Languedoc-Roussillon: A scenic and surprising region

The Romans did plenty for Languedoc-Roussillon: not merely miraculous surviving structures such as the Pont du Gard, but by creating the tracks that many still follow – both in the street plans of the hearts of Nîmes, Montpellier and Perpignan, and in the ancient superhighways that still carve across the region. But over the centuries since then, many more thoroughfares have imposed themselves over the landscapes, from old mule paths to 21st-century high-speed rail tracks. And some of the Languedoc-Roussillon trails are perfect for exploring on two legs, two wheels, or four legs – or, while sitting down and taking in some superb scenery and engineering.

THE AGE OF THE LITTLE YELLOW TRAIN

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“Heritage” railways are splendid celebrations of engineering and inspiration, but all too many go from nowhere to nowhere. In sharp contrast, the amazing narrow-gauge journey from Perpignan to Latour de Carol transports you from the Mediterranean to the high Pyrenees, providing access to Andorra, Catalan Spain and the rest of the SNCF network, serving the upper reaches of the Ariège and, should you wish, the city of Toulouse. But the means to whichever end you choose comprise the most satisfying part.

Even the short journey aboard a normal train from Perpignan to Villefranche-Vernet les Bains is a treat. You leave the Roman city and its railway station designated by Salvador Dalí as “the centre of the world”, and quickly leave behind the Paris-to-Barcelona main line to start gently climbing the valley of the Tet.

Soon the scenes and scents of the Mediterranean start to dwindle, as river, railway and road start to compress into the same narrow, deep corridor.

Given the scenic intensity, the station where the regular SNCF network ends is surprisingly utilitarian; nevertheless Villefranche itself is an excellent base for exploration. The core of the town is wrapped in stout walls, and allows access to some dramatic and challenging hiking based in the nearby spa village of Vernet les Bains, which shares the station name. Most people, though, step across from the train to the platform where their yellow transportation awaits.

The Petit Train Jaune – bright yellow, with added splashes of red, to honour the colours of Catalonia – comes in two varieties. The smart, modern two-car train looks ready for 21st-century business, with big picture windows giving passengers the second-best view of the line to Latour de Carol. The best view is the preserve of the travellers who board the sturdy open wagon that gives a startling 360-degree journey through some of France’s most spectacular scenery.

The presence in a siding of a smart red-and-yellow snowplough gives some hint of the journey to come – and also explains why the open carriages are a summer-only phenomenon. But however you tackle this line, the memory will stay with you.

Last year, the railway celebrated its 80th anniversary; yet in just over a year, at the start of 2010, the centenary celebration for commencement of construction will begin. It took from 1910 to 1927 to build, an average of less than 4km a year for the whole 62.5km project. When you see how the line clings to the impossibly steep side of the upper Tet valley, you will be amazed that they completed it at all: much of the time it occupies a narrow ledge, and twice it defiantly crosses the gorge on bridges that seem impossibly frail compared with the mighty mountains through which the line steers its precarious course.

Things begin to flatten out as you approach Mont Louis. How’s the weather? Sunny, most likely – at least more likely than elsewhere in France. This area, the Cerdagne, was chosen as the location for the Four Solaire, or solar oven, because the climate charts showed the sun favoured it. To see the array of reflectors on a hillside funnelling the rays to a central – and very hot – point makes you imagine that you have stumbled into a sci-fi movie.

This feeling intensifies as the train proceeds across the wild and bleak plateau, a mile above sea level. A geopolitical quirk means you thread between Spain and Spain: the exclave of Llivia is separated from the rest of the Republic by a land corridor, through which the line slices.

Latour de Carol has the feel of a frontier station, and a certain celebrity among railway enthusiasts for being the place where three different gauges meet: the standard gauge of SNCF leading north to Toulouse, the broad Iberian gauge going south to Barcelona and the narrow gauge on which you have just arrived. A place of possibilities, indeed.

A WALK THROUGH THE CENTURIES

A hand-painted sign that points up a hillside near St Martin du Canigou sums up the appeal of Languedoc-Roussillon for the walker: Voie pedestre, it reads – literally “pedestrian way”, but in practice heaven for hikers. And, as you ascend the Sentier des Cathares – the pathway of the Cathars – to the hilltop castle at Montségur, you may well be thankful for divine guidance.

This fascinating walk is just one of many long-distance footpaths through Languedoc-Roussillon. It takes you through medieval villages, across undulating meadows and along narrow gorges. You find yourself following in the footsteps of the Cathar sect who created their own strange realm of perfect purity in Languedoc before they were wiped out in the 14th century. Their ruined castles now act as beacons for walkers, who in turn help to sustain small communities by spending on meals and accommodation.

The same symbiotic relationship prevails a short way south. The finest walk in France – the GR10 pedestrian superhighway connecting the Mediterranean with the Atlantic – begins on the beach at Banyuls, close to the Spanish border, and quickly climbs into the hills where the sun gently roasts pine needles and fragrant herbs. Symbolically, the path crosses the Via Domitia that the Romans created to connect the region with the mother city; but as you ascend to the spine of the Pyrenees, you feel splendidly disconnected with urban life. I have yet to conquer the emblematic mountain of Canigou itself; maybe next summer.

TWO WHEELS GOOD...

Seuil de Naurouze is one of those special locations in which Languedoc-Roussillon seems to excel. Here, on the border with Midi-Pyrenees, two springs rise. One flows west, the other east – which is where the wise cyclist will head. Partly this is because the prevailing wind is in your favour, but mainly because you are about to embark on one of the great French bike rides. Languedoc-Roussillon offers the opposite of the Tour de France; the journey beside the Canal du Midi is all about indulgence, not endurance.

Gliding, not riding, is how you feel as you drift eastwards with the sun smiling from above you on the right – the same direction as the Pyrenees. Soon the city of Carcassonne rises from the plain, and provides an excellent excuse to leave the saddle and explore.

You continue beside the singular work of engineering that still provides a vital link between the seas, while providing endless fun for holidaymakers on narrow boats and cabin cruisers. The cyclist has the advantage of covering the ground more quickly, making the Mediterranean an easy target within a few days of gentle pedalling.

If, however, you subscribe to the “no pain, no gain” school of cycling, Languedoc-Roussillon has plenty to challenge you; besides the parts of the Pyrenees that so often sort out the winners from the losers in Le Tour, I recommend the Cévennes National Park; in wonderful isolation, given the proximity of numerous towns and cities, you can test your legs as hard as you like on steep climbs or gentle descents – knowing that good country cuisine and a comfortable bed awaits at the end of each day.

...FOUR LEGS BETTER

A pioneering outdoorsman, Robert Louis Stevenson famously travelled through what is now the national park and wrote about it in Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes. The ecossais veritable is celebrated today with his very own long-distance footpath, the GR70. But riders can cover the ground in the way he intended by hiring a horse or donkey. At La ferme de Vimbouches (causses-cervennes.com/ |fereme-vimbouches), for example, the British owners can organise anything from a night’s accommodation to a week’s riding holiday, exploring a different part of the national park each day. Guests are also encouraged to get involved in running the farm, which makes for a fascinating family holiday in a part of France that is still unknown by (too) many British travellers.

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