 | | | French property for sale in Aude (11), France by the French estate agents, Leggett Immobilier | About Aude, France
The Aude lies in the Languedoc-Roussillon on the edge of the Pyrenees, and as usual within France, such a diverse country, there are a wide variety of landscapes. Vast areas are devoted to wheat fields and vineyards, and mountains and vast forests are scattered throughout the area. The department also has around 50km of Mediterranean coastline, which is always appealing!
The city of Carcassonne is the Aude's most proud possession. The medieval town, which was the inspiration for 'The Sleeping Beauty', boasts an incredible 52 towers and 2 enormous ramparts. A stroll around the city's old town reveals many memorable views, and even form the autoroute, when lit up at night, it looks sensational. The historical city of Narbonne, not far from Carcassone, is another favourite.
The Aude has a large number of castles, reminiscent of its Cathar history. The most impressive citadel is Peyrepertuse, which has 2.5km of ramparts.
The Midi Canal, which flows through the department, is an incredible feat of construction. It took 12,000 men working for 14 years to complete it in the 17th century, and it runs from Toulouse to Thau, passing through Carcassonne. The canal is an incredible 240km in length nowadays, it is used most by the tourist industry and is a great way to explore the region whilst admiring the landscape at a leisurely pace.
The area is proud of its customs and local cuisine, including the world famous cassoulet. Castelnaudary is considered the world capital of this particular dish. There are very strict rules over what constitutes a cassoulet - most importantly, all the ingredients must come from the Aude!
Carcassonne has its own international airport with regular flights to the UK and other European destinations, as well as a TGV train station, so travelling to the Aude is easy.
The french property prices in the Aude tend to be slightly cheaper than the average within the Languedoc Roussillon, but the major cities naturally attract higher property values, particularly Carcassonne. |
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