Near the Black Mountain, Caunes-Minervois is settled in the middle of vineyards. Renaissance and gothic windows and door moldings will pique our curiosity as much as the Benedictine abbey, which is richly decorated with red Caunes marble. This material, extracted in the village quarry, was famously used at Versailles and in all of Europe's most prestigious historic buildings.
A bit further, at the heart of the Black Mountain, built atop a rocky outcrop, stand the 4 castles of Lastours. I propose that we take a breathtaking hike to discover the "Citadelles du vertige" (literally, “head-spin citadels”). They are an amazing sight!
If you prefer, we can reach the Black Mountain depths: the river Clamoux digs out the cavern of Cabrespine. This cave is a genuine cathedral decorated with magical work sculpted by Mother Nature.
The Carcassonnais has a lot of surprises in store...