Languedoc Towns  As with other regions of France the Languedoc Roussillon area abounds with delightful towns that ooze character and natural ambience.  And in common with the other regions this area has it's own two that you will return to again and again.  Pictured here is part of the medieval fortress town of Carcassonne which is our personal all time favourite.  There's not much can beat browsing the shops or savouring the atmosphere from a street side café in this place!

Villefranche-de-Conflent.

Location: On the N116 about 50km west of Perpignan.
Description:  Another of  “Les Plus Beaux Villages de France”.  And this one really is deserving of its label.  It is a fortified town dating back as far as the 12th century in a really dramatic setting alongside one of the regions major arterial roads.
Our recommendations:  You can easily spend a day here.  While the day is still cool we would recommend a walk (climb!) to Fort Liberia which was more recently built (circa 1700) to protect the town from attack from the steeply sided mountains that rise above it.  If you prefer there is a Navette service from the bottom of the village.  Then follow this with a walk around the ramparts (entrance is half way up the main street).  Lunch can be taken at one of the restaurants we recommend and the afternoon can be spent in one of the cool caves (Grotte des Canalettes, Grotte des Grand Canalettes, Cova Bastera).
For the children:  Our girls loved browsing the plentiful boutiques in the main street!

         - Carcassonne
         - Castelnou
         - Perpignan
         - Villefrance-de-Conflent
 

Also worth a visit are Sète for the annual water jousting tournament on August the 25th each year.  Béziers is a pleasantly situated town on the Canal du Midi with an arena where you can see the region's speciality bullfighting.