lozere)
The isolated village of La Garde-Guerin is one of the best preserved and unspoiled French villages that we have visited See guide
La Grande-Motte (Herault)
The 1960's architecture gives La Grande-Motte its unique character, and the long beach attracts the crowds! See guide
La Palme (Aude)
La Palme is a small traditional village in Languedoc-Roussillon with a beach, lagoon and vineyards to explore See guide
La Pomarede (Aude)
Very tiny so don't travel for ages to get here but if you are passing the village of La Pomarede it is a lovely place for a stroll and a picnic See guide
La Roque-sur-Ceze (Gard)
It is very lovely exploring the steep streets in the ancient village of La Roque-sur-Ceze See guide
Lagrasse (Aude)
The romantic atmosphere in medieval Lagrasse have made it a popular centre for artisans and artists See guide
Le Grau-du-Roi (Gard)
Le Grau-de-Roi is one of the most eastern, and one of the most popular, beach resorts in Languedoc-Roussillon See guide
Le Lac-du-Salagou (Herault)
The Lac-du-Salagou is a popular leisure lake with a wide range of activities and several places of interest close by See guide
Le Pont de Montvert (Lozere)
The village of Le Pont-de-Montvert is one of the prettiest villages in the Cevennes National Park, on the river Tarn See guide
Le Vigan (Gard)
Le Vigan is one of the most interesting towns to visit within the Cevennes National Park See guide
Les loups du Gevaudan (Lozere)
The Loups de Gevaudan park is a chance to see wolves living in semi-liberty in France See guide
Les Matelles (Herault)
The small medieval village of Les Matelles makes a pleasant break from the coast when you are staying near Montpellier See guide
Leucate (Aude)
The resort at Leucate is one of the liveliest and most interesting along the Languedoc coast See guide
Limoux (Aude)
The small town of Limoux is best visited in late spring to enjoy the Carnival of Limoux, one of the oldest and best known carnivals in France See guide
Lodeve (Herault)
It is undoubtedly the Saint-Fulcran cathedral that will form the centre of your visit to Lodeve See guide
Loupian (Herault)
Take a stroll around the town of Loupian, then visit the 1st century mosaics at the nearby Roman villa See guide
Lunas and area (Herault)
Lunas is one of the villages in the attractive 'Land of Mountains and Springs' region of Herault See guide
Lussan (Gard)
Lussan is a pretty village of character in Languedoc-Roussillon with two ancient castles See guide
Maguelone (Herault)
The Cathedral at Maguelone stands on a small volcanic island on the southern edge of the Etang de Thau See guide
Marseillan (Herault)
Marseillan is one of the liveliest harbour towns on the Etng de Thau See guide
Marvejols (Lozere)
The quiet regional town of Marvejols has several interesting historic monuments to discover See guide
Mende (Lozere)
On the northern edge of the Cevennes National Park, Mende itself has a cathedral and other interesting sites to visit See guide
Meyrueis (Lozere)
The small rivers that meet in the centre of the town and the lively atmosphere in summer make Meyrueis a popular detour with those exploring the scenic highlights in Lozere See guide
Meze (Herault)
The harbour is the centre of activity in the fishing village of Meze, with oyster production active here for hundreds of years See guide
Minerve (Herault)
The ancient streets of the attractive village of Minerve are very pleasant to explore, and you also have great views across the region See guide
Molitg-les-Bains (Pyrenees-Orientales)
If you are wanting a spa break in the Pyrenees mountains the scenery and setting for Molitg-les-Bains would make it a good choice See guide
Montbrun (Lozere)
The small but very pretty village of Montbrun is at the eastern end of the Gorges du Tarn See guide
Montclus (Gard)
Montclus is a tiny but beautiful village in a lovely setting on the Cèze river See guide
Montolieu (Aude)
Built on the edge of a deep ravine, Montolieu is well known as a centre for historic books and book production See guide
Montpellier (Herault)
The most vibrant city on the Languedoc coast, Montpellier is a very lively university town See guide
Montpellier-Antigone District (Herault)
In the Antigone district of Montpellier you can see several exeptional examples of neo-classical architecture See guide
Montpellier-Odysseum District (Herault)
