Castle life in Cathar country4 Days / 3 Nights

Program

YOUR STAY AT THE CHATEAU

You will stay at the Château des Ducs de Joyeuse with 34 air-conditioned rooms, two of which are suitable for people with deaf or mental disabilities. They are all equipped with flat-screen television (satellite), strongbox, hairdryer and hospitality kit. Each room has a medieval style decoration with beds and wooden chest. Something to transport you to another era!

The gourmet restaurant "La Cour des Ducs" will serve you tasty cuisine, prepared with passion, precision and respect for the seasons. The dishes are made from local produce for your greatest pleasure and served on sunny days in a surprising setting: the Renaissance courtyard of the Château! For your leisure, you will enjoy the heated outdoor swimming pool, a tennis court, a pretty wooded park for bucolic walks and a cellar selling regional products for the most gourmet!

For your leisure, you will enjoy the heated outdoor swimming pool, a tennis court, a pretty wooded park for bucolic walks and a cellar selling regional products for the most gourmet! NB: there is no elevator within the establishment. The latter is not equipped to accommodate people with reduced mobility.

Need Ideas For A Turnkey Stay To Discover Cathar Country? It's This Way…

DAY 1 : CARCASSONNE / COUIZA (40km)

Suggested visit on the couiza road :

The city of Carcassonne looms on the horizon, with its powerful wall bristling with crenellated towers, still encircling the heart of the medieval city! Take the time to stroll along its cobbled streets, to explore the ramparts or the powerful gates, the contours of the Saint Nazaire Basilica or the Château Comtal: you will immerse yourself in the history and secrets of this fortress city which has been able to survive centuries, wars and epidemics

Option : possibility to book a guided tour of the medieval city Installation at the end of the day at the Château des Ducs de Joyeuse for 3 nights with half board

DAY 2: THE COUNTRY OF LIMOUX (60 km)

Limoux, a small city of character on the banks of the Aude, in the heart of the “Cathar Country” and classified as “Most Beautiful Detours in France”. The city is the birthplace of great wines, including Crémant de Limoux and Blanquette de Limoux, the very first sparkling wine in history. We suggest you take a walk to a site accessible by a paved alley, along the “miraculous source” to reach the Basilica of Notre Dame de Marceille. It houses interesting statuary and furniture including a Black Madonna celebrated in September by the Limouxins, known for their sense of celebration.

INCLUDED

Free visit of the Abbey of Saint Hilaire, in the heart of the vineyards, this former Benedictine abbey placed under the protection of the Counts has gone through more than 10 centuries of history, from its prosperous periods to the darkest, but also its share of surprises and innovation. In 1531, it was the scene of a curious chemical reaction which gave rise to the oldest sparkling wine in the world: Blanquette de Limoux! The abbey is also home to many heritage treasures including: the Gothic cloister, the Romanesque church, the abbey dwelling and its remarkable ceiling or the superb sarcophagus-reliquary of Saint Saturnin, in white marble from the Pyrenees.

“Oenological visit to the summit” : Enjoy a moment of relaxation with a panoramic view of our vineyard around our wines and sweet or savory sweets. Visit of the Château, the vat room, the new barrel cellar, followed by a visit to the vineyard in a 4×4. Tasting in the vineyard of 4 wines, including 2 vintages of Grand Vin rouge, accompanied by sweet or savory treats. A surprise gift will be offered to you.

“Initiation to tasting” option available on this visit

Characterized by sharing and conviviality, this visit will begin with a presentation of the property and its history, the vat room and the sublime barrel cellar. We will then set off to discover our magnificent vineyard in a 4×4 during which we will explain our unique grape varieties and our exceptional terroir. You can then enjoy a panoramic view of our “La Planète” promontory while tasting 4 wines, including 2 vintages of the Grand Vin rouge, accompanied by local platters: local cold cuts and cheeses. Dinner and overnight at the Château.

DAY 3: THE REMAINS OF CATHAR COUNTRY (112 km)

Discover the most impressive remains of the Cathar castles, built on the side of the cliff, mountain sentinels, watching over the Pyrenees.

On the way, make a stop at Pech de Bugarach, also called the Inverted Mountain and the highest point of the Corbières massif (1231m). It is an unmissable belvedere, magnificent and unusual. Its geological singularity is worth the detour!

Then continue towards the Gorges de Galamus in Cubières sur Cinoble. They extend over 2 kilometers straddling the departments of Aude and Pyrénées-Orientale. The river from the Hautes Corbières, has vertically incised the limestone chain of Galamus over more than 500m deep to clear a passage towards the Mediterranean. The natural site of the gorges thus created is quite exceptional!

INCLUDED: THE DISCOVERY OF PEYREPERTUSE CASTLE

The castle of superlatives: sublime, impressive, fabulous, breathtaking, immense, emblematic… In a surrounding nature which constitutes a beautiful setting, Peyrepertuse culminates at the top of a 700m limestone cliff, enjoying a magnificent panoramic view! The fascinating remains bear witness to the striking history of Catharism in the 13th century on these lands with sharp ridges, hillsides planted with vines and scrubland with the scent of pine trees. It is part with 4 other castles of the "sentinel belt" of Carcassonne, intended to protect the country from Aragonese incursions. Visit with audioguide.

Finally, take the road to Cucugnan and the fantastic site of Quéribus, an essential stopover on the road to Cathar Country. In this preserved landscape, the castle of Quéribus launches itself towards the horizon and attracts the eye. Proud sentinel from the Middle Ages, it is the last bastion of the Cathar resistance to fall into the hands of the Crusaders. It offers a superb panorama from the Mediterranean Sea to the Pyrenees and the picturesque village of Cucugnan.

DAY 4: AROUND COUIZA

Before leaving, we suggest a stroll through the medieval village of Alet les Bains, its narrow streets are home to superb half-timbered houses, century-old doors and many other surprises such as the silver glove inn or the ancient thermal baths… In the very heart of the medieval city, the Notre Dame abbey-cathedral is a major monument, revealing its archaic, Romanesque and Gothic elements to lovers of beautiful stones as well as to the Boeotians…

From 475 € /person

THIS PRICE INCLUDES

• 3 nights in a Double Chevalier
• Room half board (breakfast and dinner) at the hotel – excluding drinks
• Tourist taxes
• Wine tour of the Domaine de Baronarques (6 people max) and tasting
• Entrances to the site of the Abbey of Saint Hilaire
• Entrance fees to Château de Peyrepertuse and audioguides

THIS PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE

• Transportation
• The drinks
• Visits or tourist excursions not mentioned / optional
• Meals left free