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Tour
options are many. You can pedal along Languedoc’s Mediterranean Sea
coastline, accented by 65 miles of sugar-white beaches and scenic
seaside villages. Collioure will greet your eyes like something out of
a painting. And for good reason. Henri Matisse and André Derain used
its setting of bobbing boats and narrow streets with pastel houses for
artistic inspiration. Inland is just as impressive. Carcassonne, one of
France’s top tourist destinations, demands must-visit status. Stepping
through its main, fortified gate is akin to stepping into a time
machine with non-stop service to the Renaissance period. The entire
village, from the ramparts to the Basilique St-Nazaire, is completely
intact. Manmade-wow also carries over to Carcassonne’s aquatic neighbor
– Canal Du Midi. Built in 1681, the canal, for its time, represented an
incredible engineering achievement, serving as a major link between the
Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean via the Garonne River. The Cathar
Castles also neighbor Carcassone. Built atop the narrow spines of
mountain ridges by the Cathars, a 13th century religious sect, these
ancient ruins defy engineering logic. Further east lies the city of
Nîmes, home to Les Arénes, built in 1 AD. And just beyond Nîmes the 2,000 year old Pont du Gard, the tallest
aqueduct (169 feet) ever built by the Roman Empire. In all Languedoc is
“magnifique,” a French term for “a superb place to tour by bike.”
Remember, we’re bicycle guides, not linguists
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