The Odysseum district of Montpellier is the vibrant modern new centre in the town, with the aquarium and the planetarium See guide
Mosset (Pyrenees-Orientales)
The medieval streets in the heart of Mosset have helped it become listed among the 'most beautiful villages in France' See guide
Mount Canigou (Pyrenees-Orientales)
Although not very high, Mont Canigou dominates the landscape and culture of the wetern Pyrenees See guide
Narbonne (Aude)
Among other highlights, the parts of Narbonne along the canal and around the cathedral are especially worth exploring See guide
Nimes (Gard)
Nimes contains some of the most complete ancient Roman monuments to be seen anywhere in France See guide
Olargues (Herault)
With a lovely medieval centre and the scenic background of the Jaur river that encircles Olargues this is one of our favourite Languedoc villages See guide
Palavas-les-Flots (Herault)
At Palavas-les-Flots you will find a long beach and a resort that is popular in summer See guide
Perpignan (Pyrenees-Orientales)
Those looking for a traditional French town with interesting sites will be pleased to discover Perpignan See guide
Perpignan Palace of Kings of Majorca (Pyrenees-Atlantiques)
The Palace of Kings of Majorca is an imposing fortress and royal residence in Perpignan, built of red brick in the 13th century See guide
Pezenas (Herault)
The wide range of architecture and its unspoiled character make Pezenas one of our favourite towns in the region See guide
Pont du Gard (Gard)
The Pont-du-Gard is a 2000 year old Roman aquaduct, an extraordinary feat of engineering and one of the most impressive Roman monuments in Europe See guide
Port Vendres (Pyrenees-Orientales)
Port-Vendres is a natural port (unusual here in southern Languedoc), a local fishing town and a yacht harbour See guide
Port-la-Nouvelle (Aude)
One of the largest industrial ports in France, Port-la-Nouvelle also has a popular beach resort in the town See guide
Prades (Pyrenees-Orientales)
Prades makes a pleasant detour when you are exploring the valleys of the western Pyrenees See guide
Prafrance bamboo garden (Gard)
We enjoyed walking through the alleys of bamboo at the bamboo garden at Prafrance See guide
Prats de Mollo la Preste (Pyrenees-Orientales)
In Prats-de-Mollo you will enjoy exploring the historic centre, then the energetic can climb the hill to the Fort Lagarede above the town See guide
Quillan (Aude)
Be sure to take a stroll through Quillan as part of your trip to explore the Aude countryside See guide
Rennes-le-Chateau (Aude)
A small village with lovely views, it is also the legends associating Rennes-le-Chateau with the Holy Grail that attracts many visitors here See guide
Rennes-les-Bains (Aude)
Rennes-les-Bains is a traditional spa town in the Aude countryside See guide
Roquebrun (Herault)
The seting on the River Orb and the Mediterranean garden add to the charm of this small, unspoiled town See guide
Saint Cyprien - Pyrenees Orientales (Pyrenees-Orientales)
Activity in the seaside resort of Saint-Cyprien is most definitely centred around the beach and seafront! See guide
Saint-Ambroix (Gard)
Saint-Ambroix is an interesting town, in part because of the ruined castles and the rocky 'plateau du dugas' in the village centre See guide
Saint-Chely-du-Tarn (Lozere)
Saint-Chely-du-Tarn is in an idyllic spot within the western part of the Gorges du Tarn See guide
Saint-Chinian (Herault)
The busy village of Saint-Chinian in the Minerves is best known for the good quality wind produced here See guide
Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert (Herault)
Even as you approach Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert along the Gorges de l'Herault you can see it is rather special - and you certainly aren't disappointed when you arrive! See guide
Saint-Hilaire (Aude)
Saint-Hilaire is a pleasant village that is dominated by the lovely Abbey of Saint-Hilaire, built in the 13th-14th century See guide
Saint-Laurent-des-Arbres (Gard)
Saint-Laurent-des-Arbres is a small historic village with several imposing historic monuments in the Gard department See guide
Saint-Martin-de-Londres (Herault)
There are various historic buildings of interest in Saint-Martinde-Londres village including a 12th century roman style church See guide
Saint-Victor-la-Coste (Gard)
Saint-Victor-la-Coste in Languedoc-Roussillon has several historic monuments including an ancient castle on the hill behind the village See guide
