Maison Petunia Blanche enjoys an enviable location in the beautiful and historic town of Pézenas in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France. Down a narrow country lane, it’s just a five-minute walk into the heart of Pézenas with all its amazing restaurants, shops and attractions.
Pézenas is one of southern France’s most delightful towns and is especially well known for its links to Molière; visit the L'illustre Théâtre for regular performances of his work. Pézenas is a town filled with art and history; you can admire its architecture across the town with some especially beautiful 16th to 18th century mansions or simply potter around its art galleries, antique shops and studios.
The market on a Saturday morning, dating back to the 14th century, is one of the best in the region and there are lots of restaurants and pretty cafes serving local specialities. In July and August look out for the Friday evening event ‘Les Estivales’ when night markets bring Pézenas to life with live music, wonderful street food and of course lots of local wine.
This area is wonderful for lovers of wine with so many Languedoc vineyards scattered across the surrounding countryside. Personal tours and tastings can be arranged and many of the wineries host wonderful lunches in the vineyards for a truly magical experience. As well as places to visit within a short distance of Pézenas, you can also head north to try the appellation around Faugères (24km).
You can also enjoy chilled local white wine served with oysters from the nearby Étang de Thau in Mèze (19km) or take a boat trip to visit the oyster beds of Bouzigues. Mèze is also a great place to visit for its various markets (including weekly night markets in the summer) and all sorts of events and festivities throughout the year, including summer jousting tournaments, so typical of this area.
Along the Mediterranean coastline enjoy the long sandy beaches in Sète (40km), all sorts of family attractions in and around Cap d'Agde (28km) and other water-based activities along Marseillan Plage (30km). This is one of the great joys of Languedoc – the contrast between historic towns, idyllic villages and the seaside, all so close to each other.
Heading in the other direction, there are also watersports at the lovely Lac de Salagou (32km) where you can wind-surf, canoe, kayak or paddle-board in the lake. It’s a really tranquil spot and also wonderful for its walking, hiking and mountain bike trails. Perhaps combine with a visit to Clermont-l'Hérault (22km), the capital of the Languedoc-Roussillon region, where you should buy some local olive oil made in the town’s mill.
You can also hire canoes along the river Orb near Cessenon-sur-Orb and Béziers. Indeed, Béziers (25km) is a great place to visit to experience authentic Languedoc, especially in August during the four-day long feria with its bullfighting and festivities.
This is also a good location for some of France’s UNESCO World Heritage sites with the village of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert (42km) just forty minutes away and even the magnificent city of Carcassonne (105km), a superb day out.
The Region
Languedoc-Roussillon is one of those areas of France where you can feel like you’re totally cut off from the rest of the country. Commercial tourism has been very slow to capitalise on the region, meaning you can still enjoy a slice of authentic French rural life at its finest. A mixture of landscapes also makes it a great place to visit, with a good stretch of coastline offering a totally different experience to more bucolic interiors. Whatever you’re looking for, our range of villas and chateaux in Languedoc means you can get exactly the kind of holiday you want with accommodation that’s perfectly tailored to you, your friends and your family.
