Montolieu has two restaurants, a bar, cafés and small shops (butcher, general store, newsagent, pharmacy, hairdressers, baker, organic farm shop and about a zillion bookshops). Just outside are tennis courts and an outdoor swimming pool. Large supermarkets and shops are at Carcassonne.
| There are plenty of country walks on the doorstep, horse-riding is close by and there is a superb small lake within 5 minutes’ drive, suitable for swimming and more walking. |
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| The area is rich with history, including châteaux from the Cathar and other periods (the closest being at the nearby village of Saissac (8km), and the spectacular four ruined châteaux of Lastours), abbeys, cathedrals, dolmens and menhirs, as well as many natural features such as lakes, caves, gorges and grottoes. |
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| Websites about the Midi: |
| MidiCanal.com occitan.net |
| Websites about Montolieu: |
| montolieu.net montolieu-village.com montolieu.fr tourisme.fr CompuTours.com |
| The Canal du Midi flows roughly east-west from Toulouse, through Carcassonne to Béziers, and on to Sète and the Mediterranean. |
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| Several international airports are within easy driving distance. Carcassonne airport is only about 20 minutes by car whereas Toulouse is just about an hour away. Free parking at both when last visited. The mainline railway at Carcassonne allows high-speed (TGV) connections to Paris and to Lille and onwards to the UK via Eurostar. The A61 (Bram or Carcassonne Ouest) exits are within 20-30 minutes’ drive away (respectively). |
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| Websites about Carcassonne (also in English versions, except Office de Tourisme): |
| carcassonne.org carcassonne.culture.fr tourisme.fr CompuTours.net |