Walk & Eat

LAgrasse

Take the road to Lagrasse from Trêbes - a beautiful sweeping route into the foothills of the Pyrenees. It’s just a 40 minutes drive to a very old town with impressive Abbey by side of the river. Take a picturesque walk through the town, over the bridge to the Abbey, stopping off for a swim or paddle in the river during the Summer months.

Just 10 minutes from Lagrasse is the pretty village of Ribaute, which an ancient narrow bridge over the river. Drive through the town past the cafés and take the first turn on the left to reach a quiet swimming spot on the river.

There are plenty of places to pick up a bite to eat - we recommend Café de Promenade in Lagrasse, which does 3 course menu for just €13.50, salads from €9.50 and is very child friendly.

lastours

Lastours is just 5 minutes into the Black Mountains from Conques sur Orbiel. This is a fabulous site of four, beautiful ruined Cathar chateaux. From the Visitors Centre there is a great walk up to and around the castles. This is a great day out, so make sure you take water on a hot day and don’t forget the picnic!

There are a number of good restaurants in Lastours village.

minerve

Head into the Black Mountains for 45 minutes from Conques sur Orbiel, and you will reach the small but fascinating Minerve. This little village, hidden amongst the mountains tells a sad tale of Cathar slaughter. It really is a must-visit.

Whilst in Minerve, we recommend Café de Troubadours. It has a lovely terrace overlooking the bridge into Minerve, a good menu du jour and is baby/child friendly.

Looking for something special? Try ‘Chant au Vent’ a Michelin star restaurant with an outdoor terrace overlooking the gorge (you will need a head for heights!) . Fabulous food and an excellent daily lunch menu for €35 - booking is essential.

Carcassonne

Visit Place Carnot in Carcassonne on Thursday and Saturday mornings. Beautifully fresh local vegetables, cheese, bread and flowers are in abundance. Park near Railway station for a five minute walk to Place Carnot.

Need a light bite? There are plenty of cafés around the square for coffee and breakfast.

For lunch or an evening meal, try Bistro d’Augustin. An Art Deco restaurant near railway station, with a fabulous art nouveau interior (it’s worth a visit just for the decor!) Lovely, reasonably priced food which won’t disappoint.

Crescendo! A very good cheap meal can be had at Carrefour supermarket’s Crescendo. Help yourself to a plate of salad, 3 sizes of plate, then pay at till and order hot dish. They will give you a receipt to take to grill chef who’ll cook your fish/steak/calamari etc fresh, whilst you help yourself to a range of vegetables, chips, rice etc. and finish with a carafe of wine. Price approx €15.

Trêbes

The restaurants by the Canal du Midi have now reopened following the flood last October. The Canal side is now beautifully paved and makes for a lovely walk (even with a pushchair). If coming from Conques sur Orbiel, via the country route, you can park past the turn to canal on the left near the Post office and Town Hall.

Visiting Trebes in the evening? Try Restaurant Poissonnerie - one of our favourites.

Le Moulin Restaurant is also a good choice in an absolutely gorgeous setting. To find it, walk down the canal towards the lock, about 3 minutes away from the other restaurants. It’s child friendly and has a great Ménu Enfant (up to 12yrs).

leucate

We love the cliff top walks and beaches at Leucate. Park at Cap Leucate near the lighthouse and walk along the cliff side (take the footpath away from the edge), for a gorgeous 1.5hr walk to La Franqui. The walk is fine for children, but may be rough for a pushchair.

There are plenty of restaurant choices in La Franqui.

In summer months head down to Leucate Place for a touch of paradise! A nice quiet beach, little restaurant and bar. Park in a little car park next to a camper van area.

From mid June to mid September visit our favourite beach restaurant: Le Poulpe. A fabulous cocktail bar also serving delicious fish and spectacular octopus. Child friendly.

conques sur orbiel

We love to walk to the Capitelles.

Capitelles are stone shelters built by workers who took care of the vineyards, which were sadly abandoned 100 years ago. This is a beautiful area for walking with the back drop of the Black Mountains. A local group from Conques sur Orbiel work every Monday to restore the Capitelles and maintain the different walking tracks. To get there, follow the signs towards the west of the village for about 3 miles, walking along tracks. Take a picnic!

A little shopping precinct has a boulangerie, épicerie, and a bistro and bar which are open at lunchtime. There is also a pizzeria open in the evenings.

Fancy eating nearby? Try Metairie Montplaisir in the village, near the bridge ( past the Post Office). An exceptionally good evening meal. Beautiful, seasonal, fresh ingredients with no menu; booking is essential. Amélies mum does all the cooking but will cater for dietary requirements such as Gluten Free if requested on booking.