The old province of Roussillon, which lies closest to the Pyrenees, was once Spanish, the frontier marked by the walled fort on the coast at Salses. Perpignan, capital of the Roussillon, reflects the Spanish influence in its Catalan traditions. Wide, sandy beaches stretch down from here through Argeles to the artists' town of Collioure, where they become pebbly as the mountains meet the sea on the Cote Vermeille.
North of Salses is the Aude - famous for its peppery Corbieres, Fitou and Minervois wines, Cathar castles and, inland from Roman Narbonne, the restored fortress town of Carcassonne, now a World Heritage Site. On the coastal plain of the Herault lie medieval Beziers and Pezenas, the purpose-built resort of Cap d'Agde and the bustling fishing port of Sete, where the Canal du Midi begins its journey to Toulouse and the Atlantic coast. Inland the Cathar stronghold of Minerve looks out over an empty land of garrigue scrub and vines, rising to the forests and plateaux of the Haut Languedoc Regional Park.
In the eastern Herault stands the lively capital of the Languedoc-Roussillon, Montpellier, which is located on the western edge of the Camargue regional park, western Europe's largest river delta where the Rhône meets the sea. It is blessed with great natural diversity, home to unique breeds of white horses and black bulls and more than 400 species of bird including pink flamingos. The sandy soils here produce a refreshing rose wine; rice is grown in paddy fields and salt is still commercially produced in the salt marshes.
Views over this landscape can be enjoyed from the ramparts of the old port of Aigues-Mortes, now land-locked. Coastal resorts include the modern La Grande Motte and Port Camargue as well as older Grau-du-Roi and charming Stes-Maries-de-la-Mer. A trip to the famous Pont du Gard, a spectacular feat of Roman engineering, is a must. It spans the valley north of Nimes, whose amphitheatre is still in use today.
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