Aude is a French department of Occitanie positioned in south-central France between the Mediterranean Sea and the Pyrenees mountains. It is part of the region of Languedoc-Roussillon . Another name of the department is “Cathar Country”.
Town Property Guides
Climate:
The region of Aude is under the influence of the Mediterranean climate and this is typical for the south part of France.
The summer is usually hot and dry that is good for the vine culture and the olive trees. In some mountain areas in the south the temperature drops quite low in the winter. In the west the climate is under the Aquitaine influence with a lot of more precipitation as compared to the East. In the center where the areas of Limouxin, Carcassonnais and Razès are positioned the climate is intermediary with wind.
Geography:
If you like Aude you can buy property in it. Its popularity has increased after the low cost flights from UK. Properties in this region can be found for as little as 50,000 euros or exceeding 20 million euros.
There are many things that you can do in Aude. You may try the food and wines, enjoy the beaches of the Mediterranean Sea or try some sport. In the towns you can take a look at the museums, art galleries and the historical places. You will enjoy walking along the Canal du Midi and in the Black mountains.
There are many festivals in the towns and villages of Aude during the whole year. The Spanish influence is quite strong in this region and there are traditional bull fights.
Towns:
One of the famous medieval cities is Carcassonne with the Canal du Midi. It is today a famous historical place. Another town Narbone has a lot of Roman ruins and attracts many tourists.
History:
Aude is also a frequent feminine French name used in the Francophone countries. It comes from Aude or Oda, the wife of Bertrand who was the Duke of Aquitaine and mother of Saint Hubertus’s brother Eudo.
Gastronomy:
There a lot of wines in this part of France. You can even get a free tasting.
On the hills you can find many sheep and goats that produce the special cheese for this area. The valleys there are many fields of olives, fruit and lavender. The wine in the region is produced for more than 2,000 years. There you can also find fresh fish and shellfish.
Useful information:
Tourism office in Aude:
www.francetourism.com
Maps of Aude:
www.ign.fr
www.maps.google.fr
Travel from the UK
By air: Ryanair flies to Carcassonne, Montpellier, Nîmes and Perpignan from London Stansted. British Airways gand GB Airways fly to Montpellier from Gatwick.