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LES EAUX TRANQUILLES
Located Within The Heart Of Cathar Country In The Aude Languedoc Region Of (SW) France.
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| | | Les Eaux Tranquilles Chambres D'Hotes (B&B, Bed and Breakfast, Inn) in Belvianes et Cavirac is 50km south of Carcassonne and 55km North of Perpignan and is centrally located within the heart of Cathar Country in the Aude Languedoc region of (SW) France. Les Eaux Tranquilles sits in 2 acres of park bordered by the river Aude with the Pyrenees Mountains forming a dramatic backdrop.
Prices from € 40 to € 60 /room/night, Open All Year, Evening Meal Available, English & French spoken, | | | | | Overview | | | Les Eaux Tranquilles Chambres D'Hotes (B&B, Bed and Breakfast, Inn) in Belvianes et Cavirac is 50km south of Carcassonne and 55km North of Perpignan and is centrally located within the heart of Cathar Country in the Aude Languedoc region of (SW) France. Les Eaux Tranquilles sits in 2 acres of park bordered by the river Aude with the Pyrenees Mountains forming a dramatic backdrop. | | | Accommodation | | We have two double bedded rooms, one king size room and a twin bedded room currently available all of which benefit from en-suite private bathrooms. All our rooms have central heating for winter guests, fly screens and their own hot water system.
Sleeping up to 8 people | | | | Aude | Sleeps 2; €40 / room / night | |  | This upstairs twin bedded room with en suite bathroom containing shower, sink, toilet and hair drier is available at a reasonable price. It has pleasant views overlooking the river Aude. As a budget room there are no tea or coffee facilities. | | | |
| Fontainebleau (River View) | Sleeps 2; €50 / room / night | |  | This reasonably sized double bedded room contains a fitted wardrobe, tea and coffee making facilities, hair drier and vanity unit with sink. Adjacent is located the en-suit shower room with WC. | | | |
| Lavender (Mountain View) | Sleeps 2; €60 / room / night | |  | Our most spacious, double bedded room decorated in a light lavender colour with white quarter height wood panelling benefits from a king size bed. Adjacent to the master bedroom is a full en-suite spacious bathroom with bath, bidet, WC, shower and a vanity unit with washbasin. | | | |
| SAUGE (RIVER VIEW) | Sleeps 2; €60 / room / night | |  | Sauge (River View)
This beautiful en-suite double bedded room, new for 2005 decorated in a subtle green has wonderful views of the river Aude and mountains. The newly fitted large en-suite bathroom comprises of bath, WC, vanity unit with washbasin and an invigorating hydrotherapeutic shower. | | | |
| | | Facilities | | | | Open All YearEvening Meal AvailableEnglish & French spokenGardenParking | | | The Area | | | Languedoc covers roughly the region between the Rhône and the Aude River, extending northwards to the Cévennes and the Massif Central. The name derives from Occitan (French: langue d'oc), the language spoken in the region before French became the general usage language.
Languedoc has been settled by the Greeks, Phoenicians and Romans, and invaded by the Alamanni, Vandals, Visigoths, and Saracens. Some parts of this area have been part of the dominions of the kings of Aragon and the kings of Majorca; it did not come under French control until the 16th century.
Aude from the Mediterranean to the Pyrenees, the Aude Cathar Country possesses such a variety of landscapes and prestigious sites as to satisfy the most demanding. In natural, spectacular locations you will discover not only the Cathar Country castles, but also the Medieval City of Carcassonne (UNESCO World Heritage Site), the Romanesque abbeys and cloisters, or the pink flamingos which populate the coastal lagoons…
You can also linger in the centuries old shade of the Canal du Midi (classified a World Heritage Site by UNESCO as well) or choose to practise any or all open air mountain and sea activities.
But in any case, allow yourself to be tempted by the gourmet delight, fine wines and gastronomy of the Aude.
This is the area of France in which we live and below are some of the places you can visit. Wherever possible you will find the name is linked to the official website of the town or place.
Pierre-Lys Gorge
One of the three primary gorges on the river Aude is located some 100 metres from our house. The gorge with its high cliffs was created thousands of years ago by the passage of the Aude through the sandstone rocks.
