Property for sale in the south of france

Select Area

Français
English

Property for sale in the south of france

LOCAL INFORMATION

Départements: Pyrénées Orientales (66), Aude (11), Hérault (34), Gard (30) and Lozère (48)

The Languedoc Roussillon is located on the Mediterranean coast, extending from the Spanish border round to just east of Montpellier. The region extends inland up to north of the Cévennes and west beyond Carcassonne.

The Languedoc region is enormously varied in terms or culture, landscape and climate, which makes it all the more interesting as it has so much to offer, whilst still being unmistakably French. It takes its name from the language that was once spoken here, Occitan, in which the word for 'yes' was 'oc'. Hence the name Languedoc means the place where the language of 'oc' was spoken. This is true of part of the region but the south of the Languedoc is also French Catalonia, where Catalan is the traditional language. There is currently a revival of Occitan and a movement to preserve Catalan, with many schools and cultural programmes now offering these two languages alongside French.

The climate of the Languedoc varies between the Mediterranean and inland areas. The mountain ranges of the Pyrénées and the Cevennes have a significant impact on the weather, particularly in terms of cloud cover. In winter the temperatures inland can be significantly lower than on the coast, particularly at night when there can be frost in autumn and winter. The Pyrenees and some higher peaks of the Cévennes are covered in snow for several months of the year. Temperatures on the coast are higher; it can be windier much of the time but with more sunshine. In general though, the Languedoc enjoys mild winters and hot summers. The Tramontane blows from the North West; it is a cold wind in winter and a cooling breeze in the summer, but it always brings blue skies and sunshine, whatever the temperature. The Mistral blows in a similar way from the Camargue eastwards round to Provence and the Côte d'Azur.

Perpignan is a lively and cosmopolitan city which enjoys both French and Catalan influences. It is without doubt one of the best cities in the Languedoc, alongside Montpellier and Nimes, for shopping, partying, eating and drinking. In winter the ski resorts of Font Romeu, Les Angles and Pyrénées 2000, to name but a few, offer good skiing for all levels. Lessons and equipment hire are inexpensive, there are lots of good bars, restaurants and accommodation, and the resorts are family friendly. Some of the higher peaks of the Cevennes are also skiable.

The proximity of the Languedoc to Spain is generally considered to be an advantage for cultural exchange, diversity of food and drink and, very importantly, cheaper shopping and fuel!

The cultural traditions of the Languedoc are many and have their roots mostly in Catalan or Occitan traditions. Music is an important feature of any major event and there are many 'Bandas' (the local answer to brass bands) to be seen at any festival or fête. Bullfighting also has strong roots in the region and regular bullfights are held in the Roman arenas of Béziers and Nimes.

The Languedoc is the largest wine-producing area in France and is home to many household names including Fitou, Corbières, Rivesaltes, Côtes du Roussillon and Roussillon Villages, Blanquette de Limoux and Costières de Nimes.

To this day, most of the traditional foods in the Languedoc Roussillon are dictated by local produce. The Catalans are great meat eaters: wild boar, duck, steak and even snails cooked on an open fire over vines are a staple in many of the traditional restaurants. Many types of charcuterie (dried sausage and cured meats) are produced in the area; Serrano ham is very like Parma ham, although often served in thicker slices, and is delicious eaten with melon or figs, also grown in the region along with peaches, cherries, apples and artichokes. Fish and seafood are popular, particularly red snapper and sea bass, which are caught in the Mediterranean, and oysters and mussels, which are farmed in the marine lakes at Leucate and Sète.

In summer the vast, clean, safe and sandy beaches welcome thousands of visitors but never seem crowded; there's plenty of sand for everyone! In winter visitors come for the snow and skiing. Year-round, there are plenty of varied activities in the Languedoc from kayaking to museums, with something for everyone.

CREDITS

View all our properties

To see this contents you need to install Flash Player version 8.0 or higher.