Things to do

The most characteristic image of the Corbières is the ruined Cathar castle, perched high on a rocky peak with all-encompassing views over the surrounding hills. The most impressive are undoubtedly Quéribus and Peyrepertuse, but there are other smaller ones as well. A warning: their deliberate inaccessibility means that you will have a 15—20 minute climb from the carpark, usually up steep and rocky paths.

Fontfroide

The cloister

The region also has well-preserved medieval abbeys — the most notable being at Fontfroide and Lagrasse. There are also some fine examples of Romanesque architecture, often to be seen in the tiniest village churches.

Réserve africaine

The safari park at Sigean is well worth the visit

For the nature lover, the Corbières are a treasure trove; there are said to be 75 different species of orchids here, plus the typical vegetation and wildlife of the garrigue. There is a museum of flora and fauna at Gasparets, and if you speak French well enough, you may be able to join a guided tour from Lézignan, Lagrasse or Narbonne on a sentier botanique — ask at the local tourist office. The best season for this is spring and early summer (May-June), when there is a profusion of wild flowers, and it is not yet too hot for walking.

For anyone with reasonable French we recommend a book called Les Plus Belles Balades dans l’Aude by Patrick Valette and Jacques Drelon, published by the Office National des Forêts (try tourist offices or local bookshops). It contains 40 walks of varying length and difficulty, most of them off the beaten track, all clearly explained and with plenty of supplementary information about plants, wildlife, and local curiosities.

At Sigean, the Réserve Africaine houses animals from the other side of the Mediterranean in natural surroundings. Parts are accessible on foot and there is also a big-game "safari" route for cars through the dusty grasslands inhabited by lions and bears.

Lack of traffic and plenty of country tracks unsuitable for all but the most robust motor vehicles (or the most reckless driver) mean that the area is also good cycling or horseriding country; there are several farms where you can go pony trekking by the hour, day or weekend.

Canal du Midi

The canal passes just to the north of the Corbières

If you stray just outside the Corbières region you can hire boats by the day or week on the Canal du Midi, a beautiful and tree-shaded waterway (now recognised as a world heritage site) running from Sète to Bordeaux.

Carcassonne

The entrance to the medieval town

During the summer (July and August) there is a profusion of local festivities and animations, many of them free. Leather-clad rock bands playing seventies and eighties hits complete with massive sound systems and laser shows are very popular.

However there are also folk and jazz concerts, outdoor theatre, and impressive son et lumière presentations, notably in Carcassonne and at the four Châteaux de Lastours. If your visit coincides with the 14th of July (Bastille Day — a national holiday) many towns have firework displays, some more impressive than others. The one in Carcassonne is said to be second only to Paris in scale and splendour, and attracts up to 100,000 people. Gruissan, a small fishing village on the coast, is also developing an increasing reputation for its display, involving a sea battle on the lagoon which surrounds the town — worth a visit if you can’t face the traffic jams in and around Carcassonne.

And finally of course there are the numerous opportunities to find out more about the major local industry: winemaking.