In 1774, Felix Armand was named parish priest of Saint:Martin Lys, a small village boxed in the gorge of the Aude. This place, like the whole of the high valley, suffers from the enclosing mountains of the gorge and was a danger to the travellers who risked traversing the paths of the high precipice. Felix Armand decided to create a project to build a road through the gorge for travellers to use.
Paying for this himself and totally aware of the risks involved he mobilises his parishioners and starts work. The Revolution interrupts the building and Felix Armand had to take refuge in Spain before clandestinely returning to continue both his ministry and work with the support of his parishioners. The work was however recognized by the authorities and the construction could be carried out in the long term through the First Empire and Restoration.
In modern times the road links Carcassonne to Perpignan and beyond to Spain and is a popular route for those not wishing to use the Autoroute (Toll Road).
Quillan
Our nearest major village is Quillan some four minutes away by car and is built on the side of the Colline de Vitrages (Vitrages Hill) at the foot of the Trois Quilles. There is a variety of shops, bars and restaurants located here. The village, which is dominated by the ruins of an imposing fortress, is on the banks of the Aude and enjoys a truly magnificent setting in the middle of a circle of mountains, and in a area full of pine forests, streams and valleys. Just down the road is the Rebenty Valley, a fishermans paradise strewed with streams and fish breeding farms. In Quillan on the Esplanade de la Gare (Station Parade), you will find a statue of Abbot Felix Armand who, by opening a road towards Spain (now called the D117) through the Pierre-Lys Pass, helped open up the region.
Limoux
Situated in 25 km of Carcassonne, Limoux is the major town of the region with some 10,000 inhabitants. Although inhabited since Neolithic times the town was actually founded in the 8th century but now centered on the 12th century church which with the active support of a heretic bishop, served as a refuge for the Cathars. Twice besieged and taken, all it's inhabitants were excommunicated for their revolt. From the middle ages to modern times the town has lived from the cloth making industry, cereal growing and winemaking. In spite of it's fortifications, Limoux wasn't spared the ravages of the Hundred Years War or the 'War of Religions'. In the 19th century, the cloth making industry was replaced by shoemaking, whilst winemaking increased in importance. The Place de la Republique and it's arcades constitute the lively town centre. Saint Martin's Church still has a nave and Romanesque porch dating from the original construction. In the heart of "Cathar Country", Limoux, is perfectly in harmony with its mountain, its surrounding vineyards, the guarrigue, and the very close sea. Its Mediterranean climate (similar to Quillan) allows in a better way the city to express its quality of life emerging from its fabulous soil products.
Every year, Limoux organizes its carnival which looks like no other one. It lasts 3 months, starting in January and ending in March. The gastronomy is almost vital in its culture : you can discover pébradous (cakes with pepper) in aperitif, artichokes salads, the duck cooked in the way called limouxine (cooked with saffron and garlic), the nougat, the candies and the chocolates.
The Blanquette de Limoux is probably the worlds oldest sparkling wine. In 1531, a monk from Saint-Hilaire Abbey, whose responsibility it was to watch over the wine after the harvest, noticed that the wine (bottled and corked) had 'worked' and formed a mouse. The method was refined over time, but the fine bubbles still come from three authorised cepages (variety of grapes), the mauzac, the chardonnay and the chenin, which produce the Blanquette, the Cremant and the Chardonnay de Limoux. All three of these wines are classed as some the most famous in the world.
Alet Les Bains
At the entrance to the high valley, the site was well know to the Romans who took the cures at the waters. This can be seen from the result of archaeological digs (the remains of the roman therms) and from the piers of the bridge over the rive Aude. Alet subsequently an episcopal town. Some maintain that the apse of the abbey church was built on the site of an ancient temple to Diana. From it's ancient past, Alet has kept a certain mediaeval look, with remnants of it's ramparts, and half timbered or corbelled facades lining many of it's old streets. The therms are fed with water by a spring which is rich in chalk and bicarbonate and which is used for thermal cures as well as being bottled for consumption. In the surrounds, Saint Salvayre Peak offers a unique panoramic view over the Pyrenees and Corbieres.
