About The Area
The holiday rentals near Carcassonne at the Domaine le Gabachou are just minutes away from Bram, a large village resting on the banks of the Canal du Midi, close to the world famous cite of Carcassonne. Bram holds a weekly market on Wednesday mornings, a lively affair where you can buy local cheeses, charcuterie, vegetables and other regional produce. Bram is well served in the centre ville by a grocery store, delicatessen, two boulangeries and two bars, banks, a post office and other commerce. There is also a GP practice in Bram should you need medical attention. A train station serves Carcassonne and Toulouse. On the edge of Bram there is a large Carrefour supermarket with petrol station adjacent to the A61 motorway junction.
Sightseeing
The area of France in which our holiday rentals are locagted is known as l’Aude, a department within the region of Occitanie (formerly Languedoc Roussillon). It is steeped in Cathar history – a religious group who came to France from Persia around the 11th century. Pope Innocent III called for a formal Crusade against the Cathars in the Languedoc region, and Bram fell in 1210. Although there is little left in Bram from this period, its street layout still preserves the pattern of ’circulade’ – a circular village.
Many Cathar ruins and abbeys can be found close to Bram, from Saissac to Lastours, Fontfroide, and of course Carcassonne. Well worth a visit to any or all of these whilst staying at Le Gabachou.
If you fancy a longer trip out and about there are many places to go by car or train. For example you can take a train from Carcassonne into Spain and have tapas for lunch in Barcelona! A trip into the Pyrenees for a stunning drive as you crisscross to the top of mountains with incredible views from what seems to be the ‘top of the world’. A drive or train into Toulouse, for some city shopping or visiting its Aeronautique or Space museums. Or Albi, with its amazing cathedral and museum dedicated to Toulouse Lautrec. Le Gabachou is ideally placed to visit a wide range of diverse landscape, culture and experiences.
Activities
Cycling and Walking
As well as cycling or walking along the canal (which passes by Le Gabachou's holiday rentals), L’Aude offers many routes for you close to Bram that will broaden your experience of this beautiful area. We are close to the Montagnes Noir and Alairic and just a little further, the Pyrenees. Within each gîte, we have provided many maps and itineraries to get you going!
Beaches
Bram is less than an hour away from the beautiful beaches of Narbonne. This area offers a variety of beaches – wide sandy family friendly beaches with full facilities; windier resorts for those of you who want to windsurf or kite; beaches adjacent to old villages such a Gruissan and its salt marshes. Many beaches along this coastline hold their own festivals during the summer – well worth looking out for.
Food & Wine
The Occitanie (Languedoc Roussillon) is carpeted with vineyards. In our own corner of l’Aude we are known for many world class varieties including AOC Carbardes, AOC Minervois and AOC Corbieres and not forgetting AOC Limoux, Blanquette de Limoux our very own local bubbly! Many wine domains are open for daily wine tasting (degustation) and tours. We have some very fine wine producers in our area and can certainly recommend some for wine tasting and/or dinner. If you wish to couple your wine tasting with food tasting there are several wine and food tours available in the Carcassonne area, and also for the more adventurous, cooking classes. Moreover, many local villages hold annual fêtes in celebration of truffles, asparagus or melon for example – these fêtes are great fun, and you’ll see them advertised as you drive around the local area. These fêtes normally include a lot of eating of local produce and drinking the local wine… there’s always opportunity to buy what you’ve enjoyed!
