You will find everything you need to make your stay here enjoyable in the little town of Labastide Rouairoux. We have shops, restaurants, and a lively Thursday morning market amongst other things. A more complete list of services can be found here.
	Labastide Rouairoux truly feels like the centre of the universe sometimes. Move out in any direction and you will find nature, wildlife, lakes, cities of renown, culture and history. Situated as we are in the Haut Languedoc regional park  you are in the midst of spectacular natural beauty.

A sure sign the spring has arrived and that summer is coming is carnival. This takes place in April and all dress up for the procession through town, which each year culminates in the burning of the effigy of poor Mr Carnival. The evening is finished off with lots of dancing.
	The Fete de St Jean is a three day event which takes place the last week of June, and has done so for at least 100 years. There is a fair, and a vide-grenier. Come nightfall there are meals and dances. The dances are free to attend and everyone has a fantastic time; getting to bed before 5am can be a challenge.
Hot on the heels of the Fete de St Jean comes the Fete de Mas de Bonnet, another three day event and not dissimilar to the Fete de St Jean, but held at the opposite end of town. One of the attractions of this fete is Oscar, the rodeo bull! 2006 was the 20th anniversary of this fete and there was a spectacular firework display.
	The 15th of August sees the Fete de Fil; this lovely family day takes place in the municipal park and draws visitor from afar. The museum of textiles throws open it's doors, crafts people set up stalls to show and sell their wares, and there are workshops and displays for children and adults alike. You may even see our llamas!
This year saw the 10th anniversary of the VTT...A great day was had by all. It's an opportunity to experience the wonderful surroundings on on a bike or on foot whilst sampling local produce. With courses from 55km to 10km there really is something for everyone. I might even have a go myself next year.

Being within easy driving distance of more than four super lakes, you will be spoilt for choice. Lac de Louzas has a very informative website.

The market town of St Pons de Thomieres has a wonderful Wednesday morning market, where you will find  a variety of locally raised produce. St Pons is the capital of the Haut Languedoc regional nature reserve, and has a population of about 3000. This area of renowned beauty within the Languedoc has known settlement that dates back as far as the Stone Age. Today, St Pons de Thomieres has many historical sites to discover, which include the Tower of St Benoit, the Bridge of our Lady, and the Convent of the fountain of Récolets. Surrounded by the vast chestnut forests which carpet the mountains, St Pons de Thomieres is very proud of its local produce and cuisine, with specialities such as Ragout de chataignes (Chestnut stew) and Confiture de chataignes (Chestnut jam).

Mazamet is situated on the northern slopes of the Montagnes Noir. Mazamet was an industrial town, and numerous establishments were employed in wool-spinning and in the manufacture of clothing and hosiery there were also important tanneries and leather-dressing, glove and dye works. Extensive commerce was carried on in wool and raw hides from Argentina, Australia and Cape Colony. More recently, Mazamet has become know as one of the 'Villes et Villages Fleuris' (flowery towns) and earns three out of a maximum of four stars for it's stunning flower displays. There are wonderful markets on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and there is also a local golf course. Just outside the town of Mazamet is the medieval village of Hautpoul which was in ancient times a Cathare refuge, and there remains a ruined chateau from these ancient times. Today within this beautiful village, we find 'La Maison du Bois et du Jouet' with its artisan toy makers and wood sculptors.

Since the 14th century, Castres has been a centre for the wool trade. Today this tradition continues and it is the leading centre in France for carded wool. Along the eastern bank of the River Agout smoe of the house you will started out as homes of the 14th-century tanners, dyers and  or weavers. There is much to discover in the pretty city of Castres but if all the culture gets too much, (after all Jean Jaurès, the founder of Socialism had his home here and throughout the town you'll see many references to this political genius) a great visitor attraction is the l'arcipel with its fantastic swimming pools and ice rink; it's a lovely place for both old and young to cool off.

Be sure to take the time to visit Carcassonne as the beautifully restored historic city has so much to offer. The mediaeval walled town lies on the right bank of the River Aude and is featured on UNESCO's World Heritage list. It has 52 towers and 2 rings of town walls, making a total of 3 km of battlements. It is still home today to a population of approximately 120 and it boasts a large number of shops and craftsmen. We recommend that you drive there following the D620 via Lastours. In Lastours you will find four castles, which from the 11th century up to the French Revolution formed the bolt of Cabardès, and exhibited fierce resistance during the crusade against the Albigensians or Cathars. Sound and light shows are held there in the summer. Enjoy a day in the city and return via the D118, stopping off for a quick dip in the Lac de Montagne before returning.

	The road leads to Beziers via the wine producing town of St Chinian. Although Beziers had a troubled past and was mostly destroyed during the Cathar wars when 20,000 people were slaughtered as heretics in a town centre church. Just outside the town you will find the family beach resort of Valras plage.
It is in Perpignan that the Midi and the Languedoc meet with Spain, both the language, and food show Spanish influences. Between the 10th and the 17th centuries, Perpignan was the the capital of French Catalonia. Canet Plage is the nearest local beach but there are many others in the area for you to discover.

Just a little further afield we also have the two great cities of Toulouse and Albi. Toulouse is known as the Ville en Rose because of it's distinctive red bricked buildings moving through shades of pink as the sun sweeps the city. With it's Cité de l'Espace, an excellent theme park, it's definitely a place to visit. Albi straddling the banks of the Tarn river, is a place of great beauty and history.

I hope this gives you a taste of some of the attractions of the area but don't take my word for it, come and see for yourselves..........