Narbonne

Via Domitia

Narbonne (Narbo Martius from its Latin name), founded in 118 BC, was the first and one of the richest Roman colonies outside Italy. It still preserves a real treasure: a piece of the Via Domizia, which you can admire in the city centre.

In fact, this incredible vestige of the ancient road that connected Italy to Spain in the 2nd century BC was discovered in 1997: beautifully restored, it now characterises Place de l’Hôtel de Ville, in the heart of the Cité district.

Much loved by children, the Via Domizia is an original place where locals like to gather to chat.

Archbishops' Palace

Next to the town hall of Narbonne is the Palais Neuf and the former flats of the archbishops. Modelled and extended over more than eight centuries, the palace forms an architectural ensemble that is simultaneously civil, military and religious.

The building houses some rich art collections, majolica and beautiful paintings painted between the 16th and 19th centuries. The architecture and decoration of the rooms alone, such as the frescoed ceilings, are true works of art. The museum also has a collection of archaeological pieces and furniture covering local history from prehistory to the Middle Ages.

Don’t forget to climb the 162 steps of the 42-metre-high keep, built between 1295 and 1306 by Archbishop Gilles Aycelin: it will give you a magnificent view over the city and the Mediterranean. In addition, every year, the Festival Ma Vigne en Musique organises concerts in the main hall of the synods.

Narbo Via Museum

A work designed by the famous British architect Norman Foster, the Narbo Via Museum, opening in May 2021, bears witness to the richness of the ancient city of Narbo Martius on almost 3200 square metres of exhibition space.

In order to best portray the six-century-long Roman history of Narbonne, the rooms are organised around a chrono-thematic thread that starts at the time of the founding of the colony and city of Narbo Martius at the end of the 2nd century BC and ends in 462 when the city finally came under the rule of the Visigoths.

Situated at the eastern entrance to the city and along the Robine Canal, the Narbo Via Museum allows visitors to discover the riches of the ancient city, the first Roman colony founded in Gaul in 118 B.C.: you can admire a collection of more than 7,000 items, including wall paintings and an exceptional set of 760 fragments of funerary monuments scattered on an animated wall unique in Europe.

Narbo Via is also a facility dedicated to research. As such, it has a restoration laboratory, a study room for the collections, a documentation room and an auditorium with almost 200 seats that can host conferences and conventions.

The cathedral of Saint-Just and Saint-Pasteur

In radiant Gothic style, the cathedral of Saint-Just and Saint-Pasteur has a bold architecture. Dominating the city, it was built between the 13th and 14th centuries. Its vaults of over 40 metres will make you dizzy.

Built between 1272 and 1340, the cathedral remained unfinished as the Consuls refused, in those turbulent times, to destroy the ramparts to continue construction. The axial chapel Notre Dame de Bethléem features a 14th-century altarpiece in polychrome stone. The Treasury room, also known as the acoustic room, offers a rich and valuable collection of liturgical objects, ivories, goldwork and tapestries.

Les Halles de Narbonne

The covered market of Narbonne consists of more than 66 traders offering their colourful stalls. The building, in the Baltard style, was constructed at the beginning of the 20th century. Its pillars, its stone doors and the transparency of its large windows lend a majestic air to this large market.

Here you can breathe in the Mediterranean air and it is a must-see place during your visit to the city. Locals frequent the market for its warm atmosphere and friendly traders. It is a welcoming place, especially on Sunday mornings or just before noon for an aperitif.

Don’t hesitate to sample the region’s typical products and linger in the many small restaurants inside, where you can dine on tapas de la Clape, fresh oysters and grilled meat from Bébelle.

Horreum

The horreum is one of the few vestiges of Roman antiquity still accessible. In the heart of the modern city, it consists of underground tunnels built in the 1st century BC 5 metres underground. They must have formed the foundations of a building, no doubt a market or warehouse, which archaeologists are still investigating.

