Aude
From the Mediterranean as far as the Pyrenees, the Aude unveils a variety of different landscapes and famous sites. In addition to the two jewels, the city of Carcassonne and the Canal du Midi, classified by UNESCO as part of its world heritage, there are numerous castles and abbeys marked by history and their Cathar past. This natural and cultural inheritance attracts more and more tourists to the area – winter and summer alike. The airport of Carcassonne is a true gateway to tourism with numerous European connections assured by Ryanair.
Places with character
These assets also attract a business clientele drawn by the charm of sites where meeting points are user-friendly and the standard of comfort is good. Carcassonne and Narbonne both possess a unique architectural heritage. They offer rooms to hire in buildings with character, renovated and adapted to accommodate professional conferences.
Besides this, Narbonne is a city for assemblies with a range of notable places to accommodate every kind of debate. The congress hall, the only one in the department, was set up well away from the two principle urban centres, Carcassonne and Narbonne, at the seaside resort of Gruissan where its comfortable hotels remain open all the year round. Although small in size (an amphitheatre with 260 places and hall complete with 600 places) it is an intimate setting for conferences.
Close to this building, the casino Le Phoebus offers a huge multi-purpose hall which allows for events of all kinds to take place.
It is also worth noting that the City of Vine and Wine have recently opened a space devoted to seminars.
With regard to business tourism, the department has the advantage of a wide choice of reception places for seminars and day studies. In a variety of delightful settings, historic buildings open their doors to residential or semi-residential groups, and can offer a high standard of reception. There are new addresses to discover: the Château de l’ Hospitalet at Narbonne-Plage and the Château de Pennautier. For conferences with a large number of participants, the Résidence l’Espinet at Quillan, which is about to be restored, and the Domaine du Somail at Sallèle d’Aude are the best adapted.
