South of France Hotel | Minervois Travel Guide

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Hotel Le Domaine aux Quat'Saisons
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Abbey of Fontfroide	Local Wine Domaine	Cherry trees, Minerve

The Corbieres

Whilst the Minervois are a series of ridges and hills that form the lower reaches of the Montagne Noire and slide down towards the Aude, the Corbieres mark the point where the land rises up again - often in what seems to be geological chaos - to form the foothills of the Pyrenees. It is a big region - about the size of Greater London - and travelling around these hills can be time-consuming, but for all the right reasons: views to distract, lost hamlets to explore, castles to stumble-upon... Close to the coast, limestone bluffs cut through garrigue-covered slopes and rise up in great reefs. Sometimes, the limestone fingers take on the appearance of crenellated ramparts. Indeed, at the site of ruined castles it is often difficult to discern what was rock and what was castle, as the building stone gradually returns to its source.

Heading inland towards the Pyrenees, the Corbieres rise up and rivers cut their way through narrow, boulder-strewn gorges. The vines and Mediterranean scrub give way to dense, impenetrable forests of oak, green oak and box. Higher still, sweet chestnut, ash, wild cherry and beech can be found.
The Corbieres is one of the most beautiful and unspoilt regions of France, full of contrasts and secrets and dramatic scenery. It retains a sense of the ancient; the countryside is unchanged and somehow soulful, and it is easy to slip back in time and imagine oneself in the epoque des Cathares.
It also is home to some of the most famous and dramatically-sited castles in the region, including the chateaux of Peyrepetuse and Queribus, as well as many long-abandoned castles, forgotten and rarely visited.

The vines of the Corbieres endure harsher conditions than those of the Minervois: hot summers give rise to more rugged wines than the Minervois, with an unyielding toughness to match the landscape. The wines are tannic and powerful, but in the hands of a skilled winemaker and with the benefit of aging, old vines can produce rich, supple, red wine which is an authentic expression of their terroir: The best are at once herbal, muscular, with deeply rich fruit and a powerful bouquet of garrigue.

Minerve

Some of the most beautiful scenery in the area can be found on the drive through the Black Mountains to Minerve, Minerve is an historic but tragic spot; again, sieged in 1210 the inhabitants were forced to surrender this time through thirst. A reconstruction of the siege catapult that sealed their brutal fate can be seen across the Cesse gorge, for most of them were burnt at the stake in the valley below.


Lagrasse abbey	Lastours village	Limousis

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Village of Lagrasse

The village is famed for its abbey, Medieval houses and streets, book and pottery fairs over the Summer months, and a lovely 12th century hump backed bridge. The abbey, St Marie d'Orbieu, was founded in 799, with a founding charter from Charlemagne, and it became quickly one of the most important abbeys in southern France. In the nearby village of Ribaute, you can cool off - swimming in the river during the hot summer.

The Montagne Noire

The Montagne Noire is a chain of mountains rising up to heather-covered peaks of over 1200m. This dark, undulating bulk runs from east to west for about 50 km and is the southernmost extension of the Massif Central. At one time, these mountains were enormous - many thousands of metres high - and geological features are testament to the former presence of huge rivers that gouged-out vast caverns such as the Gouffre de Cabrespine, and curling gorges such as the Canyon de la Cesse. Nowadays, these torrents are little more than tumbling seasonal rivers that sink below ground in the summer.

The Montagne Noire is a vast wilderness of endless wooded hills and valleys. Its climate is cooler and wetter than regions to the south, and although the weather can be severe in winter, the cool green valleys bring welcome relief from the summer heat. The climb in altitude results in a broad range of plant species from Mediterranean garrigue to chestnut forests. With the higher rainfall and the absence of chemical herbicides, this untouched area yields a myriad of orchid species and other bulbs.

The Montagne Noire owes its dark, brooding appearance to its dense forests and its dark schistous rock, from which its villages are hewn. It has an austere beauty and truly savage scenery with rocks jutting into deep, plunging valleys. At times it may seem a hostile environment, but its presence is of huge value to the surrounding area, since it creates a formidable barrier between the Minervois and the North, protecting the South from cold, wet weather and acting as a rain catchment area. It is here that the Bassin de Lampy lies, one of the dams built to supply water to the legendary Canal du Midi.
Such a vast wild area, so sparsely populated, is a precious resource for wildlife such as wild boar, several species of deer, buzzards, golden eagles and fire salamanders.

The Montagne Noire also has a fascinating social history and a visit to the area gives a valuable insight into how rural life always was here, until one generation ago.

Caves at Cabrespine and Limousis

These caves are formed in the limestone of the Black Mountains. The Cabrespine cave is one of the largest open to the public in the world at over 400m deep and 120m wide. The adventurous can take a guide for a half day's exploration; the rest of us can view the cave from a viewing point. The Limousis cave is well-known for its beautiful crystal ceilings which extend to over 4m x10m.

L'Abbaye de Fonfroide

Intensely beautiful, the abbey was a monastery for more than 1000 years; the assassination of one of its monks was one of the key events behind the crusades against the Cathars, Regular concerts are held here in the summer.

The Chateaux of Lastours

The 4 chateaux above the village of Lastours are a further tribute to the Cathars; a wonderful view of them and the surrounding countryside can be seen at the Belvedere.