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Cabannes (5 minutes walk down, 10 minutes walk back up!, from Cherry
Cottage): Although only having 300 or so inhabitants, the village of
Les Cabannes is extraordinarily well served with every essential, and many
non essential, facilities. It has 2 general stores, a newsagent (La
Tabac), a bakery (Le Croustidor), pub (Le mioure), bar (Olympic Bar), 2
restaurants (Le Chalut and Le Trevi), a take away pizza place (Santa Fe),
3 Hairdressers, an open air swimming pool (open July and August), tennis
courts and a
crazy golf pitch (July and August).
Ask Cathy and James for more information
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Ax les Thermes (20 mins
drive/train from Les Cabannes):  A spa town that has been inhabited since Roman times, due to its thermal springs which still flow freely down the streets. It is now a popular base for summer and winter activity holidays enhancing its charm with lots of interesting shops, restaurants and lively bars. Ax has links to the downhill ski station of Ax- Bonascre, which starts at 2400m and descends to 1400m. Opening in late 2008 is the beautifully refurbished spa centre with jacuzzi, steam rooms, spa pool and massage rooms. There are several round trip walks from the centre of Ax (ask Cathy or James for details) |
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 Mirepoix (50mins drive/train from Les Cabannes): Originally a Cathar stronghold, held for the Count of Toulouse, it was destroyed in the Albigensian Crusade. It was later rebuilt by the Levis family, as a bastide in 1279, and is typical of such a town, with covered walkways and mediaeval architecture. It is another tranquil town to explore, with plenty of Brocante (antique shops) and street cafe's.
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 Toulouse (90 mins drive/90 mins train from Les Cabannes): Often known as the pink city due to its common pink/red brickwork, Toulouse is in fact France's 4th largest city, and as such, has everything you could hope to find in such a place. The historic centre and maze of small streets makes for some interesting exploring, and there are many cafes and restaurants to try. Toulouse is famous for its opera house, its rugby, its students, and for the aerospace industry. In fact the Space Museum is well worth visiting. For various information on things to do in Toulouse please look at this excellent online City Guide. |
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Rennes Le Chateau (90mins drive from
Les Cabannnes): This medieval
castle village in the Aude has found fame worldwide in the mystery it
holds about the existence of a hidden treasure (perhaps the Cathar
treasure!) in its small village church. This story captured the
public imagination and has grown to the point that it has been cited in a
number of conspiracy theories and mentioned in the book 'Holy Blood Holy Grail'
and the 'Da Vinci Code'.
In reality, Rennes le Chateau is a small village with only 111 inhabitants, that none the less, attracted over 100,000 visitors last year. It lies in a scenic area known for its towering mountains, deep gorges, forests, caves and wild remote plateaus. The village church, where in the early 19th century, the priest Bérenger Saunière supposedly discovered a fortune, is small and somewhat bizarre in its decoration, a fact which seems to add fuel to the stories of clues for hidden treasure being secreted in the building. The interest in the area has affected the village to the extent where entry to the church is scheduled to be only for the first 15 minutes of every hour. The church is closely supervised to prevent re-occurrence of previous zealous treasure hunters who have attempted to dig for treasure in the church building itself! If you are interested in Cathar history and the various mysteries abounding this area, then it is a must visit. If not, then I would suggest you focus on the wine tasting in the area as an alternative! |
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For all enquiries, please contact info@cherrycottage-gite.com
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Carcassonne (90mins drive): Famous for its incredible walled city (le cite), often pictured bathed in
spotlights in the evening/night, Carcassonne is a popular tourist
destination. The cite itself was built on its current spot by the
Gauls, Romans, Visigoths, Moors and Franks. In the 13th Century it became
a Cathar stronghold, but suffered in the Crusades. By the 18th
century it was 'little more than a slum' but was saved from demolition by
the enthusiasm and vision of one individual, Viollet le Duc who encouraged
the restoration that was completed by 1910. Unfortunately now only the
lower section of the Cite walls are original, the rest having been
restored or added later. Although the inside the walls of the
Cite have been fully developed for tourists, with shops and cafe's and
souvenirs readily available, it is definitely worth a visit. Walking
around the outside of the walls is particularly pleasant, with some
stunning views. The 'new' town outside of the Cite is also worth an
explore, and in fact offers its own share of shops and restaurants, often
at less inflated prices.