Things to do in Languedoc Roussillon
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Roman Amphitheatre
Built around AD 100 to seat 24,000 spectators, this magnificent amphitheatre is wonderfully preserved, even retaining its upper storey. Its system of passages and exits are engagingly called vomitories and were designed so patricians attending combats never had to rub shoulders with the plebs up top. It lives on as Les Arènes, a sporting and cultural venue.
Les Arènes lives on as a frequent sporting and cultural venue - an excellent thing in itself though the scaffolding and temporary barriers do detract from its appeal as a historical site. Buy your ticket at the reception point, tucked into its northern walls.
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L'Écurie
Enjoy fine fare either within this attractively renovated 18th-century stable, all polished woodwork, brass and leather, or in the large, shaded garden. Pick from its long and choice selection of local wines.
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Les Arènes
Nîmes’ magnificent Roman amphitheatre, the best preserved in the whole of the Roman Empire, was built around AD 100 to seat 24,000 spectators. It’s easy to forget, as one marvels at the architectural accomplishments of the Romans, what a nasty streak they had too. The arena hosted animal fights to the death, stag hunts, man against lion or bear confrontations and, of course, gladiatorial combats. In the contemporary arena, it’s only the bulls that get killed. An advance of a kind, you might say.
There’s a mock-up of the gladiators’ quarters and, if you time it right, you’ll see a couple of actors in full combat gear slugging it out in the arena.
Buy your tick…
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Esprit de Sel
This wonderful emporium is a place to browse and squeal with pleasure as you discover some unexpected treasure that you never knew you wanted or needed until now. Jocelyne Feller has an eye for quirky, off-centre items, ranging from the seriously retro to up-to-the-minute contemporary. Penetrate deep into the three galleries to explore the wares, culled from suppliers both large and small, and local producers – umbrellas, suitcases, boots, soaps and lotions, ornaments large to tiny, lampstands, ceramics, clothing and much more.
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Cantine Robert Rodriguez
Chef Robert Rodriguez works with exclusively organic raw materials and considers himself as much artisan as chef. Fraicheur, saison, tradition, créativité (fresh, seasonal, traditional and creative) is the leitmotif at his cantine. It's all consciously retro with marble-topped tables, bentwood chairs and early Edith Piaf and Charles Trenet warbling in the background. Walls are bedecked with his many diplomas and awards, plus photos of your heavily moustachioed host with famous guests.
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Place Royale du Peyrou
Place Royale du Peyrou is a wide, tree-lined esplanade. At the eastern end lies the Arc de Triomphe (1692) and at the western end lies the Château d'Eau. Leading from this hexagonal water tower is the 18th-century Aqueduc de St-Clément, under which there's an organic food and second-hand books market on Saturday and pétanque (a game not unlike lawn bowls played with heavy metal balls on a sandy pitch; also called boules) most afternoons.
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Palais des Rois de Majorque
The Palais des Rois de Majorque sits on a small hill. Symbol of Perpignan's late-medieval splendour but now echoing and sparsely furnished, the palace was built in 1276 for the ruler of the newly founded kingdom. It was once surrounded by extensive fig and olive groves and a hunting reserve, both lost once Vauban's formidable citadel walls enclosed the palace. Pick up a guide sheet as you enter and climb the 70 steps of Tour de l'Hommage for a sweeping panorama of the Pyrenees and Mediterranean.
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Casa Païral
Casa Païral, the museum of Roussillon and Catalan folklore, occupies Le Castillet, a 14th-century red-brick town gate. Once a prison, it's the only vestige of Vauban's fortified town walls, which encircled the city until the early 1900s. The museum houses bits and pieces of everything Catalan - from traditional bonnets and lace mantillas to a 17th-century kitchen. From the rooftop terrace there are great views of the old city and citadel.
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Perrier’s Bottling Plant
Ever wondered how they get the bubbles into a bottle of Perrier water? Or why it’s that stubby shape? Take the one-hour tour in French of Perrier’s bottling plant. In Vergèze, on the RN113, 13km southwest of Nîmes, it fills around 400 million bottles of mineral water each year. We trust their tongue is firmly in their cheek when they advertise dégustation gratuité (free tasting) ! Call to reserve.
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Serre Amazonienne
A 10-minute walk from Agropolis, this is a spectacular appendix to Montpellier's zoo. A humid hothouse replicates the Amazonian rainforest. Piranha and alligators swim in the first two tanks but it gets friendlier as you progress. Stars include a pair of bright-eyed young leopards, a family of Bolivian squirrel monkeys and flitting bats. Afterwards, you can explore the rest of the zoo, France's second-largest, for free.
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La Girafe
You're indeed greeted by a tall model giraffe as you enter. Dine in the intimate downstairs area with its ox-blood-red decor and original artwork, or upstairs beneath the cross arches of this former chapel. Chef Pascal Schmitt gets his ingredients fresh from the market and nothing but nothing comes from the freezer. Try the heavenly breast of chicken rolled around prawns with fresh coriander and satay sauce.
