Lagrasse Info

Lagrasse

Lagrasse is the largest and probably one of the most picturesque villages in the Corbieres highlands. Situated roughly half way between Carcassonne and Narbonne and separated from the Aude valley by the low ridge of the Montagne d'Alaric. Lagrasse is a small walled hamlet set by the shallow Orbieu river with it's magnificent abbey and mainly untouched by the tourist industry. It's a very peaceful place to just wander around the old cobbled streets and admire the fort-like church. Most of the old enceinte is still intact and if you walk over the eleventh-century bridge you will have a fantastic view of the town especially if the sun is shining. Walk for about 5 minutes from the far side and you will come to the abbey of Ste-Marie d'Orbieu, one of the regions oldest monastic houses, founded when it was a dangerous sparsely populated frontier of the eighth-century Carolingian empire. Cultivating their vast land the monks increased the monastery's wealth until it's golden age in the fourteenth-century which was when the town's walls and market were built. There are a mix of different styles dating from the tenth to the eighteenth centuries. The old Romanesque style cloister and the bulk of the abbey church both date to the thirteenth-century. You can see the monks cavernous dormitory and if you are feeling fit climb the gothic-tinged fifteenth-century clock tower where you will be rewarded with fantastic views of the town and surrounding area. On a sunny day the tree lined boulevard de la promenade looks beautiful and it is here that you will find the main shops etc and the tourist office 04 68 43 11 56. There are a couple of restaurants in Lagrasse which serve basic terroir menus these are family run places on the main promenade, one is Le Petit Saint and the other is L'Affenage. Another restaurant to try is Les Temps de Courges 04 68 43 10 18 which serves vegetarian and meat dishes and weather permitting you can dine on the little terrace.