Rennes Les Bains is a thermal town where patients go to 'take the waters'. These have taken 15,000 years to reach the earths surface. Filtering through faults in the rock, they arrive, full of iron, at a temperature of 43 deg C. The old wash houses have now been converted into open swimming pools where you can bathe till your hearts content.
Rennes-Le-Chateau
January 24, 1917: A few people are standing in the small churchyard in Rennes-le-Chateau, watching silently as the coffin of Berenger Sauniere is lowered into his grave. Of these people, how many truly know the secret that is being buried with this charismatic priest ?
This question was not of much interest to anyone for the 50 years that followed the burial; yet when the story was rediscovered in the 1960s, it awoke the curiosity of many people both in France and abroad.
From then on the phenomenon only increased, and led to the writing of many books (some more reliable than others), but unfortunately no solution has ever been found to explain the mystery of Sauniere's sudden wealth.
Puivert
The ancient village used to be located at the foot of the chateau. However, the original site was abandoned and the village developed on it's present site. Pop in and visit Saint Peters church as you leave the village (wooden statue from the 16th century) and the Calvary Chapel at the top of the village. Don't forget to visit the remains of the old chateau.
Couiza
In the valley watered by the Aude and the Salz, the village once had it's share of hat making workshops. Only those in Montazels are still in operation. From it's prosperous period, Couiza has conserved some very attractive 17th and 18th century houses. You should see the church and it's alter made of pink marble and gilded wood. Near the banks of the Aude, the Dukes of Joyeuses built and made the Chateau de Couiza their residence from 1518 onwards. It now houses a restaurant, but you can still admire the rectangular silhouette with the four towers, the Honour Court and the monumental staircase.
PERPIGNAN
Over to the south, climate and geography alone would ensure a palpable Spanish influence. But more than this, a good part of PERPIGNAN's population is of Spanish origin – refugees from the Civil War and their descendants. The southern influence is further augmented by a substantial mixture of North Africans, including both Arabs and white French settlers repatriated after Algerian independence in 1962.
While there are few memorable monuments to visit, Perpignan is a pleasant city with a lively street life. Its heyday was in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, when the kings of Majorca held their court here, and it is from this period that most of its historical interest derives. Well placed on the main Mediterranean coast international lines of communication, it is much the best base for exploring the eastern end of the Pyrenees, and the Cathar castles of the Corbières.
CARCASSONNE
A walled city. couldn't be easier to reach and for anyone travelling through this region it is a must, It is one of the most dramatic, if also most-visited, towns in the whole of Languedoc. Carcassonne owes its division into two separate "towns" – the Cité and the Ville Basse – to the wars against the Cathars. Following Simon de Montfort's capture of the town in 1209, its people tried in 1240 to restore their traditional ruling family, the Trencavels. In reprisal King Louis IX expelled them, only permitting their return on condition they built on the low ground by the River Aude.
Cathar Castles
Well we are in the heart of Cathar country so here is some information for those that want to visit some of our castles and some links to further information on them courtesy of Languedoc France another excellent source of information on the area.
First the bad news. There is very little remaining from Cathar times, castles or anything else. All of the main "Cathar Castles" advertised to tourists as romantic vestiges of the Cathar period are no such thing. They are generally castles built by the French after the Cathar Crusade, and used to defend their new border with Aragon. These castles were slighted, or left to decay, after the Treaty of the Pyrenees in the seventeenth century. The justification for the deceit is that they are often built on the site of earlier castles occupied by vassals and allies of the Counts of Toulouse during the Cathar period.
Broadly there are five categories of "Cathar Castle".
Genuine Cathar Castles, advertised as Cathar Castles: There are very few of these, although you may find a few vestiges near to existing structures (eg castles at Peyreperteuse, and Puivert). Carcassonne probably has the best claim to be a Cathar Castle, followed by three quarters of Cabaret (Lastours).
Later French Castles built on the site of Cathar strongholds, advertised as Cathar Castles: Coustaussa, Puilaurens, Montségur, Queribus, Termes, Aguila.
French Castles with no Cathar connections, but sometimes advertised as Cathar Castles: such as Arques.
Cathar Castles not generally advertised as Cathar Castles although they are: Pieusse, Le Bézu, Usson.
