Best Places to Visit in Occitanie, France

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What to Do in Occitanie, France

Let’s have a look at what to see in Occitanie and the best things to do. This list of things to do in Occitanie, France, includes Occitanie tourist attractions, vibrant cities, sea towns, natural wonders, and historical monuments.

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Feeling blue? Head to Toulouse! The Pink City owes its nickname to its brick architecture, where shades of pink – along with ochers and reds that shift with the light and location – create a cityscape unlike any other.

Start your wanderings at Place du Capitole, the heart of the city, to which everything seems to gravitate. Then explore Old Toulouse with its intimate squares, elegant private mansions, and fascinating museums devoted to the cosmos, prehistory, ancient art, and the natural world. Finally, enjoy a well-deserved break in one of the city’s beautiful parks – Click here to book your stay in Toulouse

Pont du Gard was used as an aqueduct until the 6th century. Then, it became a tollgate in the Middle Ages and later a road bridge from the 18th to the 20th centuries.

A UNESCO World Heritage site, Pont du Gard is a true technical feat. It measures 48 meters high and has three vertical rows of arches: 6 on the lowest level, 11 on the second level, and 35 on the third and top levels. Don’t miss the Museum of the Pont du Gard, which traces the history of the aqueduct’s construction.

The Pont du Gard makes one of the best day trips from Avignon, Nîmes, or Uzès. You can also reach it by kayak, by sailing along the Gardon River.

The Cité de Carcassonne is one of the most important sites in the Cathar Country and one of the main tourist attractions in Occitanie. The city became a land of heresy in Pope Innocent III’s eyes, and it was one of the main targets during the first Cathar Crusade in 1209, led by Simon de Montfort. Explore its medieval castle and ramparts and uncover the citadel’s secrets with this top-rated walking tour with a certified guide.

The Cathar Country is best explored by car as most of its sites are poorly (or not at all) served by public transportation. Here’s a suggested road trip itinerary through the Cathar Country, combining history, culture, and breathtaking scenery.

The Aveyron is a land of character – rough and sweet at the same time – where life tends to slow down, just like in the old times. The Aveyron is also a paradise for food and nature lovers.

Above all, the Aveyron is famous for its picturesque medieval villages, boasting more official “Most Beautiful Villages in France” than any other region.

Where to start? Conques, situated along the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage route, is a must-see, along with the villages of Belcastel, Najac, and Peyre. Other highlights include the cliffside village of Rocamadour, the fortified streets of La Couvertoirade, and the riverside charm of Sainte-Eulalie d’Olt.

Unfortunately, this part of the Pyrénées became French after the Treaty of the Pyrénées in 1659, when King Philip IV of Castile and Aragon gave the lands of Northern Catalonia to King Louis XIV. This was a major setback for Catalonia, which lost one-fifth of its territory. Most importantly, its second-largest city, Perpignan, ended up under foreign rule.

In the mountains of the Massif du Canigó, you’ll find Sant Martí del Canigó (now Saint-Martin du Canigou) and Sant Miquel de Cuixà (Saint-Michel de Cuxa in French), two beautiful Benedictine abbeys founded in the 10th century by Count Guifré II of Cerdanya. Both are gems of Catalan Romanesque architecture in the Pyrénées and are listed as historical monuments. Sant Martí del Canigó is set in a spectacular mountain location, while nearby Sant Miquel de Cuixà is famous for its stunning Romanesque cloister, with capitals decorated with monsters and other fantastical creatures.

6. Parc National des Cévennes

Created in 1970, the Cévennes National Park is one of the ten national parks in France and one of the two parks to be inhabited, also in its core zone. UNESCO has distinguished this vast territory as a “Biosphere Reserve” for its particular balance between man and nature.

The park’s beauty comes from its variety of landscapes: the granitic highlands of Mont Lozère, the forests of Aigoual, and the limestone plateaus of Causse Méjean carved by the Gorges du Tarn and de la Jonte.

There are many ways to explore the magnificent landscapes of Cévennes National Park: on foot (5,000 kilometers of signposted trails and paths), on horseback, and by mountain bike. If you love outdoor adventures, check out this list of fun things to do in the Cévennes National Park, from canoeing to kayaking, climbing, via Ferrata, and more.

Albi is not part of the Cathar Route, but if you are interested in Catharism, it makes sense to extend your explorations to Albi. The Cathars were called Albigensians because of their connection to the city, and because the 1176 Church Council, which declared Cathar beliefs heretical, was held nearby.

Albi is one of the best places to visit in Occitanie. Take a walking tour through its Old Town to explore the Cité Episcopale. A UNESCO World Heritage site since 2010, the Cité Episcopale dates back to the 13th century and includes four medieval neighborhoods, historic monuments, major landmarks, and the banks of the Tarn River.

Les Arènes de Nîmes is a Roman amphitheater built around 70 CE in the city. It may not be the largest Roman amphitheater in the world, but it is the best preserved. Designed to host a variety of shows for the local population, it measures 133 meters long and 101 meters wide.

Les Arènes de Nîmes is one of the top Occitanie tourist attractions. It organizes shows for tourists and locals, and it is also possible to visit every day except when there’s a show.

With the words, “Kill them all, God will recognize his own,” spoken by a legate of the Pope, the Crusaders unleashed the “grande boucherie” (great massacre) in Béziers: the city was set on fire, and its entire population – Cathars and Catholics alike – was killed.

Today, visitors come to Béziers to see the impressive Saint-Nazaire Cathedral, built in the 13th century on a steep hill. The Romanesque bridge over the Orb River, dating from the 12th century, is also remarkable – for many centuries, it was the only river crossing from Provence to Toulouse. Béziers is also an excellent starting point for exploring the Canal du Midi by boat or bike.

The list of typical dishes from the Pyrénées includes Tarbes beans, lamb, aligot (a creamy potato and cheese dish), and garbure, a traditional mountain soup made with cabbage and pieces of ham. The Pyrénées are also well known for their cheeses, produced from both cow’s and sheep’s milk, often enjoyed with wines from appellations nearby such as Jurançon, Gaillac, Cahors, Madiran, as well as Armagnac.

The Languedoc–Roussillon wine region is France’s largest wine-producing area by vineyard surface area, although it is not as famous as other wine regions in France. Languedoc wines are excellent and affordable, and are usually made from Merlot, Cabernet, and Syrah. Also, there are plenty of quality whites made of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Grenache, and Muscat Blanc.

I hope that you enjoyed this list of the best places to visit in Occitanie, France. You will find more ideas for things to do and places to see in the Occitanie region category. If you would like to learn more about other regions of France, you can read this article on the French regions, where I have summarized the highlights of each one.

Click here to Explore France by Region

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