La Terrasse - RIEUX101

Some facts about the region :
• Rieux-Minervois is an historical village whose timeline can be traced back to before the middle ages. The Eglise Heptagonale de Sainte Marie de Rieux-Minervois is a seven-sided church first built in 1097.
• The Chateau de Rieux is a castle-like structure overlooking the river. It is the ancestral home of the Gardey de Soos family who, at the time of the revolution, were much loved by the locals rather than despised. They were hidden away and saved from a fate at the guillotine!
• The Minervois is one of the wine appelations of the Languedoc, producing some of the finest wines in all of France.
• Rieux sits between the Montagnes Noires to the north, which protects the region from the volumes of rain experienced on the other side in the lush Tarn, and the Mediterranean coastline to the south as it curves around the Golfe du Lion.
• The mountains (which are more like very big hills) are full of sleepy hamlets and villages with their own wineries and restaurants. Many vineyards were originally planted up by the Romans when they occupied nearby Narbonne. Marble quarries, and even a modern-day Indiana Jones-style (steel) suspension bridge, la Pasarela de Mazamet can be found in these hills. The Montagnes Noires provide a network of cycling routes, rewarding riders with amazing views towards the Pyrenees.
• The coastline offers a myriad of different topography. South towards the Spanish border and with some Catalan influences, the coastline combines cliffs and coves with a network of villages as far south as Collioure and Banyuls. Around Gruissan, the coastline is flatter and renowned for its salt flats, attracting the pink flamingos. Further round the coastline and the fishing villages of Marseillan and Sete can be found on the Etang de Thau, where oysters and mussels are farmed in the lagoons. Coastline villages are peppered with restaurants (lots of local seafood).
• Carcassonne, Narbonne and Perpignan are all in easy driving distance and each very different from the next. Carcassonne and its fairytale Cite (a Unesco World Heritage Site) dates back to the times of the Cathars; Narbonne's history is rooted in the Roman Empire and Perpignan is the most Mediterranean of them, with palm tree-lined boulevards. Culturally rich and diverse, they are each approximately the same size, by population, but each with a very different vibe.
• The Canal du Midi - another Unesco World Heritage Site - was constructed to join the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, thus avoiding having to sail around Spain. Its Mediterranean end is at Marseillan (also the home to the famous Noilly Prat vermouth - try a factory tour); it has an offshoot called the Canal de la Robine, which flows through Narbonne and beyond into the Golfe du Lion, near the stilted beach huts made famous in the cult film Betty Blue.

Beaches :
• Narbonne Plage : 55 mins / 57 km (sandy / local)
• Valras Plage : 67 mins / 68 km (sandy / east)
• Marseillan Plage : 83 mins / 92 km (sandy / east)
• Gruissan Plage : 57 mins / 58 km (sandy / south)
• Argeles-sur-Mer : 92 mins / 127 km (sandy / south)
• Collioure : 98 mins / 134 km (pebbly / south)

Getting There :
By Air. This region is serviced by ten regional and international airports - here are their drive-times and distances :
• Carcassonne : 32 mins / 29 km (UK & European regional flights)
• Beziers-Cap d'Agde : 70 mins / 75 km (UK & European regional flights)
• Perpignan : 73 mins / 98 km (UK & European regional flights)
• Castres - Mazamet : 76 mins / 62 km (Paris & Brussels city-hopper flights)
• Toulouse : 94 mins / 128 km (International flights)
• Montpellier : 96 mins / 138 km (UK & European regional flights)
• Nimes : 126 mins / 182 km (UK & European regional flights)
• Girona (Spain) : 129 mins / 202 km (UK & European regional flights)
• Rodez : 179 mins / 186 km (UK & European regional flights)
• Marseille : 180 mins / 271 km (International flights)
By Train :
• From Paris : It is now possible to reach the region by TGV from Paris in around 4 hrs & 30 minutes. The TGV travels southbound down the Rhone Valley past Lyon to Avignon, then
westerly to Montpellier and Narbonne / Carcassonne (car hire depots at the railway stations).
• From the UK : Initially by Eurostar London to Paris. Change stations in Paris and take the TGV south as described above.
• Other mainland Europe : By train to Paris and take the TGV south as described above.
Alternatively, by train to Lyon and pick up the same TGV on its journey south
By Car & Ferry :
• From the UK, EuroTunnel connects Folkestone with Calais in just 35 minutes. Travellers remain seated in their own car throughout the transition.
• Various ferry routes across the Channel from Dover, Folkestone, Newhaven, Portsmouth,
Plymouth to French Channel ports. Crossing times range between 45 minutes and six hours.
The arrival port is likely to influence the route south. It is recommended that travellers select different routes southbound and then northbound upon their return to take in as much as France as possible.
• There are also ferry routes from Portsmouth or Plymouth to Santander or Bilbao in Northern Spain. These are overnight crossings usually 20-24 hours in duration. These ports are approximately one hour from the Spanish / French border and then the journey eastbound is in the lea of the Pyrenees before circling Toulouse and onwards to Carcassonne.