Simply the most amazing travel/cycling experience I have ever had or could ever imagine. The best…read moreroads, the best people, secret restaurants and historical spots.

Very back experience at the restaurant. Very disappointing. Don't order the beef. We joked that it…read morewould require a chainsaw to cut it.

Arriving at the spur of the moment in Ales we found the hostellerie and ended up in the restaurant…read morewhere I had a goat cheese salad and trout with pine nuts and the obligatory two "boules" of sorbet and hubby had foie gras, followed by trout "meunière ". All was extremely well prepared and the plates with the trouts were not only wonderfully cooked but also a delight for the eyes - to mention purple slices of potatoes, golden trout, greenish black sheered fennel and butter seasoned to perfection. If ever you have a chance to go there it is well worth a side trip from Limoux.

I had a nice 4 night stay at this castle hotel. My room was comfortable. I especially loved my…read morelarge tub in my bathroom. The courtyard has a lot of birds and feathers everywhere. The birds also make a lot of noise that can be a bit loud in the mornings. Services at this hotel can also be a bit expensive. The stairwell to the rooms can be a challenging climb for some people. The owners are friendly. Overall, I had a nice stay. 4 Stars

From the owner: Château du 16è siècle, classé Monument Historique, situé en bordure de l'Aude, à seulement 1 heure…read morede Toulouse, au Sud de Carcassonne. 34 chambres à la décoration médiévale et confort moderne; 3 salles de réception lumineuses avec cheminées majestueuses; cuisine gastronomique autour des produits du terroir; court intérieure de style Renaissance, piscine chauffée; tennis; pétanque; proche des Châteaux Cathares; activités en eaux vives; œnotourisme

This place is highly rated by the locals as a restaurant for special occassions. It has it's own…read morevinyard and also runs a hotel which according to the French review here is good with generously proportioned rooms and discrete staff. The visitors restaurant offers a fixed price menu which was 42 Euro last time I went - but they've a good website with all the info you need in English as far as I can recollect. DON'T come here if you're vegetarian or vegan!!! I cycled over for Sunday lunch with a friend in pleasant November sunshine and cycled home in rather wet weather, but we hardly noticed our surroundings by that time... our return journery has become part of an epic folklore tale of circuitous nature which I will refrain from detailing. Back to the restaurant - the meal starts with aperatif, then a choice of starter (fois gras featuring a number of times), followed by an interim course, then the main dish, then cheese, then desert, then digestif, accompanied (between 2 of us, I don't know what happens if you're on your own...) by a bottle of their own white, rose and red wine. My friend had one of the fois gras choices for starters and it was so generous a portion that I had a fair bit too, I chose scallops, then he had snails (the sauce apparently was a meal on it's own with sausage and all sorts) and I had langustines, after which we felt exceedingly full and where rather relieved that the suckling pig we'd decided on for the main course was not too enormous a serving. The cheeses were all local goat cheeses, but since I love these that was no problem and somehow we ate them all (I think we impressed the restaurant staff at this point). I confess I don't remember too much about desert - mine was something to do with chocolate. The white wine had a great nose, not quite so good on the palate, but still... neither of us thought to much to the rose which we largely ingnored, but the red was very drinkable. Between the wines, the aperatif and the digestif it's small wonder that the bike ride home was, well, meandering, but thankfully there was almost no other traffic on the road and we made it home just before darkness. If you do get the opportunity to visit, either book a room in the hotel or make sure you have a safe route back to your lodgings which doesn't involve driving.

(This is long overdue review from my Provence lavender tour)…read more We all have one place in the world we want to come back to. Mine would be Floure. Driving down from Carcassonne, you turn to narrow straight road, lined perfectly with trees, that leads you to quiet town of Floure. Locals gather at the entrance to stare and greet, and just around the corner is a Chateau. Grounds are simply marvelous, old buildings, gardens, a lot to take in. Decent size rooms with AC (yes, it is unusual for this region - I am grateful for it in this hot summer!) Half-board is a good option to get if they still offer it, food here is very, very good. Dinner service, food itself, and wine, of course - all top notch. Local bread is delight. Strolling in the gardens or sitting by fireplace on colder nights after dinner, just enjoying the time here - a wonderful place to be. I WILL come back, Floure!

Ever wanted to stay in a castle? Yeah, deep inside the walled city a beautiful hotel exists. Take…read morethe plunge. Great to explore the grounds after the tourists leave for the day. Unbelievable restaurant menu! We left feeling like king and queen!

If I were to visit Carcassone again I would stay here or at the Best Western Hôtel le Donjon, which…read moreare the only two hotels within the medieval city's walls. I found the medieval city to be unbearably crowded during daytime hours but as soon as all of the day visitors left I could appreciate the city and for this reason I think staying in the city is the only way to go. By doing so you'll have a few hours of solace in the morning and evening before/after the hordes of tourist arrive/leave. During my visit to Carcassone we sought refuge at Hotel de la Cite in advance of our dinner reservation at a nearby restaurant later in the evening. In the lounge we enjoyed an excellent bottle of wine while snacking on some of the best olives I think I have ever eaten. Right off of the lounge there was a beautiful patio with breathtaking views of the city walls and surrounding countryside. Service was unobtrusive and elegant; I would definitely stay at this hotel.