What to visit between Toulouse and Narbonne?

Hi! I’m planning a pénichette (canal boat) cruise on the Canal du Midi. We’re flying in from Quebec, so we’ll arrive in Toulouse (4 adults). We’ll have about 7 days before boarding, and we’d like to explore the stretch between Toulouse and Narbonne since we want to see the Mediterranean. Besides Carcassonne, where we’ve already planned to spend a day, what else is worth visiting? And where’s the best place to stay for good value, considering we’ll have a car?

Oops... thanks for your help! ;)

If you stray from the main road, check out Mirepoix (Monday market), Foix, Montségur (plus other Cathar castles), make sure to try the Blanquette de Limoux, Rennes-le-Château, Salses...

Take a photo of the city entrance sign for... Montréal (between Carcassonne and Bram)...

... and continue on to Castelnaudary for dinner (if it's in August, enjoy the cassoulet festival).

Hi,

A quick detour to Tautavel and Mas Amiel! 😛

Cheers,

The 4 châteaux of Lastours north of Carcassonne !

Thanks!

Yeah, that’d be fun! Thanks!

Thanks, I didn’t know about these two destinations.

Thanks! Visiting castles was on my to-do list!

Hi there, In short, this Cathar castles route following a pre-planned itinerary with stopovers would take you a few days. http://www.payscathare.org/

In Narbonne, the stunning covered market halls, with lunch at Bebelle where they order your meat through a hygiene screen from the butcher next door. You’ll see your ribeye steak flying over your head just seconds later. It’s quirky, and on top of that, the food at Bebelle is really good (check out the short video below).

To wrap up the day, you could either visit the village of Bages and the Étang de Peyriac de Mer, which you can cross via wooden walkways, or head to the Montagne de la Clape between Narbonne and Narbonne Plage. A 20-minute blissful walk through the scrubland to reach the sea, with stops at local wine producers (Château de l’Hospîtalet with a restaurant and museums, Mire l’Étang, Rouquette/Mer, Pech Redon...).

These are just a few little ideas of things to do that my visiting tourist friends have really enjoyed (I live nearby).

https://youtu.be/iN3QRo1EiLs

WOW! Exactly my kind of thing to see! Thanks Kate. Since you're from the area, what would be the best location for accommodation? We're planning to pick up the car in Toulouse when we arrive. Is it better closer to Toulouse, Narbonne, or somewhere in between???

Hi there,

This might overlap a bit with the website Kate recommended, but you can take several excursions in the Corbières region south of the Canal du Midi between Carcassonne and Narbonne. There’s the Abbey of Fontfroide, one of the most beautiful examples of a French Romanesque abbey. I’d suggest stopping in Lagrasse, a cute little village with another abbey. Further south, the castles of Peyrepertuse and Quéribus are well worth a pretty significant detour. You can pair that with the Gorges de Galamus. On the other side, north of the Canal du Midi, I didn’t see the lovely village of Minerve mentioned in the suggestions (it’s a pretty spot with a geological curiosity—natural bridges and tunnels).

What would be the best location for accommodation?

It really depends on what you're looking for! The area south of Toulouse isn’t the best, at least between Toulouse and Carcassonne. I’d choose my stops between Carcassonne and Narbonne or along the coast further south. For the route, I recommend taking the "Minervoise," a pretty national road where you can stop in Minerve (mentioned above), which is indeed a lovely spot, or at Le Somail by the Canal du Midi, home to Europe’s largest bookstore (La Librairie du Somail). Worth a visit—it’s surprising!

If you’d like to stay in a medieval village in the Corbières, here’s a list: www.villagesdefrance.fr/...page11_corbieres.htm

If you prefer the seaside, I’d recommend Collioure, an adorable little Catalan port nestled in a cove (about 1 hour south of Narbonne). If you don’t want to go too far from Narbonne: Gruissan or Saint-Pierre-la-Mer. They’re okay, but they don’t have as much charm as Collioure. (personally, I don’t like Narbonne Plage at all)

Finally, if you want to experience the *garrigue*, surrounded by vineyards and the sound of cicadas: La Clape, that famous hill linking Narbonne to Narbonne Plage. It’s a protected natural site where you can do wine tastings at local vineyards (there are about 10 in the area).

