Castles
There is some controversy about the Cathar Castles, the main “Cathar Castles” advertised to tourists as romantic vestiges of the Cathar period are no such thing because there is very little remaining from Cathar times, castles or anything else. In fact the remains of castles that are still visible are generally castles built by the French after the Cathar Crusade, and used to defend their new border with Aragon. These castles were 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. Carcassonne probably has the best claim to be a Cathar Castle. Many of the castles are however worth visiting with some of the better known Coustaussa, Puilaurens, Montségur, Queribus, Termes and Aguila.
Horse Riding
Discover Les Appaloosas du Pech stables located between the villages of Montouliers and Bize-Minervois. They offer trail rides from one hour to three days, exploring the Minervois. They cater for all levels of rider. For longer trail rides, which can include beach riding and swimming on horseback, meals are included in the prices. Also nearby is the Equestrian Club at Ginestas.
Cycling
France is the home of road cycling, motorists are considerate and there is an enormous range of routes from the house either up into the mountains or across the plains, through vineyards, down tracks and along the Canal du Midi taking in wonderful views and diverse scenery. Mountain biking is hugely popular too, as are electric bikes. The Tour de France has gone through the village twice recently, the most recent was 2021. It is possible to ride to the highest point of the Montaine Noire; Pic de Nore at 1211m is a fantastic ride.
Bird Watching
Bird-watching in Languedoc’s is superb and one of the most diverse regions in Europe with 4 diverse areas to choose from – two mountainous (the Cévennes and the Pyrénées) and two wetlands (the Camargue and the Etangs of Narbonne). Creme de Languedoc has a good summary of the bird varieties and locations and you will find a downloadable guide from The League for the Protection of Birds Tarn for the surrounding area. We regularly have a Hoopee in the Parc, they are ground feeders and make an unusual haunting call, they look very cool with a ‘pompadour’ hair do but are very shy.
Golf
Carcassonne is only 25 minutes drive from Trausse and has a good golf course (18 holes) at the foot of the medieval citadel and offers golfers a superb panoramic view over the Pyrenees and the Montagne Noire. Other golf courses are available in the vicinity of Narbonne, including Golf Ste Rose pitch and putt.
Beaches and Swimming
Trausse is ideally located to access the beautiful beaches of the Mediterranean. There is Narbonne Plage and Gruissan just an hour away with delightful open sandy beaches, and our favourite, Leucate which has an enormous wide beach far from any crowds. There are frequent impromptu games of volley ball and all players are welcomed! If wind surfing is more your sport, then a local surf centre has all the equipment you need. The Wesh Centre Crew has the best burgers and chips and the true surfer vibe. You can hire the kit, have lessons and the local wind called Tramontane blows 300 days of the year. They will also rescue you if you and your wind surf get stuck!
Carcassonne
Carcassonne is made up of the fairy tale fortified castle La Cite de Carcassonne and the Bastide, the new town. La Cite is steeped in history with its listed medieval citadel and, wonderfully, is still home to a community. You can wonder around the Cite enjoying the ambiance and restaurants, however, to enter the Chateau Comtal (the heart of the castle) you need a ticket. Music Festivals are regularly held in the Citè, as well as the Medieval Jousting Show- a family favourite. A fabulous event is on July the 14th, Bastile day, La Cite is the backdrop to an incredible firework display. This is best seen from the outskirts of town where locals will pull up along the road with their picnic tables and wait for the show.The centre of the ‘new’ town is the Place Carnot with its impressive fountain ringed by cafes, this is the place to sit with your coffee and watch the world go by. A little tip, buy a warm croissant from one of the wonderful bakeries to go with your coffee.
Cathar Castles
These amazing remains are perilously perched along the Montaine Noire ridge, they were there well before the Cathars used them as places of refuge but the title has stuck. Each has its own character, and nearly always feels like a mission to walk to but then you do feel entitled to a good lunch! The ‘Five Sons of Carcassonne’ are Aguilar, Peyrepertuse, Puilaurens, Queribus and Termes- designed to give the heads up of the invading enemy (mid 18th century) & presumably prevent the enemy from encroaching Carcassonne. The best in terms of value for time is the Lastours Chateaus, there are 4, one on an indiviual peak each within walking distance (if its early in the morning and you feel energetic). They are stunning and from the road look as though they are suspended in the sky.
‘Vendage’
This is when the grapes are harvested. Its usually late August to late September depending on weather conditions, you will see dinky little trackers hauling massive trailer loads of grapes from the vineyards through the villages to their winemaking facility. It could be a big Co-Operative, or it could be a boutique wine makers establishment deep in a village. There are 3 winemakers in Trausse Minervois. There is always a sense of excitement at this time of year, it’s terribly hard work and everyone seems to enjoy getting involved.
Caves
There are 2 very impressive deep caves in the area. Gouffre Géant of Cabrespine is at the foot of the Pic de Nore and is a natural wonder. It is one of the largest caves open to the public in the world (the Eiffel tower could fit in it) and its crystallisations are awesome. Running through the bottom is an underground river with a blue marble bed. If you are feeling very brave its possible to walk onto the glass bridge straddling the cave…. The Grotte de Limousis is made up of 5 rooms, each special and unique, the final room holds the Aragonite Chandelier- the largest set of aragonite crystals set against a backdrop of lights and music, quite magical.
Wine tour
Yes with so many wine makers in the area how do you find your way around? Book a tour with Wendy Gedney, she has transport, offers a delicious lunch, and knows her wines. Saint Chinian town is a superb wine area, the wine shop in the centre offer extremely good wine tasting events. Coincide your visit with market day and you will be happy. Jean Baptiste Senat, in Trausse Minervois, uses grapes from our vineyard and is happy to do wine tasting.
Cookery School (ordering meals & in house cooking)
Linda from La Table d’Emilie runs a cookery school and it is possible to order a dish to be delivered to the house or with advance booking inhouse cooking for a special occasion.
