Excursions to Narbonne and the Narbonnaise Natural Park
Excursions to Narbonne and the Narbonnaise Natural Park
Between Lagoons, Salt Pans and Heritage
From the coastline to the lagoon landscapes, the Narbonnaise Regional Natural Park brings together ponds, salt pans, scrubland and fishing villages: a territory shaped by the sea and by human labour. We explore it with you, from Gruissan to Narbonne and Fontfroide Abbey, in French.
The Mediterranean coast
Hiking in the heart of the lagoons
High above the Mediterranean, the ancient Gulf trail leads us through pine woods, vineyards and scrubland scented with thyme and rosemary, to the little fishing villages. We walk out on wooden jetties as if “walking” on water. At the pace of the walk, we watch the birds of the lagoons, including the flamingos, and whisper their names in French.
Gruissan and its wonders
Gruissan is a port village whose old lanes circle the Barberousse Tower, a stone’s throw from its famous beach of stilt chalets. We can go on to the Clape massif, which overlooks the lagoons and the Mediterranean, or to the Île Saint-Martin and its salt pans.
These landscapes keep ancestral skills alive: salt-making, winegrowing and oyster farming. Real trades, easy to talk about and discuss on the spot.
The Mediterranean hinterland
Narbonne, heiress to a magnificent past
In Narbonne, where the Via Domitia once ran, stand the Archbishops’ Palace and the cathedral of Saint-Just and Saint-Pasteur. We can stroll around these remains: lanes, courtyards, shops, café terraces, the covered market, the quays of the Robine… so many chances to chat.
Fontfroide Abbey
At the end of a rocky valley in the Corbières, the Cistercian Fontfroide Abbey ranks among the finest monasteries in Europe. We can explore its cloister, its abbey church and its immense dormitory: a visit that invites us to describe, ask questions and understand the monks’ way of life, in French.
