FRANCE & TRAVEL
FRANCE CYCLING HOLIDAYS

Escorted Cycling Tours in France

The Languedoc is a land of startling contrasts. From its flat coastal plain which is the largest wine producing area of France, the region stretches inland to the Black Mountains (Montagne Noire), and to the west until it meets the Pyrénées. In the east, the spectacular country of canyons and cliffs stretches onto the lonely plateau of the Cevennes, and from there to the River Rhône. The Mediterranean washes miles of white sandy beaches from the Rhone delta to the Spanish frontier. Between these borders sit the rugged hinterlands of the Corbières and Minervois. Languedoc was in the early middle ages the historic home to the Cathars, who left a legacy of fortresses Another man-made feature of the Languedoc is the engineering feat of the Canal du Midi, built in the eighteenth century to carry goods from the Mediterranean at Sète to the river Garonne at Toulouse, from where they would be transported to the Atlantic coast at Bordeaux. The cycling is as varied as the terrain, with moderate pedalling along the valley of the River Gardon, but challenging countryside in the more mountainous terrain of the Haut-Languedoc and its Cevennes National Park, and then easy cycling as we appreciate the wineries of the coastal plain. The tour involves a moderate amount of climbing, including a couple of cols or mountain passes, and is ideal for those with some cycling experience. Our bike tour will show you all of the diverse aspects of this fascinating region.