- Limoux
French commune
nomcommune=Limoux
Carnival
région=Languedoc-Roussillon
département=Aude
(sub-prefecture)
arrondissement=Limoux
canton=Limoux
insee=11206
cp=11300
maire=Jean-Paul Dupre
mandat=2001-2008
intercomm=
longitude=2.21916666667
latitude=43.0577777778
alt moy=172 m
alt mini=156 m
alt maxi=740 m
hectares=3,241
km²=32.41
sans=9,411
date-sans=1999
dens=290
date-dens=1999Limoux is a market town and sub-prefecture in the French "département" of
Aude , a part of the ancientLanguedoc province and the present-dayLanguedoc-Roussillon "région". It lies on the river Aude about 30 km due south ofCarcassonne .Culture
The town is perhaps best known for its Winter festival called "Fècos", often referred to (inaccurately) as a Carnival or "fête". It is generally referred to as "Carnaval de Limoux" in French language. This takes place between January and Easter and is conducted in Occitan, the traditional language of the area (In Occitan the word "Fècos" is the name of a dance characteristic of the festival).
The cafe scene is dominant in Limoux where food and drink represent the dominant cultural pastime.
ights
The heart of the town is the "place de la République", a wide square with some fine stone arcading and a number of timber framed houses. Limoux straddles the River Aude and the banks are lined with grand houses, especially on the eastern side, the so-called "Petite Ville" (lit. "Small City").
Limoux is an attractive place with a wonderful sense of fun. The town likes to party in a most unself-conscious way and for its own pleasure rather than for the sake of tourists. While worth visiting in itself, it is also an excellent base for discovering the history of the region and is ideally placed for exploring the coast, the mountains and some of the finest walking country in France.
Markets
* Weekly market every Friday (or Thursday if a public holiday falls on a Friday).
* Flea market or "Brocante" the first Sunday of each month on the Promenade du Tivoli.
* Evening markets on Tuesdays in July and August.Places of interest
* The Musée Petiet (Tourist Information Office),
* Musée du Piano (Museum of the piano)
* CathaRama (a history of the Cathar movement).
* Winery tours at Sieur d'Arques and Aimery.
* " La Bouichère " - Flassian, 2 hectares of gardens which is home to various collections of increasingly rare plant varieties.Miscellaneous
Limoux was the birthplace of:
*Francis de Gaston, Chevalier de Levis (1719-1787),Marshal of France
*Alexandre Guiraud (1788-1847), poet, dramatic author and novelistee also
*
Limoux Grizzlies , arugby league club from Limoux
*Limoux wine , white wine, usually sparkling, produced in the area
* [http://limouxins.site.voila.fr/index2.html Site de la Bande de Carnaval de Limoux ’Les Limouxins’]External links
* [http://www.aude-aude.com/content/view/39/48/ Photos of Limoux]
* [http://aude-limoux.blogspot.com/ Aude in photos: Limoux (163 photos)]
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