It is easy to get dazzled by the amazing treasures nearby – Carcassonne, Narbonne, Pezenas… – and to forget the smaller gems just a stone’s throw from Maison Cambo. Driving under the speckled shadow of plane trees or winding your way past patchworked vineyards is pleasure enough but then you find yourself slowing down, negotiating the cage-rattling speed bumps as you enter a sleepy village or an undiscovered piece of history…take your time!
Please note, a delightful frustration about driving around France is that road numbers seem to appear and disappear at will so I am not sure how useful you will find some of these instructions…!
Abbaye Sainte-Marie de Fontcaude
From the house you can get out into the countryside quickly by taking the D19, following the Rive Orb. Just after Thezan-lès-Béziers take the D16 on the left until you get to Cazouls-lès-Béziers. Not the most beautiful of the surrounding villages, but head north west first along the D14 and then turn off on the D134e1, and you discover an idyllic little community surrounding the Abbaye which has been lovingly restored after being brutally plundered and then neglected over the centuries. It is part of the Camino de Santiago and there is evidence of the medieval pilgrims who passed through on their way to Spain.
Capestang
There is a wonderful road heading down just past the Abbaye, towards Puisseguier with a chateau that’s worth a quick visit. Continuing due south you enter Capestang and the first thing you see is the Canal du Midi in all its glory. A riverside restaurant offers the perfect spot to lazily watch the boats manoeuvring through its narrow old bridge.
Oppidum d’Ensérune
This old Gaul hill village that was occupied continuously for 600 years from 6th century BC dominates the landscape and presents one of the most spectacular views from outside Beziers. Just wandering the grounds and taking in the ruins is impressive enough, but inside the museum there is an extraordinary collection of ceramics unearthed from the area (they have only excavated a fraction but felt enough was enough!). Then, looking down from the escarpment towards the field below, you can see lines radiating from the centre like a giant sun. These are draining canals that were dug in the 13th century to drain the swamp into underground pipes that still exist today.
These pleases may seem modest in comparison to the big league attractions, but there is something calming and eminently satisfying in wandering the less trodden routes!
Maison Cambo 