NUDGING PROVENCE on one side and the Pyrenees on the other, Languedoc has all the charms of southern France with less of the crowds. You won't find the bling and ostentatioun of the Riviera and Côte d'Azur hotspots here – or the prices. It's home to the cities of Carcassone, with its medieval Cité, and dynamic Montpelier.

Further north, the dramatic Auvergne boasts a unique line of extinct volcanic peaks, and lakes and forests tailor-made for the outdoor life.
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