Information on Languedoc’s history, weather, wine, sightseeing, activities, cuisine, beaches and tourism...

We're simply nuts about Languedoc. The countryside is some of the most beautiful in the world. The weather is warm and sunny nearly all year-round. And being the world's largest wine-producing area means the wine here is cheap and extremely cheerful.

Recently over-shadowed by more glamorous Provence, Languedoc is finally coming into its own. French, British, Germans and Dutch are pouring into the area, lured by superb weather, still-low property prices, and relatively untouched countryside. Montpellier is a-buzz with new shops, restaurants and cultural events. Even sleepy Narbonne and Beziers have sprung to life.

To find out more about this exciting area, simply click on one of the 10 green buttons above to visit any of the 'About the Area' sections.

There's a huge amount of information about Languedoc-Roussillon in this section - some of it purely of background interest, a lot of extremely practical and useful.

Our History section charts the turmoils of the area, from cavemen to the Greeks and Romans to the marauding Visigoths, followed by equally marauding Moors and then into the area's most notorious period - the rise and fall of the Cathar heretics. Then on to when Languedoc was subsumed into the increasingly powerful kingdom of France.

Our Geography section is aimed squarely at property buyers and renters - and gives a clear idea of the diversity of terrain and climate across Languedoc. That way, you can make a more informed choice about the location of your future home or holiday rental.

In our Weather section, you'll find today and tomorrow's weather forecasts, as well as simple charts showing exactly how much warmer, sunnier and drier Languedoc is compared to the UK. We all know it's true - but it's just nice to see the proof!

In our Cuisine section, we cover some of the regions specialties, and give you tips on where to find the best ingredients, as well as where to track down those elusive, non-French items - everything from Thai red curry paste to Cadbury's chocolate.

Our Wine section charts the history of the area's wine growers, shows and discusses the main wine-growing areas, and explains the main grape varieties used in Languedoc. It also hosts our wine reviews column, where wine aficionados Geoff Taylor and Simon Charles discuss their latest wine-finds.

Our Sightseeing page takes all the hundreds of possible things to see in the region, and cherry-picks the top 50 'must-sees'. Everything from the magnificent 'La Cité' at Carcassonne, to less-known gems such as the fortress and village of Castlenou in the foothills of the Pyrénées.

With such a long coastline, Languedoc boasts many beaches - some good, some bad, and some just plain ugly. Our Beaches section separates the wheat from the chaff - detailing the sand quality, crowdedness, amenities and beauty of Languedoc's main beaches.

Our Activities section gives practical information on 14 different activities: Wine Tasting, Canal Boating, Snow Sports, Golf, Canoeing, Tennis, Air Activities (flying, paragliding and ballooning), Water Sports (sailing and wind surfing, Horse Riding, Fishing, Walking, Rock Climbing and Bird Watching.

The Cities section gives an overview of Languedoc major cities: Montpellier, Nimes, Perpignan, Beziers, Narbonne, Carcassonne and Mende. It also creeps just over the border to cover Avignon and Toulouse. You'll get an idea of what to do and see, each city's history, and it's current development.

Finally, our Books/Links section lists what we feel are the best books, newspapers, magazines and websites devoted to anything to do with Languedoc-Roussillon, from guide books and maps, to novels, cookbooks and guides on everything from building a house to setting up a business. It also includes links to buy books or subscribe to any magazine listed.