Sites of Cathar Castles: Béziers, Toulouse, Bram, Marmande, Lavaur, Minerve, Beaucaire, Castelnaudry.
There are also castles of interest because of their links with events during the Cathar period, for example: Avignonet, where Cathar sympathisers helped some particularly unpleasant Inquisitors into their next incarnations. Villerouge Termenès, a castle belonging the the Archbishop of Narbonne, where the last known Cathar Parfait in the Languedoc was burned alive, and Montailliou, the home of Beatrice de Plannissols, a major character in the events following the arrest of a whole village by the Inquisition on suspicion of Cathar sympathies. | | | Things To Do | | The most prominent activity of your holiday is relaxing which is the speciality of Les Eaux Tranquilles but for those seeking activities then Languedoc offers some of the finest in France.
Sport
It's difficult to know where to begin because if you can name it then its here but here goes, Gliding, Parascending, Paragliding, Walking, Climbing, Caving, Road Cycling, Mountain Biking (we have a few bikes for guest to borrow), Quad Biking, Sailing, Sail Boarding, Wind Surfing, Canoeing, Canyoning, White Water Rafting, Horse Riding to name but a few. | | | Directions | | Flying.
We are approximately half way between Carcassonne and Perpignan airports both of which are serviced by flights from various locations within the UK and Europe.
Airport
UK
Other
Perpignan (45 Minutes drive)
London Stansted (international)
Paris ORY
Birmingham
Manchester
Southampton
Carcassonne (40 Minutes Drive)
East Midlands
Dublin (International)
Liverpool
Brussels
London Stansted (International)
Shannon
Toulouse* (1h40 Minutes Drive)
Manchester
Paris CDG (International)
London Gatwick (International)
Paris ORY (International)
Birmingham
Belfast
Bristol
Dublin (International
Newcastle
Glasgow
Leeds
* There are many flights from Spain and other European countries to Toulouse, please check on the internet for flights.
Popular airlines are FlyBe BMI Baby EasyJet British Airways and Ryanair
Car Hire
My personal tip is not to use the hire companies recommended by the airline sites. Try doing a search in www.google.co.uk for car hire xxxx where xxxx is the name of the airport, for example car hire carcassonne. You will find that by looking around you will be able to save loads of money on a hire car and to be honest in Carcassonne for example there are only actually two hire companies yet the prices depending on who you book with can vary by quite a large amount (I saved over 250 Euro for a weeks hire of a Renault Espace).
Driving.
From the north.
If you are driving all the way then use the Autoroute A61 to Carcassonne and exit at Junction 23. Now follow the signs to Limoux, the road number will be the D118.
If you are coming from the airport then you need to turn left out of the airport but you are not allowed (but watch the French chap in front!) so you must turn right, go up to the roundabout and come back on yourself. Just past the airport (now on your left) there is a right turn with a sign to Limoux. Follow the signs to Limoux, you will pass the Autoroute junction 23 on the way.
Drive straight through Limoux in the direction of Quillan still on the D118. When you arrive at the first traffic lights in Quillan you will be 4km from our B&B. At the first lights drive straight on, the road number now changes to the D117 (not that you will notice), at the second set again drive straight on. At about 2km you will see a big panel with Les Eaux Tranquilles written on it to the right. Carry on and you will pass an Auberge (Auberge du Chalet) on the right and we are the next turning on the left and again it is clearly signposted on the corner with Les Eaux Tranquilles .
From the South.
Unfortunately we are not able to put any sign posts up because the area is of outstanding natural beauty so basically you must drive down the D117 to Axat. At the roundabout at Axat (which has some life size sculptures of the local bears) go straight over and you will enter the gorge. Don't go any faster than 50kph as there are some nasty bends. As you exit the gorge there will be a big car park to the right followed by a staggered cross roads marked Cavirac to the right and Belvianes to the left. Continue on about 50M and turn right, there are signs with Les Eaux Tranquilles on the corner.
If you get lost or have any problems then call us. | | | | | | | Contact Details | |
| Chris Kenway |
Telephone | 00 33 468 20 82 79 |
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Email: |
EMail Owner |
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