Les Lauriers A South of France Vacation Home Old World Charm with Modern Amenities

Activities in and around Limoux
Limoux Winter Carnival Limoux hosts the longest winter carnival in Europe, which runs weekends from January to two weeks before Easter. Spectators gather in the town square 3 times each day: from 11 am to 10 pm, to follow the procession from restaurant to restaurant. Masked Pierrots lead the musicians, while they dance rhythmically in time to the music, delicately moving their long springy wands over their heads. This rhythmic dance is the Fécos. Through the fun and games of the carnival there is a reminder that this is the area where the Cathars flourished, where the medieval Inquisition was created by Saint Dominic's Dominican friars, and where countless people were burned alive for the crime of choosing their own form of religious belief. Limoux is the perfect location from which to explore southern France, Northern Spain, and the Mediterranean. All major destinations (and those waiting to be discovered!) are within easy reach.
	Explore Medieval Castles and Roman Amphitheaters. Canoe the River Aude from the centre of Limoux. Ski, hike, cycle or tour by horseback through the Pyrenees, the Corbieres or Haute Languedoc Regional Park. Rent a houseboat and revel in the 240 km trip from Toulouse down the Canal du Midi as it winds between plane trees, vineyards, and sleepy villages to Sete on the Golfe du Lion. Discover the nearby Mediterranean with its golden beaches, picturesque fishing villages, golf courses and wildlife reserve. Tour the local vineyards and sample the "Blanquette de Limoux" or any of the other thirty-three local "Appelations".

Within a 20 minute drive: The Citadel of Carcassonne (La Cite) is a perfectly restored medieval town crowning the steep bank above the River Aude. Rennes-le-Chateau's many mysteries that link with the Holy Grail, Noah's Ark, the Ark of the Covenant, and the treasures of the Temple of Solomon have baffled researcher's for hundreds of years. Bathe in the soothing thermal mineral springs in the spa towns of Rennes-le-Bain and Alet-les-Bains.

Lac de la Cavayere with its sandy beaches, volleyball courts, boat rentals, hiking/cycling trails, and forest adventure park, is a perfect spot for a picnic! La Cite des Oiseaux is a fascinating site for visiting wild birds with on-site flight demonstrations. Each day a different town hosts the local market!

	Within a 60 minute drive: The sun-drenched beaches of the Mediterranean! Sigean African Safari Park has all the wild animals you can think of! Ski the Pyrenees! A large selection for both downhill and cross-country enthusiasts. Toulouse, with its two striking cathedrals, rose-brick Old Town and lively street life, is best viewed on foot. Narbonne is a cheerful town bisected by the Canal de la Robine and hosts manys elegant shops and fine restaurants. The Palais des Archeveques and the enormous Cathedrale St-Just et St-Pasteur with its 14th-century sculptures, fine stained-glass windows and 18th-century carved organ, dominate the center of Narbonne. Beziers, famous for its bullfights, rugby and wine of the surrounding region, is home to magnificent, medieval Cathedrale St Nazaire with its find sculpture, frescoes and stained-glass windows. Perpignan, on the Mediterranean sunbelt, has a strong Catalan identity evident during twice-weekly summer celebrations of dancing the "Sardana" to the accompaniment of a Catalan woodwind band.

Within a 180 minute drive: Barcelona! Enjoy the lively sights and sounds of Las Ramblas, the most famous street in Spain with its famous "living statues", while sipping local wine and sampling regional dishes. Tour Gaudi's unfinished masterpiece, "La Sagrada Familia". Construction, begun in 1882, continues in accordance with Gaudi's plan. Barcelona has more Modernista buildings than any other city in the world.

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