The Provencal village of Entrecasteaux is a short 9Km drive from Cotignac. Despite being so close together they couldn’t be more different. Entrecasteaux is smaller, quieter and is a place where you can almost believe you are stepping back in time. The pace of life here feels gentler, the café in the centre of the village is where locals stop and chat over their morning coffee before going about their daily business. Even the conversation is respectful of the peace and tranquility of the place.
Entrecasteaux Chateau
Entrecasteaux Chateau
The Chateau dominates the centre of the village and was built in several phases between the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries. Much of the rest of the village dates back to the sixteenth century.
Cotignac is a small village of around 2000 residents in the Var region of Provence about 23 miles from the town of Draguignan. It is a wonderful town to visit and can be combined with a trip to near by Entrecasteaux if you have the time.
The origins of the village date back to Roman Times but for most visitors it is the troglodyte dwellings in the face of the cliff that dominates one end of the town that they come to see. A couple of Euros enables you to visit but be warned the steps are steep and headroom is limited in places. Combined with the heat of the Provencal sun it can be quite arduous but well worth it.
The village is an excellent place to wander around. The Main Street, lined with Plane trees, has lots of cafés, bars and restaurants along with a good mix of galleries and shops. Many other street are narrow and offer some welcome shade on a hot day.
Cotignac has real charm and character. It’s busy but in a relaxed way that many villages under a hot sun are.
The Weather. The Languedoc has a mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and rainy, wet winters. It annually receives 300 days of sunshine on average and in the months of July and August the temperature can reach 30 Celsius. The average annual temperature is 15 degrees. The area also can be quite windy, in the summer months The Tramontane comes from the north west and brings a cooling influence in the hot summer months. For many early autumn is a great time to visit the region with clear blue skies and warm temperatures.
The History. The Languedoc region is steeped in history, from the Roman amphitheatre and Tour Magne in Nimes, the Pont du Gard to the medieval city of Carcassonne you won’t feel short changed. There is much do see, do and admire. The region also has its own language, Occitan, however you are unlikely to hear in spoken in everyday use.
The Wine. Vines have been grown here for over two thousand years and the Languedoc is the largest wine growing region in the world with over 245,ooo hectares of vines spread over 36 appellations. In total the production of wine annually is in the region of 1.2 billion litres. In the past the Languedoc was seen as producing large volumes of ordinary wines for the mass market in France but this has changed in the last twenty years or so. New growers have been attracted here, driven partly by the cheaper land prices than in other wine growing regions and by the opportunities to experiment and be innovative. The first organic vineyards were in the Languedoc region. The result is that wines of the region offer great value for money and are well worth investigating.
The Landscape. Much of the region has a wild, natural beauty with small, beautiful villages and stunning views. There is also 200km of coastline with sandy beaches and the welcome cooling waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Away from the autoroutes driving is a pleasure as the roads are relatively quiet and are in good order. There are many stunning drives to be undertaken taking in hill villages and getting you right to the heart of the region and discovering its culture.
The Canal du Midi. Opened as long ago as 1681 and given its current name 100 years later it stretches 150 miles from Toulouse to the Mediterranean Sea. Originally built to carry freight, principally wheat and wine, it today is used for recreation and tourism and is one of the great wonders of France. Boats can be rented for holidays on the water or bikes can be hired to cycle alongside the canal. The banks of the canal are also very pleasant for walking with trees giving shade from the hot summer sun.