This building was located south of the forum, on the edge of the cardo (north-south axis) of the Roman city of Narbo Martius. The underground tunnels have survived over the centuries through various alterations and their partial re-use as private cellars. Officially discovered in 1838, they were classified as Historical Monuments in 1961, then fitted out and opened to the public in 1976.

Canal de la Robine

A link between the Aube and the Mediterranean, the canal is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Travelling along it on foot or by bicycle means treating yourself to a relaxing escape from the city, as well as crossing a variety of landscapes, going as far as the outskirts of Narbonne. In fact, the canal skirts the Bages and Sigean ponds, heading towards the Sainte-Lucie Island nature reserve before flowing into the Mediterranean at Port-la-Nouvelle.

Don’t miss the Merchants’ Bridge, of Roman origin, overlooked by houses with pretty coloured facades. This bridge consisted of seven arches and allowed people to enter the ancient city from the south. Located today in the heart of the old town, it is surrounded by shopping streets.

Surrounded by magnificent pine trees, the Canal crosses Sallèles-d’Aude and joins the Canal du Midi, which passes to the north of Narbonne.

Plage des Chalets

Just a 20-minute drive from the city centre, the seaside resort of Narbonne boasts 5 km of fine sandy beaches.

Surrounded by a promenade of over 2 km, you can relax on this unspoilt beach, characterised by chalets on stilts, at the foot of the Massif de la Clape, a stone’s throw from the Camargue and its unique landscapes.

Massif de la Clape

A protected, natural and wild area, the Clape massif is well worth the diversions. You can explore the massif and its vineyards on foot or by bicycle, taking the belvedere road to Narbonne Plage.

The massif is an ancient wooded island with 15,000 hectares of protected nature, 17 km long and about 8 km wide: it covers 15,000 hectares and culminates at Pech Redon, 214 metres above sea level. This area is home to no less than 33 protected plant species and almost 62 bird species have been recorded. It offers a unique landscape composed of a succession of rocky plateaus separated by narrow ravines. Facing the sea, extensive pine forests consisting mainly of Aleppo pine can be observed, while holm oaks and maritime pines dominate to the west.

In this extraordinary natural site, there are many hikes that can be done on foot, by bicycle or even on horseback.

Fontfroide Abbey

Ten minutes from Narbonne, in the heart of the Regional Natural Park of Narbonnaise, hides a treasure from the Middle Ages, which preserves within its walls all the spirituality of the Cistercian monks alongside the originality of Gustave Fayet, artist and patron, who bought Fontfroide in 1908.

Fontfroide Abbey was founded at the end of the 11th century and quickly became one of the richest abbeys in Europe, before suffering a slow decline until the French Revolution. In 1908, the estate was saved by Gustave Fayet, a friend of Paul Gauguin. Under his leadership, Fontfroide became a place of artistic encounters and creative effervescence. Today, the abbey is still passionately maintained by his heirs.

The abbey has thus preserved intact the 12th-century cloister and abbey church, the chapter house, the monks’ refectory and dormitory and the magnificent 17th-century courtyards. We recommend you visit the terraced gardens and rose gardens, an invitation to contemplation and silence, and then immerse yourself in the busy programmes of music and culture promoted by internationally renowned artists, who are regularly welcomed to this special place.

Terra Vinea

For almost 200 years, this mine with 35 kilometres of underground galleries housed tons of gypsum. After the quarry closed its doors in 1992, the village winegrowers wanted to continue the miners’ adventure and turned these exceptionally large old galleries into an ageing cellar for wine and a place to discover.

A little train will transport you to the gates of the depths of the earth, to descend 80 metres below the Corbières massif and experience a journey through time, discovering the vestiges of the history of vines and wine in Narbonnaise, from antiquity to the present day.

The descent from the Galerie Boisée will take you to the heart of the wine cellar: here, Terra Vinea today stores 1,500 225-litre barrels at a constant temperature of 16°C . The visit continues through various rooms in the underground galleries for almost a kilometre. In 1 hour and 30 minutes, a sound and light show, virtual animations and a tasting of several carefully selected local wines await you.