{"id":82918,"date":"2017-04-18T18:36:39","date_gmt":"2017-04-18T08:36:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/?p=82918"},"modified":"2021-07-24T13:10:30","modified_gmt":"2021-07-24T03:10:30","slug":"french-regions-occitanie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/2017\/04\/18\/french-regions-occitanie\/","title":{"rendered":"The savvy traveller\u2019s guide to France \u2013 Occitanie region"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"MyFrenchLife\u2122<\/p>\n

Occitania, or ‘Occitanie’, is the third largest region of France: it is bigger than the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxemburg all put together! Even Germany, which has some large regions, doesn\u2019t have a region as big as Occitania. Now that you can picture its size, let\u2019s talk about why you really should go to Occitania while you\u2019re travelling through France. <\/strong><\/p>\n

As you can guess, there are many of places of interest in Occitanie and also secret places where you can immerse yourself in the local culture and vibrant history. Many places where you will be delighted by new tastes and sensations and typical landscapes of the south of France are to be discovered<\/p>\n

Why go to Occitanie? <\/span><\/h1>\n

If Occitanie is my favourite region<\/a>, and that is mainly due to its landscapes. The word \u2018landscape\u2019 takes on a new dimension when you are travelling through Occitanie: mountains, rivers, the Mediterranean Sea, cereal and lavender fields, grazing lands, and the sky both as temperamental and generous as its inhabitants.<\/p>\n

You can count on the sun and the twin winds: the \u2018Mistral\u2019 and \u2018Tramontane\u2019, to put a smile on your face 300 days a year. The climate is wonderful all year round \u2013 except in the Pyrenean area, where you can enjoy snow activities and thermal baths<\/a> in Luchon in winter, however. The excellent weather is one of the reasons why locals have such warm personalities and seem to be happy all day. It’s even possible to feel welcome long before you return to the Occitania region. I can vouch for that!<\/p>\n

Two main cities <\/span><\/h1>\n

In the new Occitanie region, there are now two key cities: Toulouse and Montpellier – which will for sure create future conflict over which city is the best. Interestingly, both cities are leaders in technology and innovation, as the Occitanie region is our little Silicon Valley.<\/p>\n

\"MyFrenchLife\u2122<\/p>\n

Toulouse
\n<\/span><\/h3>\n

Toulouse also called the pink city, is the larger of the two cities and the official prefecture of Occitanie. The pink buildings are famous and in the evening, as the sun is setting, the walls \u2018catch fire\u2019 displaying stunning colours as the city switches from the quiet day life to lively nightlife.<\/p>\n

In summer, which fortunately is half of the year in the Occitanie region, nothing is better than going to the local markets early in the morning to buy fresh and local products and meeting and chatting with the locals while you’re there.<\/p>\n

\u2018Must-dos\u2019 in Toulouse:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Visit the market in Castanet-Tolosan<\/a>: it\u2019s one of the oldest and most authentic markets near Toulouse and the perfect meeting place for les gourmands<\/em>.<\/li>\n
  2. Take a walk in the streets of Toulouse in the evening when the air is fresher, and admire how the lights transform the buildings.<\/li>\n
  3. Toulouse is the European capital of aeronautics and space, so if there\u2019s one experience not to be missed in Toulouse, it\u2019s La Cit\u00e9 de l\u2019espace<\/a>. Unique in Europe, it\u2019s a fun and educational adventure park about space. You can experience life as an astronaut with the Moon Runner and defy gravity.  You can see the Ariane V rocket replica as well as the Mir space station and the Soyouz capsule, then it’s possible to follow Thomas Pesquet\u2019s tracks on his space mission and see Saturn during daylight! There is no other place in the world like it.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \"MyFrenchLife\u2122Montpellier <\/span><\/h3>\n

    Nonetheless, my preference lies with Montpellier with its car-free old city centre. The city is depicted as a traditional village which has grown into a bigger village with its narrow cobblestone streets, French architecture tinged with a Latin and Arabic influence, and people sitting on caf\u00e9 terraces even in winter.<\/p>\n

    The city and the people of Montpellier represent a multicultural history, a deep belief that joie de vivre<\/em> is a remedy against intolerance and racism, and a complex network of communities. Last but not least, Montpellier is a beautiful city with a population of ~250k, in a stunning region.<\/p>\n

    My advice: get lost in the streets, wander around, read a French author’s book<\/a> while sitting on a caf\u00e9 terrace and get a feel for the city.<\/p>\n

    North of the city, the La Vis river flows through the valley to a place called Le cirque de Navacelles<\/a>. From the village on top of the canyon, listed by Unesco as a World heritage site, the view of this huge natural amphitheatre is spectacular and will make you feel simultaneously humble and powerful.<\/p>\n

    \u2018Must-dos\u2019 in Montpellier:
    \n<\/strong><\/p>\n