Geographical situation
The Languedoc Roussillon is one of the 22 regions in mainland France. It has a population of about 2 548 000 inhabitants for a surface area of 27 376km2.
The main administrative centre is Montpellier and its highest point is the Pic Carlit (2921m²).
It covers five départements (counties) : Aude, Gard, Hérault, Lozère et Pyrénées Orientales.
In the south it is bordered by Spain, Andorra and the Mediterranean (the Gulf of Lions) and by the following French regions : Provence, Alpes, Côte d'Azur, Rhône-Alpes, Auvergne and Midi-Pyrénées.
Several natural elements surround it : the Pyrenees mountains, the Lauragais threshold, the Cévennes plateau and the Rhône river. It forms an amphitheratre starting from the mountains and the Languedoc and Roussillon plains and facing towards the sea.
History and highlights
The Languedoc Roussillon region benefits from an ideal geagraphical location with its beaches : Narbonne, Valras, Cap d'Agde, Sète, La Grande Motte. Its mountains : the Canigou, the Black Mountain (la montagne noire), the Pyrenees, the Perthus on the French-Spanish border, and Spain not far away. The Languedoc Roussillon offers surprising very diversified landscapes. The climate is mild, warm and sunny. The average temperature in spring is 23.5°, in summer 28.4°C, in autumn, 20.8°C and in winter 12.1°C.
Its rich varied gastronomy includes traditional local dishes such as cassoulet or fish, seafood and shellfish platters on the coast. The food is always accompanied by regional wines of excellent quality and at reasonable prices and which have attained worldwide reknown, contributing to the expansion of wine tours and the development of bed and breakfast offers. Today our winemakers share their knowledge with more and more good wine lovers and propose the visit of their vineyards and cellars while explaining grapevine growing and the origins of the grapes. Our vineyard areas are still today the biggest and the oldest in France.
For history buffs, let us not forget the omnipresence of historical monuments and sites, from the Cathar castles in the Minervois, the medieval city of Carcassone in the Aude, the Ensérune Oppidum in the Hérault, the gallo-roman Pont du Gard near Nîmes, to the famous Canal du Midi which flows through our region and is listed on the UNESCO world heritage list. This majestic work was built by Pierre Paul Riquet in the 16th century under the orders of King Louis XIV.
There are many varied activities to do in the region :
# History :
Discover towns, villages and sites, rich with their history, customs, culture and traditions.
There are many museums and monuments to illustrate our region.
# Sports :
Walks or bike rides in our countryside, hunting for mushrooms or for game, fishing, barge rides on the Canal du Midi, jogging, golf, canoeing, trekking, spelunking, horse-riding, ski-ing, swimming in the local rivers or in the Mediterranean sea, all types of water sports, visiting caves, lazing on the beache, or chilling in the shade of café terraces. And let's not forget the emblematic regional sports : rugby and soccer with their thousands of fans.
# Leisure :
Animal and nature lovers will enjoy the visit of the Sigean African Reserve, unique natural site where many species live freely. This is the biggest of its type in France.
Bullfighting or corrida fans or 'aficionados' will love the internationally famous férias in Béziers, Arles and Nîmes.
Enjoy also the traditional colourful local 'fêtes' (village festivals), the many theatres with local and more widely known artists, the Zénith, the Aréna, the Béziers and Nîmes arenas which welcome the greatest national and international shows and artists. There are also the fantastic jousts on the canal in Sète which is part of the Saint Louis fête and attracts thousands of people in summer. Those who love the nightlife and clubs will be happy with the many bars, discotheques and night clubs of all types where the best DJ's mix their hits. On that subject, Cap d'Agde is still today the place with the highest concentration in France of night establishments.
Gambling fans will have many chances to hit the jackpot with the casinos to be found throughout the region.
And last but not least, real estate prices are still very affordable when compared with the surrounding regions. The Languedoc Roussillon is a sure thing taking into account the growing interest by national and international clients.
Languedoc Roussillon remains a souce of colours and creativity, which is far from being equalled or running out. There are a thousand and one reasons which will make you want to know our region better, and why not find the home of your dreams here - the Méditerranean lifestyle rythmed by the song of the cicadas under the sun of southern France.
Created by Gilles VIVES in the mid-1980's, the VIVES IMMOBILIER Group is now directed by Romain VIVES who has shown himself to be a worthy successor ensuring today the future of the group founded by his uncle. The VIVES IMMOBILIER Group deals with real estate in the Langudeoc Roussillon. A serious competent team who listens to you, will know how to assist and advise you to make your real estate project a success. The VIVES IMMOBILIER Group has all types of property on offer : historic buildings and châteaux, mansions, individual villas, apartments, village houses and houses in the countryside, investment buildings, commercial premises, properties and plots of land for building. Today, VIVES IMMOBILIER Group has two agencies in the Bésiers area. They are specialised in the area stretching from Pézénas to Narbonne.
" The architectural heritage of France is an asset we all share. To protect that asset we need to do more than just pay lip service to the idea. The protective measures concerning some of our buildings are not always enough to safekeep their environment as well.
We must all act in order to conserve our buildings of character : windmills, high-voltage power lines, building estates, shopping centres, business zones, railway lines or motorways, new airports, these are all necessary, but each new project of this type must take into account the surrounding environment. Territorial policies must harmonise and territorial authorities must intervene to control the integration of such projects in our shared landscapes.
Nothing interests us more than our built-up heritage, whether it be old, contempory or a mix of the two. We do not define value only in terms of the surface area or prestige, but also on architectual or environmental qualities. Selecting, rediscovering and presenting to a wide public, all types of buildings is our modest contribution to the immense cause of protecting our past and future. "
Romain Vives
