France - Carcassonne & Cathar Country

This holiday focuses on the history and natural history of Languedoc, a spectacular landscape blessed with picturesque and colourful villages, the heartland of the Cathar movement during the Middle Ages. Here we will not only visit the magnificent city of Carcassonne and some of the many Cathar villages and historical sites, but we will also explore the wealth of habitats within this charming region. Coastal Languedoc offers salt flats, marshlands and lagoons, punctuated with rocky outcrops, whilst inland lie ancient vineyards, Mediterranean garrigue and the foothills of the Pyrenees, each habitat attracting numerous migratory birds at this season, and awash with colourful spring flowers, amongst them many orchids.

Catharism was a Gnostic movement that began in the 10th century and was considered heretical by the Roman Catholic church. Although it existed throughout much of Western Europe, its home was in Languedoc and the persecution of the Cathars here was severe, especially during the 20-year military crusade against them between 1209 and 1229. During our tour we will explore the cobbled streets of the medieval fortified city of Carcassonne, which was besieged during the early phase of that crusade. We will also visit the castle of Quéribus, perched high upon a rocky outcrop in the Pyrenean foothills. This stronghold served as a sanctuary to Cathars, finally falling during the last crusade in 1255. Also included within our itinerary are the picturesque medieval villages of Minerve and Lagrasse. The former, overlooking the Cesse Gorge, was the scene of a massacre inflicted during the early crusades. The latter, reputedly the most beautiful village in France, lies in the Corbières massif and holds a 7th century Benedictine abbey which was of great influence during the crusades. 

Between these cultural highlights, this holiday will also be packed with natural history excursions. At coastal wetlands we will look for Greater Flamingoes, Kentish Plovers and Slender-billed Gulls, plus a wide variety of egrets, ducks, waders, gulls and terns. On the Leucate plateau nearby, a hotspot for migrating birds, thousands of spring migrants may be seen during favourable conditions. Many vagrant birds of prey have been observed here, but it is such common species as harriers, Red and Black Kites, Short-toed Eagles and Honey Buzzards that we are likely to see, plus storks, hirundines, flycatchers and warblers. One of southern France’s best kept secrets is the Vendres Lake, a vast wetland area where Cattle Egret, Purple and Squacco Heron, Glossy Ibis, Redcrested Pochard, Osprey, Little Gull, Whiskered and Black Tern and Fan-tailed Warbler may all be seen. To the north of the lake, wet meadows and steppes harbour Great Spotted Cuckoos, Woodchat Shrikes and, on a rocky outcrop, nesting Eagle Owls in most years. On the banks of the River Aude, and in the surrounding meadows and vineyards, we will search for Rollers, Hoopoes, Bee-eaters, Ortolan Buntings and the rare Lesser Grey Shrike.

Moving inland, we will enjoy that typically Mediterranean habitat, the garrigue, covered with fragrant thymes and sages and, at this season, awash with flowering plants. Asphodels, rock roses and brooms are dominant, but a wealth of other species will also be in full bloom, attracting an abundance of butterflies on sunny days, amongst them Swallowtail, Cleopatra, Southern Festoon, Western Dappled White and Bath White. This habitat is also favoured by a wide variety of birds, including Montagu’s Harrier, Crag Martin, Woodlark, Tawny Pipit, Black-eared Wheatear, Red-rumped Swallow, Redbacked and Woodchat Shrikes, plus such Mediterranean warblers as Orphean, Spectacled, Subalpine, Sardinian, Bonelli’s and Dartford. In the Clape Hills we will look for one of the last remaining nesting pairs of Bonelli’s Eagle, and also three rare orchids, Ophrys bombyliflora, O. ciliata and O. fusca.

We will find more rich flora in the Pyrenean foothills; the wild tulip, Tulipa australis, Pyrenean Fritillary (Fritillaria pyrenaica) and some spectacular and rare orchids — including Ophrys corbariensis, O. lupercalis, O. tenthredinifera, O. scolopax and Orchis olbiensis — being amongst the highlights. As for birds, we will look for Alpine Swifts, Crag Martins and Blue Rock Thrushes in the Calamus Gorge, woodpeckers and Crested Tits amongst the hillside forests and, on the Feuilla Pass, a well-known observation point for raptor migration, we may see Rock Thrush, Rock Bunting or perhaps a Golden Eagle or Griffon Vultures overhead.

The warm Mediterranean weather in early spring, a rich natural heritage, magnificent scenery and a touch of history makes this region a rich cocktail indeed!