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Au Bon Pasteur
At this welcoming, intimate family restaurant, the simple wooden tables and chairs belie the sophistication of the cooking. You can warm yourself in winter with the yummy cassoulet or choucroute (sauerkraut), 100% authentic since the chef hails from the Vosges. Year-round, their menu classique (classic menu) and formules de midi (lunch specials) both represent excellent value.
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Restaurant Le Menestrel
The husband and wife team who have taken over the Menestrel offer a range of gastronomic delights. Meat and fish are of the freshest and all desserts are homemade. Peek at the guest book with its multilingual tributes to the quality of the cuisine and observe yourself in the giant overhead mirror as you tuck in. There's always a choice for vegetarians and menus are in both English and French.
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Agropolis
Agropolis, 4km north of the centre, is all about food and how people around the world grow it. Historically, it follows our progression from hunter-gatherer to supermarket shopper. Fascinating stuff, it's instructive, enjoyable and pitched at both children and adults. For this and Serre Amazonienne, take tram 1 to the St-Eloi stop, from where a regular shuttle bus does a circular route.
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La Grande Motte
Further northwards, about 20km southeast of Montpellier, is La Grande Motte. Purpose-built on the grand scale back in the 1960s to plug the tourist drain southwards into Spain, its architecture, considered revolutionary at the time, now comes over as fairly heavy and leaden, contrasting with the more organic growth of adjacent Grau du Roi, deeper rooted and a still-active fishing port.
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Le Marché sur la Table
You could just pop in for a glass of wine at this friendly spot, run by up-and-coming young chef Éric Vidal (see his impressive culinary credentials on the toilet wall, no less) and his partner, Caroline. But you'd be missing a lot. Éric buys fresh and organic from the nearby food market, his fish is never farmed and Caroline maintains a large selection of local wines. Eat in the attractively furnished interior or quiet, green rear courtyard.
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Hôtel de Ville
Place de la Loge has three fine stone structures. Sandwiched between La Loge de Mer and the Palais de la Députation, once seat of the local parliament, is the Hôtel de Ville with its typically Roussillon pebbled façade of river stones. Pass by on summer weekends and you may well see locals of all ages dancing the graceful sardane, folk dance of the Catalans.
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Le Bouchon et L'Assiette
Refined cuisine indeed. Dishes are attractively presented and described sotto voce as they're slipped before you. For dessert, go for the blanc manger, a smooth, creamy confection of white chocolate beneath a bed of stewed berries and worlds away from the synthetic blancmange of childhood parties. Service can be slow so come with a thick book or a scintillating companion.
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Archaeological Museum
The Musée d'Archéologie has some interesting Roman and pre-Roman tombs, mosaics, inscriptions and artefacts unearthed around Nîmes. It also houses a hotchpotch of artefacts from Africa, piled high and tagged with yellowing captions such as 'Abyssinia' and 'Dahomey'. In the same building, the Natural History Museum has a musty collection of stuffed animals.
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Les Bains de Montpellier
This former public bathhouse is now a highly recommended restaurant. Tables are set around the old perimeter bathrooms where you can almost hear the gurgle and slurp of long-emptied tubs. For something light, try the assiette des Bains, a platter with salads, pasta, garnishes, vegetables and a hint of meat. If you're hungrier, select from its prime quality fish dishes.
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Le France
Le France manages to insert harmoniously the ultramodern – right down to the all-glass handbasins in the toilets – within the historical setting of what was once Perpignan's stock exchange. Mains are smallish but attractively presented and there's a good selection of tapas and pizzas.
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Les Antiquaires
The cuisine is as traditional, reliable and mature as both the clientele and the splendid line of vintage bottles displayed above the fireplace. Portions, such as the two huge dollops of chocolate mousse for dessert, are mightily generous.
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Réserve de Bisons d'Europe
Near the small village of Ste-Eulalie-en-Margeride, around 40 bison roam freely. Visitors, on the other hand, must follow a 50-minute guided tour, either by horse-drawn carriage (per adult/child €12.50/7) or, in winter, by sledge (€14.50/8). From mid-June to September, you can follow a self-guided 1km walking path (per adult/child €6/4) around the periphery.
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Musée Fabre
A delightfully spacious, superbly lit venue with one of France's richest collections of European works from the 16th century onwards, plus seven galleries of bright, dynamic 20th-century art. Its annexe, the recently opened Département des Arts Décoratifs displays in context elegant 18th- and 19th-century furniture, ceramics and jewellery.
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Auberge de Dame Carcas
This casual restaurant specialises in suckling pig (spot the model porkers all around) and carries a fine selection of well-priced local wines (including a delightfully smooth house red at €11). The ground floor is cosy and agreeably rustic, and you can see the chefs at work. The larger upstairs room offers more light, and there's a summer terrace too.
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