The Natural Regional Park of Upper Languedoc

The Two "Midis".
The Massif Central, the mountain range that extends like an underbelly across the virtually the entire width of south-central France comes to an end in the south-west with one final dogleg of green and brown overlooking the fertile vine- and cereal-growing plains below. These are the mountains of the Upper Languedoc.
This is the South of France, certainly, "le midi", only here there are two midis, for this the region of "la partage des eaux", where all rivers to the west run to the Atlantic while those to the south and east flow into the Mediterranean.
This results in a truly remarkable diversity of climate, ecology and landscape in the patchwork of regions that together form the Natural Regional Park of Upper Languedoc: Montagne Noire, the Monts de Lacaune, the Caroux and the valleys of the Orb and Jaur, the Somail, the Monts d'Orb, the Sidobre, the Faugérois, the Saint-Chinianais and the Minervois, together represent all the regions's many differing aspects, each district having its own character, its own qualities and its own peculiar charm.

	Making the most of the Natural Park This is par excellence an area for those wishing to be at one with the nature and the environment. Here amidst the large freshwater lakes, forest paths, picturesque villages, sites and museums one is free to ramble, ride, climb and cycle, swim and dive, observe, discover, visit and seek to understand. But also to savour, taste...and just simply relax! The local produce provides a real feast for the senses while every twist and turn of the mountain paths brings one face to face with the splendour of nature as eagles dive and swoop overhead and deer, boar and mountain-goats scuttle shyly into the undergrowth. This is a landscape at once intimate and awe-inspiring! In the words of a local occitan saying "Aqui, la vida saboreja doblament". Here one savours life twice over.

	Parc naturel régional du Haut-Languedoc 13 Rue du Cloitre, 34220 Saint-Pons de Thomières Telephone: +33-(0)4 67 97 38 22 - Fax +33-(0)4 67 97 38 18 Email: pnr.haut-languedoc@wanadoo.fr

Summary:
1 The Natural Regional Park of Upper Languedoc 2 The Sidobre 3 The Montagne Noire (Dourgne, Sorèze...) 4 Mazamet and region 5 The Monts de Lacaune - Brassac du Tarn 6 The Lakes and the Salvetois 7 The Valley of the Thoré 8 The Montredonnais	9 The Valleys of the Orb and the Jaur 10 The Saint-Ponais 11 The Monts d'Orb Following the wine trail: 12 The Faugérois 13 The Minervois 14 The Saint-Chiniannais

thomas@idaeus.com