La Bomba
"Tastefully restored and decorated to a very high specification... Wouldn't hesitate to recommend" S.S, Dorset, England
Why Languedoc?
Holiday-makers going to France for the first time or indeed the twenty-first time always face the dilemma of where exactly to go. All the regions are worth exploring but they all have their drawbacks. The Dordogne is too English, Normandy is too intemperate and Provence is too expensive. So why here?
Holiday-makers going to France for the first time or indeed the twenty-first time always face the dilemma of where exactly to go. All the regions are worth exploring but they all have their drawbacks. The Dordogne is too English, Normandy is too intemperate and Provence is too expensive. So why here?
La Bomba is in a relatively unknown corner of the Languedoc called Aude and more specifically a region called the Lauragais. It really is a remarkable part of the world - - wonderful countryside, fascinating history and incredible food - yet still very undeveloped. You won’t find hordes of Brits in every restaurant and beauty spot around.
And if we do have a drawback, it's probably that we are too far from the sea. It’s about a one and a half hour drive to the nearest beach but that’s why we’ve built a large 12m x 6m pool!
Many writers have described Aude as La France Profonde, truly traditional and rustic. This is most evident in the fabulous local markets, rich in fresh produce and atmosphere. This is also Cathar country - those heretics who were persecuted by the Vatican in the Middle Ages, and one can visit their many spectacular ruined castles.
Ski-ing is an hour and a half away at Ax-Les-Thermes, theme parks are numerous including the wonderful animal reserve at Sigean or explore the extraordinary caves at Limousin. Very locally, tennis is just one km away, there are boat-trips on the Canal du Midi just 15 minutes away and horse-riding is on offer at the nearby equestrian centre.
And if we do have a drawback, it's probably that we are too far from the sea. It’s about a one and a half hour drive to the nearest beach but that’s why we’ve built a large 12m x 6m pool!
Many writers have described Aude as La France Profonde, truly traditional and rustic. This is most evident in the fabulous local markets, rich in fresh produce and atmosphere. This is also Cathar country - those heretics who were persecuted by the Vatican in the Middle Ages, and one can visit their many spectacular ruined castles.
Ski-ing is an hour and a half away at Ax-Les-Thermes, theme parks are numerous including the wonderful animal reserve at Sigean or explore the extraordinary caves at Limousin. Very locally, tennis is just one km away, there are boat-trips on the Canal du Midi just 15 minutes away and horse-riding is on offer at the nearby equestrian centre.
Lac St. Ferreol is just a 10 minute drive away and offers all the amenities of a beach - sand, sailing, windsurfing and water-skiing. Saint Ferreol is most famous as the chief reservoir that feeds the Canal du Midi, down along the Rigole that passes right past La Bomba and feeds into the canal proper at Narouze.
The Canal Du Midi is one of the world's greatest ever engineering projects. It was the vision of Pierre Paul Riquet who bankrupted himself in his attempt to bring his dream to reality. Built in the 17th century, the canal linked Toulouse to the Mediterranean and radically changed the fortunes of all the towns between. You can easily hire a boat and laze away the afternoon drifting under avenues of plane trees.
Lac St. Ferreol
Canal Du Midi
