Languedoc-Roussillon Travel Guide

Introduction

The Languedoc-Roussillon is one of France's three Mediterranean regions, along with Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'azur and Corsica. It was formed from the historical provinces of Languedoc (meaning 'Oc language', i.e. Occitan), Gévaudan (the present-day Lozère département), and the five Catalan 'countries' (Roussillon, Vallespir, Conflent, Capcir, and Cerdagne) that are now simply referred to as Roussillon. In 2015 it fused with the Midi-Pyrénées region to form the Occitanie region.

Languedoc is divided in limestone plateaux and national parks of Upper Languedoc, and the vineyard-filled plains of Lower Languedoc, where three main cities (Montpellier, Nîmes and Carcassonne) are located. Occitan, a Romance language halfway between French, Spanish and Italian, is still widely spoken, or at least understood, by a large part of the population, despite efforts of Paris to suppress it since the 16th century.

Roussillon was part of Catalonia until 1659, and is both French and Catalan-speaking today, keeping strong ties with their fellow Catalan speakers across the Spanish border. Some Spaniards, especially Catalan nationalists, like to refer to Roussillon as 'Northern Catalonia'. Perpignan, the largest city in Roussillon, was the continental capital of the Kingdom of Majorca in the 13th and 14th centuries.

Languedoc-Roussillon is the single biggest wine-producing region in the world, being responsible for more than a third of France's total wine production. Until a few decades ago most of the wine produced was cheap table wine, but following a deep restructuration the region is producing wines of increasingly good quality. The best appellations are Corbières and Minervois. Produced since 1531, the Blanquette de Limoux is the world's oldest sparkling wine.

Regional culinary specialities include cassoulet (a casserole of meats and white beans), bourride (a kind of bouillabaisse), brandade (an emulsion of salt cod and olive oil), tielle (squid or octopus pie), and fougasse (a flatbread similar to focaccia).

No other region plays more rugby in France than Languedoc-Roussillon. Bullfighting is a popular spectator sport, especially in Nîmes, though the bulls are not put to death like in Spain. Corridas even enjoy legal protection in areas where there is an uninterrupted tradition.

Famous people from the Languedoc-Roussillon include (chronologically): the entrepreneur Pierre-Paul Riquet (who built the Canal du Midi), the novelist Alphonse Daudet, the WWI general Joseph Joffre, the Nobel Prize chemist Paul Sabatier, and the singer Georges Brassens.

History

The Midi-Pyrénées region boasts a remarkably rich history spanning over two millennia, beginning with its incorporation into the Roman Empire in the 2nd century BCE. The Romans established their first province outside the Italian peninsula here, creating Gallia Narbonensis with Narbonne as its capital, though the territory extended westward to encompass Toulouse. During the Gallo-Roman period, the region flourished as a crucial corridor between Italy and Iberia, with cities like Tolosa (Toulouse) developing into significant urban centres. The area was Christianised in the 3rd century through Saint Sernin, a Greek missionary who was martyrised in Toulouse in 250 CE, dragged through the streets by a bull destined for pagan sacrifice - his route is now commemorated by monuments including the Capitole, Notre-Dame du Taur, and the Basilique Saint-Sernin.

Following the decline of Roman power, the region experienced the fascinating period of Visigothic rule from the 5th century, when Toulouse became the capital of the Visigothic Kingdom that stretched from southwestern Gaul into Spain. Contrary to popular perception, the Visigoths were sophisticated rulers who maintained Roman legal traditions through the Breviary of Alaric, preserving a high degree of civilisation and allowing the emergence of a prosperous urban bourgeoisie. After the Frankish victory at the Battle of Vouillé in 507, the Visigoths retreated beyond the Pyrenees, though they retained control of Septimanie (roughly modern-day Languedoc-Roussillon). Under Carolingian rule, the County of Toulouse expanded dramatically, extending its influence as far as the Rhône river, whilst the 11th century witnessed remarkable urban growth including the founding of Montpellier and the flourishing of Occitan literature through the troubadour tradition.

The region's most tumultuous chapter unfolded during the 13th century with the devastating Albigensian Crusade (1209-1229), launched by Pope Innocent III to eradicate the Cathar religious movement that had gained substantial support among the local nobility. This brutal campaign, which began with the massacre of 15,000-20,000 inhabitants of Béziers in a single day, fundamentally transformed the political landscape of southern France. The crusade served dual purposes: eliminating what the Catholic Church deemed heretical beliefs whilst simultaneously allowing the French crown to assert control over the previously independent territories of Languedoc. By 1271, Toulouse had been brought under direct French rule, marking the end of the region's political independence and the beginning of its integration into the expanding French kingdom. The aftermath saw the construction of the imposing Sainte-Cécile cathedral in Albi as a symbol of Catholic dominance, whilst the distinct regional culture of Languedoc was significantly diminished.

Cuisine

Languedoc-Roussillon’s cooking is rooted in the Mediterranean diet, with olive oil, garlic and locally foraged garrigue herbs such as thyme, rosemary and bay leaf flavouring most dishes. The long, sunny coastline and the Thau lagoon supply abundant seafood: Bouzigues oysters are cultivated on ropes to compensate for the lack of tides, while red mullet, sea bass and Collioure anchovies appear daily on market stalls. Inland vineyards create France’s second-largest AOC wine region, so meals are naturally accompanied by a glass of local red, white or rosé.

Signature plates are both hearty and inventive. The celebrated cassoulet, a slow-cooked stew of haricot beans, duck confit and Toulouse sausage, claims its birthplace in Castelnaudary but is hotly contested by Carcassonne and Toulouse. Coastal towns contribute brandade de Nîmes, a whipped purée of salt cod and olive oil, the fiery octopus pie tielle sétoise imported from Naples in the 14th century, and stuffed squid ‘à la Sétoise’ simmered in tomato sauce. Catalan influence shows in cargolade—snails grilled in their shells with herbs—while mountain menus offer aligot, an elastic mix of mashed potato and melted Tomme cheese, and the Gard’s bull-wine stew gardiane. Charcuterie from the Haut Languedoc, where pigs feed on chestnuts and acorns, rounds out the region’s meaty repertoire.

Cheeseboards highlight Pélardon, a tangy raw-milk goat cheese from the Cévennes, alongside Roquefort matured in the caves of the Larzac plateau. Sweet bites range from the cotton-reel shaped petit pâté de Pézenas filled with spiced lamb and candied fruit, to honey-and-liquorice ‘grisettes’ of Montpellier and the citrus-scented crème catalane. Market stalls brim with Cévennes chestnuts, wild mushrooms and the mild Lézignan onion known as the cèbe, and apéritif hour features Lucques olives with tapenade, glasses of vermouth-based Byrrh or Noilly Prat and, of course, one of the region’s many AOC wines—the second-largest output in France.