Lauragais: what to see and do – a guide to the region around Le Falga

Golden hills, the autan wind, woad and the Canal du Midi: our guide to the Lauragais, between Toulouse and Carcassonne, with its villages, markets, lakes and trails.

What is there to see and do in the Lauragais? Between Toulouse and Carcassonne, in south-west France, this land of rolling hills packs a remarkable amount into a small area: medieval bastide towns and their market halls, the abbey-school of Sorèze, the Canal du Midi and the lake of Saint-Ferréol, hilltop villages facing the Montagne Noire, open-air markets and a generous table, from cassoulet to the lingot bean. From the Château du Falga, where our family has welcomed guests since 1681, all of this lies within a few kilometres. Here is our guide, designed as a gateway to each of the articles in our Journal.

Where exactly is the Lauragais?

The Lauragais is a historic region rather than an administrative one: it takes its name from the village of Laurac, in the Aude, and stretches between Toulouse to the north-west, Carcassonne to the south-east, Castres to the north-east and Pamiers to the south-west. Since the French Revolution it has been divided between several départements, mainly Haute-Garonne, Aude and Tarn, with a fringe in Ariège. Le Falga, our village, lies on the Haute-Garonne side, in the canton of Revel, about an hour from Toulouse.

The landscape is easy to read. To the north-east, the Montagne Noire closes the horizon with its dark, wooded line. At its feet opens the plain of Revel and Castelnaudary. Everywhere else lie the "thousand hills": gentle slopes patterned with fields of wheat, sunflowers and rapeseed, dotted with isolated farms, dovecotes and rows of cypress trees. The altitudes are modest, between 250 and 500 metres, but the ridges offer immense views, as far as the Pyrenees on a clear day.

The wind deserves a mention too. The autan, blowing from the south-east, sometimes lasts several days in a row, warm and dry, and is one of the region's two prevailing winds, along with the cers from the north-west. It has shaped the architecture (at the château, a gun loop once defended the "autan façade") and explains the windmills that used to crown so many hills.

Why is it called the "land of Cocagne"?

In the 15th and 16th centuries, the Lauragais made its fortune from pastel, or woad, a plant that produced a blue dye prized across Europe. Between June and September, farmers harvested the leaves, crushed them and shaped them into dried balls, the coques or cocagnes. Collectors and Toulouse merchants then fermented them into agranat, a powder shipped to Bordeaux and on to London, Antwerp or Rouen. The great mansions of Toulouse were born of this trade.

The golden age was short: around 1560, overproduction, speculation and above all the arrival of indigo ruined the trade. But the nickname stuck, and woad is making a comeback today through artisan workshops. We tell this story in detail in the Lauragais, land of Cocagne and woad.

In the 17th century, wheat took over. Thanks to the Canal du Midi, the Lauragais became the "granary of Languedoc", and its grain travelled all the way to the Mediterranean.

What role does the Canal du Midi play in the Lauragais?

The canal is the backbone of the region. Conceived by Pierre-Paul Riquet and opened to navigation in 1681 (the very year the Caffarel family received Le Falga), it links Toulouse to the Mediterranean and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. Its genius lies in its water supply: the rivers of the Montagne Noire had to be brought to the highest point of the route.

That is the whole point of the seuil de Naurouze, at 194 metres, the watershed between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, where an obelisk raised by Riquet's heirs in 1825 overlooks an avenue of plane trees. Water arrives there via the rigole de la plaine, a feeder channel running down from Revel, and higher up via the rigole de la montagne. This hydraulic system can be explored on foot or by bike, and we devote several articles to it: the Canal du Midi feeder channel and the Montagne Noire, the lake of Saint-Ferréol and Les Cammazes and Vauban's vault.

Further south, Castelnaudary grew up around the Grand Bassin, the largest stretch of water on the canal, which was long its main port.

Which towns and villages should you not miss?

The Lauragais is best explored in small doses, one village per half-day. Here are the ones we recommend to our guests, all within reasonable reach of the château:

• Saint-Félix-Lauragais, a village perched on a spur facing the Montagne Noire, with its 14th-15th-century collegiate church, its château and the birthplace of the composer Déodat de Séverac. Over the Easter weekend, the fête de la Cocagne brings old trades back to life. Our article: Saint-Félix-Lauragais.
• Revel, a royal bastide founded in 1342, whose great market hall on wooden pillars is topped by a belfry. A town of fine furniture and cabinet-makers, it comes alive every Saturday morning with a renowned market. See Revel, the bastide and its market.
• Sorèze, at the foot of the Montagne Noire, and its abbey-school founded in the 8th century, where the Caffarelli brothers studied. Their busts still stand guard in the salle des Illustres. The full story is in Sorèze, the abbey-school.
• Castelnaudary, on the Aude side, which proclaims itself the world capital of cassoulet, with its Grand Bassin, its collegiate church of Saint-Michel and the Cugarel windmill on its hill.
• Villefranche-de-Lauragais, a bastide founded in 1267 by Alphonse de Poitiers, Count of Toulouse, whose church of Notre-Dame boasts a fine Toulouse-style bell wall with turrets.
• Avignonet-Lauragais, where, in May 1242, a band of men from Montségur massacred the inquisitors. Its church of Notre-Dame-des-Miracles, begun in 1385, holds a painting from 1631 depicting the event.
• Montgey, on the Tarn side, a small village crowned by its château, where in 1211 the Count of Foix defeated a column of crusaders. Discover it in Montgey, the château and the village.
• Le Falga, finally, our own village: its church of Saint-Martin, given by the family to the commune in 1804, and the château where the Caffarelli brothers were born. See Le Falga, a Lauragais village.

