Narbonne

Narbonne is situated near the Mediterranean coast in the Aude department of the Languedoc region of Southern France. Founded in 118 BC as a Roman port.  It's now a city of 40,000 and a few kilometres from the sea. 

The Canal de Robine - which joins the Canal du Midi - runs through the centre of the city.  It's really quite lovely.

Narbonne is less than a one hour drive from the Spanish border. It is an interesting well maintained City with a long history.

Quaint boulevards and narrow streets wind their way through the centre of Narbonne opening out onto squares and ancient buildings. Among these are traditional markets, cafes, restaurants, boutiques selling everything from diamond rings to electrical goods, bakers and confectioners. On the outskirts of Narbonne there are hypermarkets, sports facilities and of course vineyards.

The old town has been tastefully enhanced with gushing fountains, pedestrianised streets and provides a wonderful Southern French atmosphere with a Spanish twist.

Every morning it's fabulous food market in 'Les Halles' sells fresh locally grown vegetables, meats (including horse), charcuterie, fish, cheeses, pastries and much more including a few locally produced wines.

Narbonne dates back to the Roman Empire and is the oldest town in the Lanquedoc area of south west France founded in the second century BC. Originally named Colonia Narbo Martius it became the capital of the whole of Southern Gaul when it was a major port although 20 kms from the sea. It was the first colony outside of Italy and located at a crossroads on the Via Aquitania which led to Toulouse and Bordeaux and the Via Domitia which was the first Roman road connecting Italy to Spain.

“ Narbonne: Crossroads of Southern Europe” is still the slogan that greets your arrival here from the west. Offering excellent transport communication links to the rest of Europe, the A61 and A9 motorways meet here, as do two main railway lines running south from Bordeaux and east-west along the Mediterranean coast from Italy through to Spain

Narbonne is still a very traditional and beautiful town to stay in with the Canal du Robine running through the centre of town, edged with shady plane trees and a profusion of flowers, shops, bars and restaurants. Here you could easily while a way an afternoon sampling the local cuisine and marvelling at the beautiful objects on sale, including books, clothes, houseware items, jewelry and a wide selection of wines and cheeses. Halles is an award winning covered market here which is over one hundred years old and said to be one of the best in France. Open every day between 6.00 am and 1.00 pm, it is a wonderful place with over 80 stalls where you can purchase fresh local produce including fish and seafood, fruit and vegetables with piles of melons, peppers and tomatoes, a large variety of charcuterie (cooked meats) and cheese. There is another market every Thursday with flower and clothes stalls.

For a real treat, you could always visit the Fééries de Noël, a traditional market held everything Christmas which is packed full of the most amazing festive goodies. On offer are roasted chestnuts, crêpes, chocolates, wooden toys, mirrors, Xmas decorations, jewellery and even edible extravagances such as oysters and foie gras.

Cuisine in Narbonne is varied ranging from traditional French fayre to Italian, Chinese and Vietnamese. There is a five-screen cinema and a theatre in the Avenue Domitius. You can swim at the Espace de la Liberté which is a futuristic glass and steel building opened in 1989 to commemorate the bicentenary of the French Revolution. It has Olympic size indoor and outdoor pools with waterslides and a paddling pool for children. You can also ice-skate or play ten-pin bowling there.

There are numerous attractions to visit in this historic town and although there are virtually no Roman remains to be seen above ground there are numerous artifacts to be seen in the Musee Archéologique (in the Archbishop’s Palace) and the Musee Lapidaire on the other side of the canal which both have a large collection of statues, pottery, and some beautiful examples of Roman wall paintings and mosaics from excavations in the city. Work in the main square (the Place de l'Hôtel de Ville) has recently uncovered part of the Via Domitia Roman road. La Poudrerie (a 17th century powder house) has been converted into a museum of winemaking, and Musée d'Art et d'Histoire has an excellent collection of Dutch, Flemish and Italian paintings, and some 18th century French ceramics.

The Cathedral has two Flemish tapestries from the early sixteenth century and a 40 metre high apse and choir making it the third tallest Gothic structure in France. The North Tower has a spectacular view over the rooftops of Narbonne and on a clear day you can see as far as the Pic du Canigou in the Pyrenees. The Basilique de St Paul which is the oldest Christian building in Gaul and Frontfroide Abbey which was founded in 1145 are also worth a visit.

Or a relaxing way to see the surrounding countryside is to take a cruise along the canal either to the coast or inland picking up a boat which leaves from the Pont des Marchands (originally a Roman bridge) which is lined with medieval buildings housing small shops. Or the more adventurous can hire self drive boats on the Quai d'Alsace.