Occitanie


From fairy-tale walled cities to Roman amphitheatres, Occitanie is the perfect spot for a fascinating holiday


Cécile is the largest brick-built cathedral in the world. The stuff of fairy tales, Carcassonne must be one of the most famous walled cities on Earth, and you won’t want to miss it off your itinerary. This ancient fortified city dates back to the Romans and for centuries served as an indomitable fortress. Unsurprisingly, it has been listed by UNESCO. Head to the outdoor theatre for the Festival de la Cité, which attracts 200,000 visitors per year. In Gascony, raise a glass of Armagnac to d’Artagnan, the soldier and spy who inspired Dumas’s Three Musketeers, and feel the energy of this area's history. Regional specialities will delight hungry


holidaymakers. Feast on cassoulet, farcis (stuffed vegetables), daube, Cévennes honey, Roussillon apricots, foie gras, pink garlic and Roquefort. Yum! ■


FURTHER INFORMATION Occitanie Tourism • www.tourism-occitanie.co.uk


The Occitanie coastline is heaving with gems, such as Le Grau-du-Roi


OCCITANIE, in the sun-burnished south, is mainland France’s southernmost region and its second largest, having been made up of the former regions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées. Its Mediterranean coastline is, unsurprisingly, littered with campsites to choose from, or you could head inland and find a spot amongst the vineyards, or nestle down in the foothills of the Pyrénées. Its capital, Toulouse, is a vibrant city known as ‘La Ville


rose’ thanks to its pink-hued stone buildings, while Nîmes (awaiting to hear the outcome of its UNESCO bid) is wonderful both for its stunning Roman amphitheatre and its gorgeous shops and café culture. UNESCO-listed Albi will delight art lovers with its superb


museum dedicated to its favourite son, Toulouse-Lautrec, in the magnificent Berbie Palace. Its blush-hued ochre, drawn from the Tarn river bed, changes with the light and casts a magical spell. The Cathedral of Sainte-


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CAMPING & HOLIDAY PARKS 2020 IMAGE © SHUTTERSTOCK


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