Holiday in Languedoc Roussillon - South of France

Le Moulin de l"Argentouire is a former water mill that dates from the 18th century and resides just outside the small village of Issel which is in the 'Pays de Cathar' region of Languedoc Roussillon in the South of France.

The mill has been sympathetically restored to provide a spacious gite (self catering accommodation) for visitors and private accommodation for the owners.

The gite is a very comfortable space, and with 4 double bedrooms, 2 of which are en-suite, a large family bathroom, sitting room and fully equipped kitchen it can easily accommodate up to 9 people. There is a large patio area outside the main entrance with a large table and barbecue area for alfresco meals and to enjoy the Mediterranean climate.

The pleasant gardens play host to a large 15m by 6.5m swimming pool and the property is surrounded by woods and fields with country walks which can be accessed directly from the property.

Visit Holiday in France to contact the owner and to make arrangements to book the accommodation.

The village of Issel is about 10 minutes walk away if you stick to the road but if you prefer the woodland route this can be extended to around 30 to 40 minutes. Either way will provide some lovely views of the countryside and as you near the brow of the hill you will be treated to some fabulous views of the Pyrenees on clear days.

Much of the landscape is taken up with sunflowers as the seasonal crop and for periods during the summer the fields are adorned with the glorious yellow sunshine of this lovely plant.

Languedoc Roussillon is becoming a very popular tourist destination as people discover the splendour of the area, Montpellier is the capital of the region and is a lovely city to visit being approximately one and a half hours from Le Moulin. A little closer however, approximately 40 minutes, is Carcassonne famous for it's medieval castle "La Cite' which is a UNESCO world heritage site.

Castelnaudary is only 10 minutes away and sits on the Canal du Midi, also a world heritage site. Castelnaudary is famous for it's haricot bean casserole called 'cassoulet' and there is a festival each year to celibrate the dish which actually isn't considered to be truly authentic unless it is cooked in one of the special pottery dishes that used to be made in the pottery at our local village, Issel. Sadly the pottery is no longer working which is a real shame, but you can see plenty of evidence of it's existence in the form of the street name plates and house name plates in the village made at the pottery when it was working, the 'Le Moulin' name plate is one such example.

In the other direction and within 20 minutes you will find the towns of Revel, Durfort and Soreze in close proximity to a series of inland lakes, the closest of which is Lac de St Ferreol which was built by Pierre-Paul Riquet to provide a water supply for the Canal du Midi. It is used in modern days as a recreational area, you will be able to swim from the beach, sail on the lake, utilise the equestrian centre or simply enjoy the walks around the lake and arboretum stopping at the numerous cafes, restaurants or leisure facilities provided.

La Montagne Noire with a National Park is only about 40 minutes away and presents a host of further opportunites to explore the region but if you are interested in travelling a little further afield then you can be at the Meditteranean coastline in about and hour and a half, the same for the Pyrenees. On route to the coast and depending which way you go you can pass through the Minervois and or Corbieres and Fitou wine regions.

Head for the mountains and you can choose to visit some of the Cathar fortreses that are scattered around the region, some of the famous ones are Rennes le Chateau, Puivert, Montsegur and Peyrepertuse. In fact the whole area is steeped in history going as far back as the 12th century and beyond.

If you prefer cities to country then you will not be disappointed either, besides Montpellier and Carcassonne which I have already mentioned you are not too far from Beziers, Narbonne, Perpignon, Castre or the Ville de Rose, Toulouse.

So plenty to do and see and we have not even discussed cycling on the Canal du Midi, white water rafting at Couiza or golfing at the fabulous Carcassonne golf course yet.

One of my favorite activities is photography and I have found that in the South of France, espcially in this region, that the quality of light is quite remarkable, this is the reason why some famous artists such as Picasso and Dali have lived and worked in the area. Collioure a small fishing village just to the south of Perpignan played host to both of these famous artists and to this day a painting theme continues there with artists studios, galleries and shops selling local paintings.

There are clear synergies between photography and painting so given the proximity of the Pyrenees, the coastline and the national parks, not to mention the stunning architecture that makes up the towns and cities, any discerning photographer is spoilt for a choice of subjects to photograph and will rarely find the clarity of light that exists in this part of France.

I have included a link to my hub on digital SLR cameras in my flavor of France section because I honestly believe if you decide to visit this part of France you should do so armed with a camera that is capable of and can capture the true beauty of the region.

I have included a few of the photographs I have taken while I have been in France that I personally like the best, if you would like to see all of my favorites then you can find them on my Life in the France Lane blog under the photography label.

If you found this hub of interest and would like to visit the region then you are more than welcome to get in touch via the French Holidays Aude website where we would be happy to see if the accommodation available meets your requirements. For your information, you may be interested to know that we also offer painting and or photographic courses from the apartment. You can find more details on this via the website.

The website also has a lot of travel advice that would be useful for anyone traveling from the UK to France, so please feel free to take a look at the information whether or not you think Le Moulin is the place for you.

An alternative option to consider is La Terrasse near to Soreze and Revel.

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