Sète

As you cruise through the canals of Sète on a sea kayak, it may feel a little like being in Venice, which is why the city is often referred to as the Venice of the Languedoc. Enjoy a unique perspective of the town’s painted houses and historic warehouses as you explore the waterways that bisect the city center and glide under its picturesque stone and iron bridges. Unlike some of its flashier sister cities, Sète has preserved its roots as a working fishing village and offers an authentic and captivating look at life on the Mediterranean.

Set alongside the saltwater lagoon of Étang du Thau, Sète is a working port town, both for fishing and as the Mediterranean endpoint for two of France’s famed inland waterways, the Canal du Midi and the Canal du Rhône. Your guide will meet you at the yacht for the walking tour of the Old Port area. Stroll along the canals and across the bridges of the Old Port area whose quais are lined with colorful homes and historic warehouses. Learn about the town’s maritime industries and unique festivities to celebrate the annual Feast of St. Louis.

A cultural and academic hub in the Languedoc wine region, Montpellier has a youthful, lively ambience thanks to its large student population and many festivals. Your exploration begins in the Place de la Comedie, the pedestrian-only central square built in the 1700s. Nicknamed L’Oeuf (the egg), it is one of the largest in Europe, home to the iconic Three Graces fountain and landmark buildings like the Opéra Comédie, a grand Italian-style theater.

Travel into into the heart of the Languedoc. Perched on a hill on the Aude plain and surrounded by vineyards, with the snow-capped Pyrennes rising in the distance, Carcassonne appears like something out of a fairytale. Three kilometers of ramparts – with 52 towers – surround a hilltop. Known as La Cite, the old town was built – and rebuilt – between the 4th and 13th centuries, incorporating the ruins of Roman and Visigoth fortresses. By the mid-19th century, La Cite was derelict, all but abandoned, and slated for demolition.