Lagrasse (fr. Lagrasse, Occitan: La Grassa) is a commune in the Aude department in the Occitania region of Southern France.
Lagrasse is a member of the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (The most beautiful villages of France) list.
Lagrasse is located about 100 km from Perpignan, 40 km from Narbonne, 30 km of Carcassonne, it lies in the valley of the River Orbieu, at the foot of the Pyrenees.
The region is renowned for the wine produced in the surrounding hills—this is the Corbières wine region, the largest wine-producing region in France.
The village is now home to many pottery workers and artists and hosts many cultural and intellectual festivals such as “Le Banquet du Livre”.
The history of Lagrasse merges with the abbey until the Revolution. In the eighth century, Nimphridius retreated to this valley with some companions and founded a monastery.
Charlemagne created a charter in 778, which is now in the Carcassonne archives. This charter is, in fact, the origin of the Abbey of Lagrasse, which will later become one of the largest in France.
Interesting places and attractions
- The village, built on the plan of the bastides, preserves, with its old 12th century bridge, the remains of the ramparts and many old houses
- The medieval city: ramparts (like the Porte de l’Eau), narrow alleys, covered market
- The Sainte-Marie de Lagrasse abbey located on the bank of the Orbieu facing the village
- The Pont-Vieux dating from 1303 then remodeled in the 17th and 19th centuries
- The church of Saint-Michel in Gothic style
- The ruins of the Saint-Michel de Nahuze priory on the sides of the mountain of Alaric
- Priory of Mirailles
- The Notre-Dame du Carla chapel
- The hall of the fourteenth century
- Several medieval painted ceilings have been unearthed in old houses
- Municipal campsite overlooking the village
How to get to?
From Paris: 8 hr 33 min (824 km) via A71 and A75
From Toulouse: 1 hr 32 min (129 km) via A61
From Andorra: 3 hr 23 min (231 km) via A61
From Barcelona: 3 hr 9 min (284 km) via AP-7 and A9
From Madrid: 9 hr 17 min (889 km) via A-2
From Monaco: 4 hr 56 min (473 km) via A8 and A9
From Moscow: 37 hr (3,399 km) via E30/M1
From Belgrade: 18 hr 26 min (1,777 km) via E70
From Istanbul: 28 hr (2,726 km) via E70
From Bern: 7 hr 19 min (731 km) via A9
Main information
Area: 32 sq. km
Population: 541
Languages: French, Catalan
Currency: euro
Visa: Schengen
Time: Central European UTC +1
Coordinates: 43° 05′ 30″ N, 2° 37′ 17″ E
See here Pyrenees travel guide
See here France travel guide
See here Spain travel guide