Alix's House - POIL101

The village of Poilhes is a wonderful place to spend a holiday, certainly if you're looking for an authentically French experience. The village is divided by the pleasantly meandering Canal du Midi and provides a great spot to watch the boats go past. The house is in the oldest part of the village, only seconds away from the Canal and two lovely restaurants.

On the other side of the Canal is a small store and there is a daily break truck that serves the village. A larger supermarket can be found a 5-minute drive away in Capestang, which also has a weekly market and a couple of fantastic restaurants - we recommend Le Vauban, which can be found opposite the Gendarmerie in the centre of the village.

The village also benefits from a municipal tennis court, only a couple of minutes' walk from the house.
The Mediterranean coast is 20-30 minutes drive, Montpellier, the thriving capital of the Languedoc with its international airport is 1 hour away by car.

Fifteen minutes east of Poilhes is Béziers - a historic town and a capital of wine-producing and rugby. Stroll through the famous Friday Flower Market, visit the Cathedral, have lunch in one of the many fantastic restaurants or shop in the maze of cobble-stoned streets. Béziers is especially vibrant in July and August thanks to the many events and town festivals (most of which centre wine!).

A half hour's drive south are the Roman ruins and the cathedral of Narbonne. Just outside Narbonne, one can visit the magnificently restored Cistercian monastery of Fontfroide, where an incident which sparked the first Albigensian Crusade was reputed to have happened.

If golf is your thing, there is a great course near Béziers called Golf St Thomas and more can be found further afield. If you're on the hunt for some nature, hiking is something not to be missed in this region, with countless trails in the entirety of the region - the most beautiful areas can be found at La Clape, the Haut-Languedoc and the Minerve area, or, you could spend the day kayaking in Roquebrun.