Water Sports

Château Terre Blanche is perfectly placed to enjoy the outdoors and especially water sports and swimming. The 570 hectare lake de Montbel, which offers various water activities, is ten minutes by car from Terre Blanche. Swimming from the golden beaches into the clear, mountain filled waters is always popular. The local sailing club of Leran has various types of sailing boats and canoes for hire and they offer lessons for those first time sailors. For the more adventurous, there is white water rafting, kayaking, canyoning and caving in the spring time.

Winter Sports

Château Terre Blanche is also perfectly situated for winter sports. The closest ski area is Mont D’Olmes, a forty-five minute drive. We are fifty-six kilometres, just over an hour’s drive from the Ax-Les-Thermes and 3 Domaines ski resorts which offer some of the best skiing in the Pyrenees. The 3 Domaines offers 80 kilometres of skiable slopes with green runs for beginners and the best black runs for those looking for a thrill. There is also cross country skiing, mountain biking, nature walks, dog sledding and ski riding. For perfect relaxation, spend après-ski at the fantastic thermal baths in Ax-Les-Thermes.

The departments of the Aude and Ariege are home to an undiscovered treasure chest of activities for the lover of the great outdoors. We can organize your activity for you so you can just turn up and enjoy your day! Horse riding : Trout fly fishing : Rock climbing & caving : Mountain Biking : Road Cycling : Hot air Ballooning (early morning activity) : Guided Nature walks : Photography : Hunting with a guide (must have a hunting permit from your home country.)

Museums

Here in the Languedoc, there are many small museums to visit. Some of the nearest to Chalabre include the Dinosaur museum in the village of Experaza and in the Village of Puivert, the Museum of the Quercorb, with a collection of Medieval instruments played by Troubadours or poets of the middle ages. Puivert is known to have been the musical centre in the time of the Cathars. If you are into the mystery of the Holy Grail, then the village of Renne Le Chateau is a “must visit”.

Local Activities & Outdoors

Many parks and attractions on the Mediterranean coast are situated around Narbonne, the old Roman Capital, and Perpignan which are both a 2 hour drive through the hills of the Corbières region. On the coast between Narbonne and Perpignan is the African Reserve de Sigean where you can drive through in your car to see the Lions. At Saint Cyprien on the coast there is a Golf Course built in a tropical island setting. The “Voie Verte” (the green way) is 38 km long route from Mirepoix to Lavelanet that reveals the natural sights that you never see by the traditional road. Chalabre sits at the half way point and provides a fantastic opportunity for walks, mountain biking and horse riding. Within the village, Bespoke Bicycle Tours, offer the enthusiast plenty of choice to retrace cycle routes in the Languedoc made famous by the Tour de France.

Mediterranean Beaches

The beaches in the Languedoc (some eighty minutes drive) are long and sandy compared to the beaches in Provence. Our preferred beaches, heading south from Narbonne are Narbonne Plage, Gruissan which like Narbonne is flat and wide, set in a small resort town with good restaurants. The Franqui is excellent and popular for wind surfing. Leucate is a pretty beach between the two ports of Nouvelle and Barcarès. There are some excellent beaches near Perpignan: Torreilles, a beach which is long and deep, with parking nearby and two beach bar/restaurants. Argelès North is regularly voted as one of the best beaches in all of France. Further south, you’ll find the charming and historic coastal villages of Collioure and Banyuls Sur Mer.

Cathar Castles

Languedoc history rings loud with the Albigensian Crusade, carried out against the Cathars between the eleventh and thirteenth century. During this period, the Lords of the Languedoc built a series of castles to hold off the Crusaders and protect their people. You can visit all of the Castles and follow the footsteps of the Cathars with your very own guide and Cathar scholar James MacDonald.

Markets & Shopping

Nothing is quite like fresh produce from the local market, especially here in France! We have a list of some of the best village markets in the region. Our management team knows them all, including the local artisans.

Other Events

  • Les Fete des roses (third Sunday in May) in the village fleuris de Camon, les plus beaux villages de France (8km drive or walk)
  • Fete de Cazal (July), 2 km from Chalabre
  • Chalabre en serenade (August) 5 day music festival 

Image Credits

Ski Pyrenees: Sergey Novikov/Shutterstock.com
Horse riding: Catharina van Delden/Shutterstock.com
Mountain walks: Fred Marie/Shutterstock.com