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Olonzac and the Surrounding Area
 Olonzac
(population circa 2000) is the capital of the Minervois with restaurants
(4, 2 within 20 yards), cafes, bars (4), patisseries, boulangeries,
delicatessens, tabac, post office and professional services (doctor,
dentist banks etc). A market is held every Tuesday morning right outside
the house (and also every Friday during July/August). There is also a park
with children's playing equipment and 3 tennis courts.
A magnificent lake, Lac de Jouarress,
is only a few minutes away. Here you can fish, sunbathe, swim, windsurf,
picnic or sail. There is also a great restaurant and cafe overlooking the
water.
Olonzac is surrounded by hundreds of
vineyards with tasting facilities (in fact 3 are within walking distance).
The hills and mountains of the Black Mountains (leading to the Parque
Languedoc) are a short distance to the north (10 km) and for beach lovers,
the seashore of Narbonne-Plage and Gruissan are only 35 kilometres away.
Spain and the Pyrenees are
approximately an hour away. Fetes, festivals and markets occur all
year round throughout many of the surrounding villages. In winter skiing
is available within a 1 hour drive (France) or 2 hour drive (Andorra).
For the history
lover, the area is full of delights:
Nearby is the captivating medieval village
of Minerve that straddles two deep river gorges. It was the site of
a famous siege and the martyrdom of Cathars by the crusaders. It was a
strategic place for the Cathars and was ceded to Simon de Montfort whose
son (same name) called the first parliament in England and has a
university named after him in Leicester.
Narbonne was the first Roman colony
(200 b.c.) and amongst the many peoples and tribes that have passed
through or populated the area are Hannibal, Charlemagne, the Saracens,
Franks, Vandals, Visigoths (Toulouse was their capital), even the English
to whom the area was ceded in 1360 (treaty of Bretigny) and where the
Black Prince led his armies.
There is an oppidum with excavations
dating back to 5,000 B.C. There are about 13 Cathar castles to
visit within an hours drive e.g. Queribus and Peyrepertuse.
The Fontfroide Abbey is 25 kms
away.
The magnificent World Heritage walled
medieval city of Carcassonne is 40 kms away which has been seen in
a numbers of films. Carcassone also has a 18-hole golf course.
You can walk, cycle (hiring available) or
boat along the 17th century Canal du Midi (linking the Atlantic
with the Mediterranean), tie up to eat at any of the many restaurants that
line the banks or work your way through the system of locks along the
canal. There are 8 locks in 1 area near Beziers.
For splendid cathedrals, excellent markets,
shopping and museums there are the bigger towns of Montpellier, Beziers,
Toulouse and Narbonne.
On the way to Béziers (40 kilometres) stop
in at Bize Minervois, a small village that has the only olive
cellar/museum in the area. There you can buy many different types of olive
oils, olives (black or green), numerous types of jams, crafts, soaps, and
much more.
The Region...
Languedoc Roussillon is the "South" of the south of France. The
region has an average of over 300 days of sunshine each year and has more
coastline than Provence and the French Riviera.
For many years Languedoc has been a well kept secret by
visitors and residents with the unspoilt countryside, attractive local
markets and untouched medieval villages.
Wine making is the major industry in Languedoc and
in the last ten years the quality of the wines has surpassed every other
region in France. From being a "wine lake" of indifferent quality,
Languedoc can now offer many of the best wines in the world
Pézenas, known as Molière's town, is the place where
the famous playwright used to spend his summers away from Paris. His plays
are now being performed there on a regular basis. In this quaint medieval
town, one can find great museums, many art and antique galleries, crafts,
resturants, bars and shops.
Within the region are the cities of Arles and Nîmes, both
graced with arenas dedicated to bullfighting also dating back to the Roman
era. In Narbonne a daily produce market is held between 7am and 1pm. in
the magnificent Halles.
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