Dear member or associate,
Our first event of 2026 will be a two day visit to the Aude Department combining a lunch, art history talk and wine tasting in Limoux with an exploration of the UNESCO World Heritage site – the Cité de Carcassonne.
Please note that this event is just two weeks away: apologies for the short notice. Members are welcome to join us on either or both of the two days and could make a full weekend of it by staying in the region on the Sunday. Please confirm to Greg Hawes (hawesgv@hotmail.com or 07 86 37 78 71) by Saturday 14 March if you are coming and if you wish to book for the Friday lunch, wine tasting, Saturday lunch – or all three. Guests, as ever, are very welcome.
Limoux is the region where the delicious blanquette de Limoux sparkling white wine is made. If you don’t know the difference between blanquette and crémant this is the perfect opportunity to discover it.
We will start with lunch on Friday 20 March at the Grand Café in the centre of Limoux, (25 Place de le République, 11300 Limoux). It serves a wide choice including an excellent ménu du jour at €20. Please meet there from 12h00 for lunch at 12h30. (See https://www.legrandcafelimoux.fr/ for more detail)
Peter Elliott, a Cambridge alumnus living in the Aude who has joined our events in the past, has kindly offered to give an illustrated talk to us after lunch about the Jewish families who founded Galeries Lafayette and the fate of their art collections under Nazi occupation in WWII.
After lunch we will make the short trip (2.3 km) to the caveau of Maison Antech at 9 Rue Dewoitine 11300 Limoux for our tasting at 15:30. In the words of our hosts “la dégustation est offerte, et ce sera un plaisir de vous faire découvrir notre gamme dans un cadre convivial”.
Limoux is an historic town on the Aude river about 30 Km south of Carcassonne. Limoux is signposted from the A61, which bypasses Carcassonne. Limoux and Carcassonne are both also reachable by train, Carcassonne itself being a stop on the Toulouse – Montpellier main line with Limoux 30 minutes by train from Carcassonne.
Friday evening can be spent however you choose. There are hotels in Limoux and many more in Carcassonne, which also has cheaper options a short trip from the Cité including two Ibis hotels. We suggest you try La Demeure de la Cité by Jean Bacou, which is a self service style hotel, reasonably priced (try booking through Agoda) including breakfast.
On Saturday Peter Elliott (who also has a keen interest in the history of Carcassonne) will also act as our guide to the Cité and fill us in on the history of Carcassonne. Meet at the main gate at the entrance to the Cité itself at 10h30 please. There is a large car park below the main entrance and the Cité signposts will lead you to it.
Peter’s tour will be a walking one and will end with lunch around 12h15 at Restaurant Adelaide. It will deliberately not take in the Ramparts and the Chateau de Comtal, both of which involve some climbing and descending stairs. For those able to explore them it is intended that we make use, after lunch, of the excellent tourist office tour with audio guide in English which costs €13 per person (maybe less with group discount).
For details of this restaurant see: https://www.tripadvisor.fr/Restaurant_Review-g187151-d1334776-Reviews-Restaurant_Adelaide-Carcassonne_Center_Carcassonne_Aude_Occitanie.html
For those interested in staying longer in the area, the separate bastide at Carcassonne, outside the Cité, is well worth a visit.
We are looking forward to a very convivial first event this year and hope many of you can join us.
The Committee 7 March 2026
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