What can you do in the Lauragais?

Markets. One of the great joys of the region. On Saturday mornings in Revel, under the market hall and in the neighbouring streets, you will find cheeses, poultry, fruit and vegetables from local producers. Villefranche-de-Lauragais holds its market on Fridays, a tradition authorised by Louis XIV as early as 1668. In summer, many villages organise evening producers' markets.

Walking. The ridges around Saint-Félix, the trails of the Montagne Noire above Sorèze and the path around the lake of Saint-Ferréol suit walks of every length. Very close to the château, the chapel of Noumérens makes a lovely destination on foot.

Cycling. The greenway along the rigole de la plaine, part of the La Véloccitanie route, follows Riquet's old feeder channel for around fifteen kilometres to Revel; the full stage from the seuil de Naurouze, about 38 kilometres long, is rated beginner level by France Vélo Tourisme. The towpath of the Canal du Midi, for its part, heads towards Toulouse or Castelnaudary.

Lakes. Saint-Ferréol, the canal's reservoir built between 1667 and 1672, offers swimming, sailing and shady walks. Other, quieter stretches of water dot the plain, such as the lac de Lenclas on the feeder channel.

Further afield. The Lauragais is also an excellent base for Carcassonne, Toulouse, Albi or the fortresses of Cathar country, which we describe in Cathar castles from the Lauragais.

What do people eat in the Lauragais?

Lauragais cooking is that of a land of fields and farmyards. The lingot bean, grown here, is the soul of cassoulet, which Castelnaudary celebrates every late summer with a big festival. Duck in all its forms, confit, magret or foie gras, and Toulouse sausage complete the picture, while farms and markets offer poultry, cheeses and seasonal vegetables. To go further, read cassoulet and the gastronomy of the Lauragais.

The wines come from the neighbouring appellations: Malepère and Cabardès, above Carcassonne, or Gaillac, on the Tarn side. We love serving them on the terrace, when the autan finally drops in the evening.

How should you plan your stay in the Lauragais?

The Lauragais is best savoured slowly. A weekend gives you a taste of the essentials: a market, a hilltop village, a walk by the water. A week leaves time to add Sorèze, the canal, a day in Carcassonne and idle hours by the pool. We have gathered our ideas in what to do around Le Falga over a weekend.

Each season has its charm: the tender green of spring, the fête de la Cocagne and the first terrace lunches; the golden summer of sunflowers and harvests; autumn and its low light over the ploughed fields. A car remains the simplest way to travel between villages, a bike the most pleasant once you get close.

If history appeals to you, start with that of the house: the history of the Château du Falga, the fate of Maximilien Caffarelli du Falga and that of the six Caffarelli brothers. For an overview, our Lauragais page gathers our favourite addresses.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Lauragais in Haute-Garonne or in the Aude?
Both, and more: this historic region is shared between Haute-Garonne, Aude and Tarn, with a small part in Ariège. Revel, Saint-Félix-Lauragais and Le Falga are in Haute-Garonne, Castelnaudary in the Aude, Sorèze and Montgey in the Tarn.

When is the best time to visit the Lauragais?
From May to October, for the markets, the lakes and evenings on the terrace. Spring and early autumn are ideal for walking and cycling, with milder temperatures than in high summer.

What is the autan wind?
A warm, dry south-easterly wind that can blow for several days in a row over the Lauragais. Together with the cers from the north-west, it is one of the region's two prevailing winds.

Can you visit the Lauragais without a car?
Partly: cycling lets you link Revel, the rigole de la plaine and the seuil de Naurouze on quiet routes. But to discover the hilltop villages and the markets, a car is more practical.

Staying at the Château du Falga, in the heart of the Lauragais

Between Revel and Saint-Félix-Lauragais, the Château du Falga is an ideal starting point for exploring the region. The château welcomes up to 21 guests, with a pool, grounds and a south-facing terrace, by the week in summer and for weekends in May, June and September. For a stay as a couple or a small family, the Petite Maison sleeps four, all year round. A question, a date in mind? Write to us: we will be delighted to help you prepare your discovery of the Lauragais.

To learn more about the history of the canal, see also the French Ministry of Culture's page on the Canal du Midi.

Sources: Wikipedia (Lauragais, Woad, Revel, Saint-Félix-Lauragais, Sorèze, Villefranche-de-Lauragais, Avignonet-Lauragais, Montgey, Castelnaudary, Lac de Saint-Ferréol, Seuil de Naurouze, Canal du Midi); French Ministry of Culture, DRAC Occitanie; France Vélo Tourisme (La Véloccitanie); Caffarelli family archives.