Limoux (; oc, Limós ) is a commune and subprefecture in the

Aude Aude (; ) is a Departments of France, department in Southern France, located in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region and named after the river Aude (river), Aude. The departmental council also calls it "Ca ...

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

, a part of the ancient

Languedoc The Province of Languedoc (; , ; oc, Lengadòc ) is a former province of France. Most of its territory is now contained in the modern-day region of Occitanie in Southern France. Its capital city was Toulouse. It had an area of approximately ...

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...

and the present-day

Occitanie Occitanie may refer to: *Occitania, a region in southern France called ''Occitanie'' in French *Occitania (administrative region) Occitania ( ; french: Occitanie ; oc, Occitània ; ca, Occitània ) is the southernmost administrative region of ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

in southern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. Its vineyards are famous for being first to produce sparkling wine known as Blanquette de Limoux.

Geography

Limoux lies on the river Aude about due south of

Carcassonne Carcassonne (, also , , ; ; la, Carcaso) is a French fortified city in the department of Aude, in the region of Occitanie. It is the prefecture of the department. Inhabited since the Neolithic, Carcassonne is located in the plain of the ...

. It has two railway stations on the line to Carcassonne:

Limoux station Limoux is a railway station in Limoux, Occitanie, France. It is one of two stations serving the town: the other is Limoux-Flassian. The station is on the Carcassonne–Rivesaltes line. The station is served by TER (local) services operated by ...

and

Limoux-Flassian station Limoux-Flassian is a railway station in Limoux, Occitanie, France. The station is on the Carcassonne–Rivesaltes line. The station is served by TER (local) services operated by the SNCF The Société nationale des chemins de fer français (; ...

Population

Blanquette de Limoux

Blanquette de Limoux is produced around the city of Limoux. The main grape of the wine is Mauzac, followed by

Chardonnay Chardonnay (, , ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern French wine, France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from English wine, Englan ...

and Chenin blanc. Wine historians believe that the world's first sparkling wine was produced in this region in 1531, by the monks at the abbey in Saint-Hilaire, Aude.

Culture

The town is perhaps best known for its Winter festival called ''Fecos'' , often referred to (inaccurately) as a Carnival or ''Fête''. It is generally referred to as '' Carnival de Limoux'' in French language. It is known for its British expatriate population. During the French Revolution, demonstrators forced officials to seal the granaries, demanded an end to dues and indirect taxes and then ransacked the tax-collector's offices and threw records into the River Aude.

Images

Image:Limoux cafes France.jpg, Town square Image:France-Carnaval de Limoux2.jpg, Carnival

Sights

The heart of the town is the ''place de la République'', a wide square with some fine stone arcading and a number of timber-framed houses. Limoux straddles the River Aude and the banks are lined with grand houses, especially on the eastern side, the so-called ''Petite Ville'' (lit. "Small City"). While worth visiting in itself, the town is also a good base for discovering the history of the region and is ideally placed for exploring the coast, the mountains and some good walking country.

Markets

* Weekly market every Friday (or Thursday if a public holiday falls on a Friday). * Flea market or ''Brocante'' the first Sunday of each month on the Promenade du Tivoli. * Evening markets on Tuesdays in July and August.

Other sights

* The Musée Petiet (Tourist Information Office), * Musée du Piano (Museum of the piano) * CathaRama (a history of the Cathar movement). * Winery tours at Sieur d'Arques and Aimery. *

Jardin aux Plantes la Bouichère The Jardin aux Plantes la Bouichère (2 hectares) is a private botanical garden specializing in fragrant plants. It is located on the banks of the river Aude in the Domaine de Flassian, Rue Dewoitine, Limoux, Aude, Languedoc-Roussillon, France, an ...

- Flassian, 2 hectares of gardens which is home to various collections of increasingly rare plant varieties.

Personalities

Limoux was the birthplace of: * Francis de Gaston, Chevalier de Levis (1719–1787),

Marshal of France Marshal of France (french: Maréchal de France, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1 ...

Alexandre Guiraud Pierre Marie Jeanne Alexandre Thérèse Guiraud better known as Alexandre Guiraud (24 December 1788 – 24 February 1847) was a French poet, dramatic author and novelist. Biography Guiraud was born in Limoux, Aude, the son of a rich cloth mercha ...

(1788–1847), poet, dramatic author and novelist * Poulpard (1981-20**), one of the most famous French stand-up comedians, also writer of several dramatic novels.