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The Languedoc Rossillon
The region of Languedoc-Roussillon as it is officially known, encompasses the southern French departements of Aude, Gard, Herault, Lozere and Pyrenees Orientales
Montpellier,
which has once again become the sovereign city it was in the past, and today has the strongest demographic
growth of France.
The region is bordered by the region of Auvergne to the north, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur to the east, the Mediterranean sea to the southeast, Spain to the south, and the region of Midi-Pyrenees to the west.
Mediterranean climate prevails along the coast of the Languedoc-Roussillon and with the Pyrenees
mountains close by, a mountain climate and excellent skiing is also on offer.
Languedoc
Being an old province of France, its name was derived from the name of the traditional language of southern France, Occitan. Specifically, the name is derived from the phrase 'langue d'oc', where the word 'oc' means 'yes'.
From the 13th century the name applied to the entire area in which the Occitan, language was spoken. It came to apply specifically to the territory of the feudal county of Toulouse.
The area is still a center of a distinctive civilization in the south of France.
Roussillon
The old province of Roussillon is also an historical and cultural region.
It comprised what is now the southern French departement of Pyrenees-Orientales. Roussillon encompassed an area made up of the eastern extremity of the French Pyrenees and the Mediterranean coastal lowlands adjoining them to the east.
Its capital was Perpignan.
Roussillon, Catalan is widely spoken.French, the official language, is spoken with a heavy Catalan accent. Rather different from the French you learnt at school, so don't be surprised if you struggle a bit with the language.
The Languedoc-Roussillon has much to offer as a holiday destination, including fabulous beaches at Cap D'Agde , over 1000 Languedoc campsites, French cycling holidays, and enough sightseeing in the Languedoc to keep you going for many, many holidays to come. So look through this site and you'll discover that whatever you're idea of the perfect holiday is, the Languedoc-Roussillon has something for you.
