Caunes-Minervois
Caunes is a medieval village of 1,500 residents. It has existed at
least since Romans quarried the famed red marble from the adjacent
mountainsides in ancient times. Dating from 791 AD, the village abbey
was chartered by Charlemagne. This grand historical site is the
principal tourist destination for visitors to Caunes. (As in past
summers, an exhibition at the abbey of the group's work will be
arranged.) Just twelve miles away is the large, perfectly preserved
walled city of Carcassone.
The village is backed against the slopes of the Montaigne Noir, with peaks up to 3000 feet. The mountains are sparsely populated and forested with pine, chestnut, beech, and oak. Caunes overlooks rolling plains of vineyards and orchards (olive, cherry and apple) stretching east to the Mediterranean beaches about an hour and a half away by car.
Carcassone and surrounding areas
Carcassonne, largest walled city in Europe, is the best known attraction of the region. You can drive into the Pyrenees in an hour. Barcelona, Lyon and Bordeaux are a half-day away. Caunes is well-located for day trips to Toulouse, Albi, Montpellier, Collioure, Nimes, Andorra, etc.
This is also Cathare country: Two important Cathare sites--Minerve and Chateaux de Lastours--are both near Caunes and Montsegur, Queribus and other landmarks in the war waged against these heretics of the Middle Ages are less than two hours away.
Points of interest in the region:
- Carcassone, reconstructed medieval Cite (the modern city has a great Saturday open market, also shops, restaurants, art stores etc.)
- Nearby wineries, chateaux
- Minerve, roman town and Cathar site
- Montoulieux, bookstore town
- Lastours, nearby Cathar ruins
- Peyrepetuse, spectacular Cathar ridgetop fortress in the Corbieres
- Collioure, Mediterranean fishing village where Matisse, Derain, Dufy created Fauvism
- Ceret, hillside village with museum where Picasso and Braque painted as early cubists
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