"Les Bergeries du Cabardès" is just a few steps away from the square of Moussoulens, a typical French village of the Midi, surrounded by the vineyards of the "Cabardès" AOC. Moussoulens boasts a château dating back to the twelfth century, as well as a café, a grocer, a bakery, a post office, a boules pitch and - last but not least - a lovely view south to the mountainous chain of the Pyrenees.

Unforgettable Carcassonne, the fortress city entirely encircled by double ramparts, is one of two UNESCO World Heritage sites almost on Moussoulens' doorstep, along with the serene, plane-fringed Canal du Midi, Louis XIV's grand canal, of Rick Stein cruising and culinary fame.

Besieged in the thirteenth century, sidelined in the seventeenth and restored in the nineteenth, Carcassonne is capital of Aude, Languedoc-Roussillon's best-kept secret. It's quicker to list what Aude lacks – industry and eyesores – than to cover the full variety of what this extraordinary département offers: mountains, sea, lakes and rivers, an enthralling history entwined with that of the heretic Cathars and the medieval troubadours, a rich Occitan language culture, a wine-growing tradition dating back to the Romans, gastronomic delights including indulgent foie gras and aromatic truffles, and physical pursuits to suit everyone from youngest to oldest, from the most lethargic to the most sporty.

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Carcassonne

The countryside around Moussoulens