Vias Herault Ten Minutes from Villa Roquette

There is a network of villages in our region, each about 5 kilometers form each other, yet each having a completely independent character. Ten minutes from Villa Roquette is the town of Vias – a thriving market town only a couple of -kilometers from the popular seaside resort of Vias plage.

In medieval times it was a very wealthy town, as were many of the towns and villages in Herault – wool trade, shipbuilding, mining and rich agriculture providedLanguedoc with wealth and even very small communities could build magnificent churchesandhouses.

The local building materials were used for construction and in Vias and Agde the local stone is black basalt – a very hard volcanic rock. Theblack stone gives buildings a characteristic look.

Vias still has many fine buildings, most of the town wall has dissappeared intp the local buildings, but some vestiges remain – every town and village was protected by huge strong walls, until recent times, right into the 18th century, raiders from North Africa, corsairs, would come and take prisoner any person they found in the fields and take them into slavery or as galley slaves for their trading and war ships.

Here is a brief photo essay on a short walk around Vias

Information Websites About Languedoc Sud de France



On our website at Villa Roquette we give information about activities and events happening near us  – if you stay with us we can help you find fairs, markets, exhibitions, carnivals plus the best places for golf, fishing, cycling, walking and many many other activities, or just the best beaches and bars.

A new initiative locally is for the wine makers to offer special events, many are organising walks in the beautiful countryside with story tellers, picnics and plenty of wine.

I replied to a recent mail from a reader of our newsletter about other sources of information….

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Tony,
We always enjoy your e-mails and and the links that they take us to.   We have corresponded before and you have been very helpful with many of our questions.   We hope that on this next trip to France,we will have time to stop in to say hello and meet in person.

My question for this trip to France  is regarding an article and U-tube video you posted in June – Balades in Languedoc.  That function was offered up only in July and August, but looked like a great way to spend a day.   Are you aware of anything like that that may be available to participate in the last week of October?   This trip we hope to have some time to just enjoy the French life.

Gary and Bonnie

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Hi Gary and Bonnie

Do call round when you are here and share a bottle 🙂

Some vignerons do these balade I mentioned in my post at http://www.twiku.com/balade-in-languedoc/ in the early summer when there is not a lot happening in the fields, but after late July they don’t have time. By October it is considered too chilly and the tourist season is over so nothing much happens – however by late October all the work is done and the new wines are getting produced, most of the cave cooperative have a big open day, clebration and booze-up.  If you can stand up to an hour of endless speeeches, you can then test lots of the latest booze and often get music food and music – some charge a few euro, many are free.

You can tell when the speeches are getting to the end when the local pensioners start edging quietly to the groaning boards of wine and food – make for the bottles that are popular with the chaps with florid noses, this is the good stuff.

Information about local events can be tricky to find – there are a few publications and leaflets, most are available from your local mairie – other information locally online is from ……..

http://www.heraultwhatson.info/

http://www.the-languedoc-page.com/

http://www.languedocliving.com/

http://www.thisfrenchlife.com/

http://languedoc.angloinfo.com/

http://www.creme-de-languedoc.com/

http://www.midi-france.info/

http://www.languedoc-roussillon.eu.com/

http://www.lacdusalagou.com/index.php

http://www.blablablah.org/

A lunch after picnics foie gras and wine in the morning

Lunch after a walk in the countryside around Villa Roquette



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