One thing’s for sure: you’ll find better value for money in *chambres d’hôtes* (guesthouses) or *gîtes*, which are usually cheaper and more charming than standard hotels.

But I don’t know your budget or when you’ll be there? 😕

Thank you, thank you, thank you! For your generosity and for your love of your region! We’re really the "nowhere" type—meaning we don’t have a set itinerary. We move forward and stop wherever we feel like it. But for this trip, we want to make the most of the little time we’ll have to maximize our visits, so your tips are invaluable!

hello south of Toulouse towards Carcassonne, there are lovely hills and little-known villages where many Brits, Belgians, Swiss, Germans, and even Quebecers have bought charming stone farms to turn them into guesthouses.. There are pretty churches, old towers, very gentle landscapes, views of the Pyrenees, the Cathar castles of Ariège, good wine, great meat, and fresh vegetables from the market. Mirepoix, already mentioned, Camon, one of the most beautiful villages in France, and once in the Aude department: Fanjeaux, Montreal (already mentioned), Alaignes, Belveze du Razes, Limoux, the Pierre Lys gorges valley... which leads to the Cathar castles, but that takes you away from the canal, where there’s apparently a fantastic restaurant near Castelnaudary (by the canal). Yes, Lagrasse—the green Corbières are so beautiful too.. On the other hand, I’ll admit that next time I pass through Narbonne, I’ll stop by Bébel’s place. Thanks for the tip! :)

Since we're talking about great local dishes, I also think of Les Grands Buffets in Narbonne. If you love eating, you absolutely have to go for lunch there. It's insane! All-you-can-eat buffet for 35 €. Imagine a place with everything you could dream of: lobsters, foie gras, seafood and fish galore, all kinds of hams and cold cuts, dozens of meat dishes, 50 varieties of cheese, regional wines, and desserts that’ll drive you crazy! It’s really for big appetites, but you can also just nibble on a bit of everything (though I’ll admit I didn’t eat for two days after )

😉 We must be cosmic sisters! I'm thinking about the buffet and I'm hungry... (to be honest, it's 6:00 PM here... that's pretty normal!) Thanks so much for the info—even though you didn’t know what I was looking for, you nailed it!

I’m still collecting all the great spots (including Narbonne market and Bebel!)

Thanks Yasaguerema!

hi Kate! oh wow, so early in the morning!!! and I think the Canal de la Robine also runs through Narbonne? It leads to the sea, right? and Frankie, that wild beach, is also really close to Narbonne, isn’t it? oh, the buffets—I know some people who’d love that, my food-loving kids... Thanks again for the tip!! 🙂

And the Robine Canal, I think, also passes through Narbonne? It leads to the sea, right?

Yes, it's a branch of the Canal du Midi—really nice to do by bike.

And Frankie, that wild beach, is it also really close to Narbonne?

Heard of it but don’t know it. It’s still about 40 minutes from Narbonne... Actually, I go to the beach near my place, Sérignan or Vendres 😛

Hi, From what I remember: The Robine Canal connects Narbonne to Port-la-Nouvelle. But why not, Apart from the "bucolic" side???, from what I recall, I’d say... not much. Razul

Hi! Andrée,

Congrats on your 😎ccitanian project!

Just a short ride from Narbonne: Plage des Chalets / Gruissan Plage (the one from *<37°2 in the morning>*), a little slice of paradise. Rentals on Leboncoin or Airbnb, for example. For seafood lovers, the must-visit "Cambuse du Saunier" (check TripAdvisor).

Have a great trip (when are you planning to go?)!

[;]

Hi there, I’ll also be in the area this summer. A suggestion for car rental: check with Auto Europe now (not Europcar). They’re brokers and they really have the best prices for car rentals. The sooner you book, the better the prices. And you can cancel for free up to 48 hours before.

Hi there,

Anyway, you can find some great places to stay in Narbonne here as a backup base for your visits: https://hebergementnarbonne.fr/

Have a nice day!