Espéraza is in the Aude
département, lying on a tight meander of the
River
Aude, just north of the foothills of the Pyrenees. The
main arterial road, the D118, passes near the town, out
of sight and hearing.
The town is 6 km from Quillan to the South, and 15 km from Limoux to the north. It is the perfect base for those interested in Cathar Country.
Attractions
include water
sports on the River
Aude which flows through the town, a large Sunday Market,
and a unique dinosaur
museum displaying some of the spectacular finds made
nearby. There is also a Grade I listed Church
in the town square.
The
town lies in the very heart of Cathar
Country, the location of some of the most important
events of medieval Europe, vestiges of which can be seen
everywhere. Many of the most famous Cathar sites
are only a short drive or cycle ride away. Espéraza
is less than a two hours' walk away to the hilltop village
of Rennes-le-Château.
Popular
activities include walking,
climbing,
and caving.
The area is a delight for those seeking active holidays. Cycling,
the French national sport, is the most popular. And
there's horse
riding, hang-gliding, white-water
rafting, kayaking
and canoeing, canyoning,
hunting,
hawking and shooting, angling
and fishing, wind
surfing and kitesurfing,
paragliding,
Snowkiting
and hot air ballooning. In the winter, there's
downhill
skiing and cross-country
skiing, as well as other winter
sports in the Pyrenees, less than an hour's drive away.
Hot
springs abound in this area and there are many naturally
heated swimming pools and natural lakes. There
are also interesting caves ("grottes") in the
area and many quality vineyards.
Things to see include
cities of historical and architectural interest,
market towns and other towns,
villages
and bastides; Fortified and grand buildings of specifically
the so-called "Cathar
Castles" and other Châteaux;
Religious buildings: cathedrals,
churches, and other
ecclesiastical buildings; Aspects of nature including:
wildlife,
and springs,
spas and grottoes
The
surrounding countryside is beautiful and varied. To
the South are the foothills of the Pyrenees,
then the real Pyrenees,
and the Spanish border. One of the old pilgrimage
routes to Santiago (St-Jacques) de Compostella passes this
way, through the mountains and on into Spain. To
the East are the
Corbières, one of the few remaining wildernesses
in Europe, where boar still roam wild, and beyond it the
Mediterranean
coast. To the West lies the Plateau de Sault,
a high plateau of forests and rolling countryside, and beyond
it Andorra. To the north are vineyards and historic
cities like Carcassonne.
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You can hire mountain bikes ("VTTs") from Thomas Loisirs, 54 Avenue de Perpignan. Tel: 04 68 74 10 97. They're open all year 9am to noon and 2pm to 7pm Monday to Saturday, and 10am to noon on Sundays. Local wildlife is also an attraction. Because of its varied terrain, the Aude département possesses more than twice the number of plant species than the whole of the UK, including some 80 types of Orchid. It is similarly rich in animal species, particularly birds. Some useful links: Esperaza Dinosaur Museum - photos below: click here for more information |
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