Limoux - Discover and enjoy
Limoux is a delight to discover in its own right just to pass the time of day, wander round the streets and take it easy sitting in the square with a coffee, beer or the famous Blanquette. 
Limoux is best known for its sparkling wine, Blanquette de Limoux. This is reputed to be the oldest sparkling wine in France and dates back to 1531, when Benedictine monks from Saint Hilaire Abbey discovered that the wine they had laid down had fermented and formed bubbles.
This was the beginning of Limoux’s bubbly - the Blanquette de Limoux which was the first AOC to be created in the Languedoc area. The process (the locals say) was stolen by Dom Perignon who went on to create champagne. However the Limoux sparkling wine is a very high quality champagne substitute and Crémant, which was developed in 1990, has a top class reputation. You can (and should) buy a bottle in the town to try, it's good!
If you visit between January and March you can enjoy the Carnival of Limoux, an ancient traditional carnival still pursued each weekend during those months with music and costumes. The carnival is the longest in the world and follows traditions dating back 400 years.
If you are in town during this period the different groups and bands play and parade at 11 o’clock, four-thirty and at 10 o’clock at night each weekend.
As well as numerous specialist shops bars and restaurants, limoux also has some good small museums worth visiting, as well as the possibility of visiting the local manufacturers of blanquete for a tour of the caves and some free samples!
In the summer there is an outdoor pool within walking distance of the house and Canoe and Kayak trips on the river Aude also within walking distance. For the more adventurous, slightly further afield, Canyoning, Rafting, Via Ferratta and Hydrospeed.
The local market in Limoux is held on a Friday morning and a large market well worth visiting is on Sunday morning in Esperaza.
For details of Tourist sites/markets/cultural events in Limoux, an updated calender by Limoux tourist board can be found here as well as a map with further details on sites of local interest.
For info on any of these if unsure ask me via email or Whattsapp and will be happy to help.
For a detailed tourist and street map please click on link below.
