chambres d’hôtes des arts
Residence Midi
Gorges d'Heric
Beautiful gorge! Perfect for taking a dip on a hot day. Various hiking routes available to choose from, including a smooth and easily accessible path directly next to the river.
Lac des Montagnes
Restaurant le Grand Balcon
Decent french cuisine for a good prince. Walking distance from the residency.
Restaurant de Bonnerie
Our favourite, make sure to skip lunch before you eat here! Very cosy French restaurant with a great selection of wines and stunning menu. Make sure to reserve before you go. Medium priced, no vegetarian options.
Restaurant Mets et Plaisirs
Upscale dining experience, recommended for the French cuisine lovers. Pick the 7 course menu if you feel adventurous, otherwise go a la carte. Great selection of wines and original dishes. Great value for money as well.
Winebar Au Cep't Secret
Best place to discover wines. Very friendly hosts, make sure to grab some tapas when you get hungry. But be warned: dangerously delicious.
Chinese Restaurant Wa Fong
Try the homemade dumpllings! Requests for a doggy bag accepted over here. No vegetarian options available unfortunately.
Restaurant Delicious Pizza
Great pizza place, don’t let the name fool you. In the summer they have a nice garden in the back. Vegetarian options available.
Restaurant Soleil Vanille
Great food from the island & French department ‘la Reunion’.
Terrasses d'Hautpoul
You can directly hike up the mountain from Residence Midi to reach this ‘bar’. It offers a spectacular view over the surrounding region and is a great place to take a break.
Saveurs de l'Autan
Restaurant l'Etable a Roussette
Good French restaurant with great outdoor seating area in summer. Reservation required, very popular with the locals! Don’t expect vegetarian options.
Market
Every tuesday and saturday morning there is an outdoor market in the center of Mazamet. Great place to buy fresh produce from the region, including fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy. On sunday the market moves indoors, right around the corner, into la Halle. Depending on the weather the market is ‘open’ until approx 13:00.
la Halle
Multi purpose space, used primarily for concerts and markets. In summer, every monday night there is a ‘marche des producteurs’, where local farmers and entrepeneurs offer their goods, delicacies and inventions.
Crèmerie du centre
Gourmet store focussing on dairy products, mostly cheese and milk. Great selection of wines as well.
Boutique du Vin 'VinoPhil'
Get your wine here! The owner hand picks the best ones from the region.
Our Bakery
Delicious bread and pastries just around the corner. We go here every day to get our loverly croissants et baguettes.
Our Butcher
If you’re into meat: get your selection over here. Just around the corner from us, Boucherie de la Montagne Noire is where we score our animals.
Chocolat Castagné
Supermarket Leaderprice
Relatively cheap supermarket. Great for everything but fresh produce: not recommended for meat and vegetables. Get those on the market. Good selection of beers.
Supermarket E.Leclerc
Biggest supermarket in town. Bit of a drive but worth it if you need to stack up.
Lac de Pradelles-Cabardès
Cosy lake higher up in the mountain. Great place for a swim and stroll in the summer. The restaurant only accepts cash! Less crowded than lac des montagnes.
Pic de Nore
Highest point of the Montagne Noire. You can walk up here from the residency or drive halfway and take it from there. Great in summer to escape the heat.
Châteaux de Lastours
Minerve
One of the most beautiful villages in France, north from Carcasonne. Historically, the village has been the capital of the Minervois wine region. The main bridge leading into the village is closed to all passenger vehicles not owned by residents of Minerve. Rather touristic in summer.
Cité de Carcasonne
The citadel, known as the Cité de Carcassonne, is a medieval fortress dating back to the Gallo-Roman period and restored in 1853. It was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1997. Best visited outside of tourist season.
Olargues Village
It is rated as one of the most beautiful villages in France. Olargues is a good example of a French Medieval town. It was occupied by the Romans, the Vandals and the Visigoths.
Hautpoul
A medieval village hugging the mountains around Mazamet. It takes approx 30 mins to reach by foot from the residency, a lovely little hike up the wooded hills.
Maison du Bois et du Jouet
Perfect place to visit with children or start your hike up to Hautpoul. Offers nice picnic options along the trail.
Roquefère
Tiny medieval settlement on the alternative route to Carcasonne. Lush and quiet, including a lovely restaurant with outdoor seating area and option for walks.
Cabrespine
One of the most thrilling routes down to Carcasonne leads past this medieval village. Beautifully tucked away, a real treasure to stroll through. Along the village, next to the D112, starts a great hiking trail.
Les Gorges de Colombières
Similar to Gorge d’Heric but less touristy. Great hiking options all around. Don’t forget to bring your bathing suit, great place to take a dip in the crystal clear water.
Toulouse
The inner city of Toulouse is stunning and a good option for a day trip. If you’re into music, art, literature and fine cuisine, Toulouse is the place to be. Pretty much everything is in walking distance from each other. How to get there? Hop on a direct train in Mazamet and you’re there in 1.5 hour.
Brassac
Port to the Sidobre national park and a nice place to spend some time while you’re there. The Sidobre national park features some impressive rock formations and lovely hiking trails.
Beziers
Close to the mediterranean sea, this city dating back to roman times is worth visiting for it’s cultural and historical significance alone. The drive up to Beziers is lovely and will set you back approx 1 hour. Alternatively you can take a bus.
Gaillac
Gaillac gained much recognition due to the wines that bear the town’s name. Make sure to attend some of the tastings when you’re there and say hi to Jean-Baptiste from us.
Albi
Worth a day trip. This medieval town has an historic area that covers over 63 hecatares, including one of the most impressive cathedrals in southern france. Also worth visiting is the park that runs along the river, perfect for an afternoon stroll.
Les Escaunelles
One of our favorite walking trails. Lush forests and great views. Takes approx 3 hours to complete and you won’t meet a single soul.
Cubserviès
A beautiful waterfall next to a quaint little village. Plenty of walk options available.
Musée du Catharisme de Mazamet
Learn about the Cathar history, beliefs and rituals during the Crusade and the Inquisition. The visit includes soundtracks, videos and reconstitutions.
Lac de la Raviège
Tour du lac de Vésoles
Beautiful and easy 7km hike around a lake up in the mountains. Wide views and calm.
Auberge de Ferrals les Montagnes
Cosy restaurant with great (yet simple) food in a beautiful setting. No vegetarian options available, mostly BBQ.
Sentier des Merveilles
Gouffre Géant de Cabrespine
Cave system with suspended walkways & option for a boat tour of the underground river. Can be touristic.
Gorges du Banquet
Beautiful gorge close to Mazamet. Ideal for canyoning or climbing.
browse the map to visit the hand picked highlights of the region
Mazamet
Not your typical French “belle ville”. It has an industrial character due to its past. In the 18th and 19th Century Mazamet formed the world centre of the wool industry. Up to this day you can see relicts of this glorious past everywhere, including our residency. Mazamet is only 45 minutes from UNESCO world heritage sites of Albi, Carcassonne and Canal du midi.
Climate
The climate is another of its attractions. It’s a mixture of Mediterranean and Atlantic, but it’s drier than Aquitaine to the west and doesn’t have the stifling heat of Languedoc, Provence and the Riviera further south. Summers are long and sunny, winters short and mild. Daytime temperatures range from 10 degrees in winter to 30+ in summer, with plenty of sun and the occasional shower.