Sainte-Enimie (Lozere)
Sainte-Enimie is the most extensive, and perhaps the most interesting, of the pretty villages along the Gorges du Tarn See guide
Saissac (Aude)
In Saissac the highlights include the views from the top of the village and the castle at the bottom of the village See guide
Sauve (Gard)
There are numerous places of interest to discover as you explore the narrow ancient streets in the heart of Sauve See guide
Sete (Herault)
Sete is a very active harbour town on the Etang de Thu See guide
Sigean Nature Reserve (Aude)
Sigean is a very popular wildlife park where thousands of animals such as lions, zebras nd rhinoceroslive in semi-freedom See guide
Sommieres (Gard)
Adults will enjoy seeing the many historic monuments in Sommieres, although children might prefer the river beach... See guide
Uzes (Gard)
The medieval centre of Uzes is interesting to explore, then perhaps visit the extensive caves at nearby La Cocaliere See guide
Vezenobres (Gard)
The village of Vézénobres, north-west of Nimes, is a delightful small village quite overlooked by most visitors See guide
Villefranche-de-Conflent (Pyrenees-Orientales)
Villefranche-de-Conflent is a fascinating place to explore, with a fortified ancient village in the valley and a substantial fort high on the cliff above the village See guide
Villeneuve-les-Avignon (Gard)
Losing out in visitor numbers to famous Avignon across the river, in Villeneuve-lès-Avignon you will also find several places and sights that are interesting See guide
Villeneuvette (Herault)
Villeneuvette is a pretty small village, interesting because it was originally built as a cloth factory with housing for the workers See guideFor more information see the Languedoc-Roussillon guide
Tourist attractions to visit in Languedoc-Roussillon
The following sites have received official "tourist classifications"...
Aquarium
Mare Nostrum
Grand Sites of France
Camargue: See tourist guide
Carcassonne City: See tourist guide
Cirque de Navacelles
Gorges du Gardon
Gorges du Tarn: See tourist guide
Massif du Canigou: See tourist guide
Pont du Gard: See tourist guide
Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert / Gorges de l'Herault: See tourist guide
Valle du Salagou
UNESCO world heritage sites
Canal du Midi: See tourist guide
Carcassonne: See tourist guide
Mont-Louis citadelle (Vauban fortifications)
Pont du Gard: See tourist guide
Saint Jean de Fos pont du diable (monuments on French pilgrim routes)
Saint-Gilles ancienne abbatialle (monuments on French pilgrim routes)
St Guilhem le Desert ancienne abbaye (monuments on French pilgrim routes): See tourist guide
Villefranche-de-Conflent enceinte / fort (Vauban fortifications)
Villages classified as "most beautiful villages"
Aigueze: See tourist guide
Castelnou: See tourist guide
Eus: See tourist guide
La Garde-Guerin: See tourist guide
La Roque-sur-Ceze: See tourist guide
Lagrasse: See tourist guide
Minerve: See tourist guide
Mosset: See tourist guide
Olargues: See tourist guide
Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert: See tourist guide
Sainte-Enimie: See tourist guide
Villefranche-de-Conflent: See tourist guide
National Monuments
Enserune
Fort Saint-Andre
Towers and fortifications of Aigues-Mortes: See tourist guide
Towns classified as Recommended Detours
Beaucaire: See tourist guide
Limoux: See tourist guide
Lodeve: See tourist guide
Marvejols: See tourist guide
Pezenas: See tourist guide
Prades: See tourist guide
Regional Natural Parcs
Haut-Languedoc
Narbonnaise en Méditerranée
Pyrenees Catalanes
Secteur Sauvegardé (protected historical town centre)
Beaucaire: See tourist guide
Beziers: See tourist guide
Carcassonne: See tourist guide
Montpellier: See tourist guide
Narbonne: See tourist guide
Nimes: See tourist guide
Perpignan: See tourist guide
Pezenas: See tourist guide
Saint-Gilles: See tourist guide
Sommieres: See tourist guide
Uzes: See tourist guide
Villeneuve-les-Avignon: See tourist guide
Towns of Art and History
Beaucaire: See tourist guide
Narbonne: See tourist guide
Nimes: See tourist guide
Perpignan: See tourist guide
Uzes: See tourist guide
4* Towns in Bloom
Ales
Fraisse-sur-Agout
Zoo or wildlife park
African reserve of Sigean: See tourist guide
Maison des vautours (vultures)
Parc à loups du Gévaudan (wolves): See tourist guide
Parc zoologique de Lunaret
Réserve de bisons d'Europe de Sainte-Eulalie