Walking & Mountain Biking

There are hundreds of km of routes across the rolling hillsides and through the local vineyards and woodlands.  Some way marked paths go right past our house, so its possible to access routes in the commune of St Hilaire directly from the front door.  Other places are just a short car ride away.  Pictures of the immediate local landscape are shown on the "Locality" page.

Some information is available in the apartment and more can be found through the excellent tourist office in Limoux and by using local maps.

The nearest significant peak is Bugarach which can be walked on a pleasant circular route starting and finishing in the village of Bugarach .  Here there is a good bar for refreshments, there is also a welcome cafe bar / snack room run from a farm by the top of a pass.

Other Pyrenean mountains within striking distance include Pic de Carnigou (right) and Pic des Trois Seigneurs (below).  There are lovely alpine flowers to be found (below right), many birds of prey, marmottes and if you are lucky Isards (Pyrenean chamois).

Mountain bike hire is available locally in Limoux from Dejean's hire and Taillefer's bike shop and also further down the Aude valley at the towns of Quiza and Quillan.

Every May in Quillan there is a tough cross country competition, Le Carach Bike open to all-comers.

With 170km of navigation from the pyrenees to the Mediterranean, rafting, kayaking and the like are a major activity on the Aude  which offers grade II to grade IV white water.  There are centres for canoe hire, kayak hire and rafting all along the river from Limoux through Alet-les-Bains, Cuiza and Quillan to Axat.  Usually equipment can either be hired independently or used on guided and supervised trips.  Canoe slalom courses are also available at times, like the one almost visible through the trees (below right) in Quillan. 

Fishing: The Aude is a category 1 river with abundant trout and equipment, advice and information is available in Limoux.  There is also trout, salmon and pike fishing available at various private lakes.

Swimming:  Fresh water lakes for swimming can be found at Arques (13th century castle open March to November) 30mins away and Chalabre 40 mins drive.  River swimming is available on the Saltz about 20 mins distant. Limoux has indoor and outdoor swimming pools and Alet-les-Bains has an outdoor pool filled with fresh spa water.

Food Culture  &  Markets:

There is a strong culture of local food production and excellent local patisseries boulangeries (bakers) and charcuteries, some winning regional and national awards.  The Limoux chocolate and nougat specialist Pujola has a particularly fine range of sweets and chocolates for sale as well as very tasty one portion tartes which are excellent for picnic lunches. Shopkeepers make attractive displays of their food for festive occasions throughout the year.   Markets take place in Limoux at the main town square (household and tourist goods), the market place by the post office (fresh produce) and on the esplanade outside the town wall (a mixture).

Evening markets with products from around the world enliven the summer months in Limoux and in Quillan.  Markets on various days can also be found at Carcassonne, Esperaza, Quillan and Mirepoix.  Aude food specialities include: onions, green asparagus; apricots; cherries;  goats cheeses; fois-gras; lamb and pork.  Even the supermarkets stock regional and local produce including mountain honeys and the local nougat.

Vineyards:

There are many excellent wines produced in the area.  Limoux has some of the very best Chardonnay in the world, winning top prizes in Paris and is also renowned for its Blanquette - a sparkling wine which predates Champagne.  There are also local organic producers.  To make the most of the choice of wines it is advisable and enjoyable to do some tasting at local vineyards, wine merchants, or at the wine producers cooperative.  For those of us who like a dry style of sparkling white its particularly important to taste before purchase! 

Spa Therapies:   

A full range of thermal spa therapies and massage can be enjoyed at the ancient spa town of Alet-les-Bains just 10 minutes down the road from Limoux.  The outdoor swimming pool is filled with mineral water from the hills at a tempting 24^oC and there are plenty of river based water sports to occupy more active holiday makers while you enjoy the relaxation of the spa.

Castles & Abbeys:

There are 10 Cathare castles plus the medieval Cities of Carcassonne and Fanjeaux listed by the Aude tourist office.  Most are dramatically situated, many on rocky mountain sites and all are within approx 1 1/2 hrs drive of Pieusse. The village of Pieusse itself has an original fortified Cathare stronghold. 

        Termes Castle:

There are abbeys dating from the 8th, 11th and 12th centuries all involved in one way or another in the Cathare crusades and  so with complex and varied histories.  Some as at Alet-les-Bains are in ruins, others like Saint-Hilaire remain in active use. Most are under an hour away from our apartment.

Below is the gothic cloister at St Hilaire (10 mins)

Pictured below Peyrepertuse:

Arques and Queribus castles:

Other Castles: Saissac; Lastours; Puilaurens; Puivert; Aguilar and Villerouge

There are many other interesting things to do and places to visit including:

Falconry demonstrations at Carcassonne

Skiing from 1 1/2 hrs away in the winter months

Le Jardin aux Plantes - fragrant and delightful gardens at Limoux

Elevated forestry adventure course (Alet les Bain approx 10 mins)

Perfumery - guided tours at a domaine for the cultivation and distillation of aromatic plants, AJAC 15 mins away, open Apr to Sept

Prehistory Museum and Caves with prehistoric cave paintings, Niaux 09400 90 mins drive, book ahead, tel France 0561058836

The Tour de France usually passes pretty close by in its Pyrenean stages in July: