Villa Chardonnay - BEZ104

The nearest town to the hamlet is Beziers which is only 5 minutes drive away and has a beautiful tree-lined boulevard with many restaurants, cafés, shops and markets.

Beziers is a bustling town with fascinating shops among its little back streets (les allées), its main boulevard lined with plane trees, the Theatre at one end and the Park des Poetes at the other. Make sure you visit the St Nazaire Cathedral which has panoramic views of the river Orb, vines, and mountains and also the Friday flower market in the main boulevard which is perhaps the best in the whole of the south.

On the edge of the river Orb, Beziers is well known for wine, rugby and bullfights! The arena was designed initially as an Opera house with the help of Saint Saens, but today it is reknowned for bullfighting. Throughout the year there are numerous local festivals, the most famous of which is the Feria de Beziers which takes place every year around the Feast of the Assumption on the 15th of August.

This is party time in Beziers and although originally based on the Corridas (bullfights) it now has many other attractions, most of them free, which appeal to all tastes. Many different kinds of music concerts, horse shows, Sevilliana dancing in the streets, and every where huge pans of Paella on sale, washed down with sangria.

There is a very strong Spanish influence in Bézier's life and this is most apparent during the Feria. This is a unique festival time, a real taste of life in southern Europe, with a family atmosphere and amusements to suit all ages.

The statue of Pierre Paul Riquet can be seen at the end of the main boulevard. He is the conceptor and builder of one of the greatest dreams of France: the Canal du Midi, linking the Atlantic to the Mediterranean.

It took 12 000 men to build the 240 kilometres long canal and Beziers houses the extaordinary nine locks at Fonseranes.

Budget airlines fly regularly to Montpellier, Perpignan, Carcassonne and Nimes, all within easy reach. The TGV goes to Beziers and Eurostar operates a non-stop service from Waterloo to Avignon in high season. Spain, Andorra and the Pyrenees are within easy reach and the area is surrounded with the vineyards of the Herault.

The beaches of the Mediterranean are only a short drive away, while to the north the mountains offer a number of cooler lakes, ideal for a refreshing dip in the summer.

Cathar history is present almost everywhere and the ancient fortress of Carcassonne is only an hours drive away, and there are regular jousting displays during high season.

Enthusiastic visitors can enjoy a great variety of activities including hiking, biking, swimming, fishing, water sports, canoeing and river rafting, horse riding, tennis and golf.

Pézenas has a large open-air market every Saturday which is well worth a visit. The town boasts that it was once the home of Molière and there are many craft shops, restaurants and beautiful buildings. During July and August on a Wednesday and Friday the craft shops are open until midnight and you will often find street theatre groups to entertain you !

Sète is the Venice of France with its canals – fabulous fish restaurants abound.

Several good golf courses are within easy reach, Golf Saint Thomas at Béziers, approx 15 minutes drive – see www.golfsaintthomas.com/english/

At Vias Plage, there is a funfair open during July and August.

The beautiful tree-lined Canal du Midi which links the Atlantic with the Mediterranean has miles of flat walks along the shady tow paths.

Cap d’Agde (20 minutes) has beaches and water sports, boat trips, beautiful harbour, golf, casino, fashionable shopping, nightclubs, waterfront restaurants, several children’s theme parks and a fabulous water park (Aqualand).

Monasteries and castles abound in the area and there are plenty of vineyards where you can taste some of the best wines in France.