Charming South of France Off-the-Beaten-Path Small Villages Offer Rustic Beauty, History by Sharon Whitley Larsen Copley News Service Most American tourists who come to France just visit Paris," said Myriam Journet of the Carcassonne, France, tourism office as we dined at the Brasserie du Donjon in the popular, walled medieval townóthe largest fortress-city in Europe. "Weíre trying to get more people to visit the Languedoc-Roussillon region." The region happens to be the most extensive wine-producing region in France. Itís the area that lies between the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean. I felt a tinge of guilt as I sampled a bite of cassoulet, the regionís specialtyóa stew of duck, goose or pork with sausages and white beansóbecause during my previous four visits to France, I too had opted to tour just Paris and its outlying area. This was my first visit to the South of France but not to Nice or Cannes. I was here to see off-the-beaten-path small villages: Minerve, Old Pezenas, Margon, Limoux, Olargues, Villerouge Termenes, Boutenac, Lagrasse and Cucugnan, with populations ranging from 85 to 700. Some villages are so small that they are o nly briefly mentioned, if at all, in the Michelin guide, and are just now having automatic teller machines installed. Villerouge Termenes, for example, doesnít even have a grocery store. Elderly town folk leave their food list with the Point Multi-Services, run out of the local post office, to pick up for them. An itinerant baker comes by daily, though, with his bread cart. A few of these villagesóLagrasse, Minerve and Olarguesóhave been classified among the 142 villages of under 2,000 population with the coveted registered trademark of "Les Plus Beaux Villages de France" (The Most Beautiful Villages of France). The towns were selected judging 27 points, including architecture, town planning and hospitality. This is a region with 300 days of sunshine per year, where one can have the most peaceful get-away-from-it-all vacation on a reasonable budget. Visitors might want to rent a car to adequately tour the area via its narrow, winding country roads (itís better to make rental arrangements in the United States before departure), charter a private van, or have the flexibility and patience to travel via the local bus and train network. In France you can travel with your auto or bicycle aboard some trains, which makes it handy for visiting the really out-of-the-way villages. I was charmed by this beautiful region and its sweet fragrance of rosemary, thyme, lavender, olive and pine trees. I loved seeing the jenet, the cheerful yellow wildflowers that bloom many months of the year, as well as learning about the fascinating history of the Cathars, a religious group prominent in the area in the 12th century. Because several of these villages lie along the route of the Cathars, it helps to know a little about the Cathar religion. In the early 12th century, many people in the regionó beginning with the aristocracyógrew disenchanted with the Roman Catholic Church, feeling that a greedy and corrupt clergy ran it. The Cathar religion was a form of Christianityóthey believed there had been two creations, one of good and another of evil, and that they were the "good Christians," the true church of God. The Cathars, who were vegetarian, had a single prayer, the Lordís Prayer, and were baptized, but did not partake in Holy Communion or use the cross as their symbol. The Cathars were lead by bishops called parfaits. In 1209 Pope Innocent III sent a letter from Rome, designating that the rebellious Cathars be killed. Today you can visit the austere and impressive high fortresses where they took refuge. The last Cathar parfait was burned at the stake in 1321. (To learn more about the Cathars and this region, an excellent book with photos is "Cathar Country," available in the area. You can also write to MSM B.P. 20, 65502 Vic-en-Bigorre Cedex, France; visitwww.msm-editions.fr or e-mail: contact@msm-editions.fr). Visitors to Cathar country will also be intrigued with the unique local crafts and the regionís delicacies of goose, pork, fricassee, poultry, lamb, liver, mountain cured ham, grilled duck fillet, wild boar stew and young guinea fowl. There is also a wide variety of regional wines, and some of the most delicious fruits, sweets and cheese assortments I have ever sampled. Best of all, the lodging prices are extremely reasonable and very available. Entrepreneurs banking on the tourist potential of the region have recently opened many bed and breakfasts. The charm and restful pace of traveling through this region was as satisfying as any particular place I visited. I started my trip in Paris, then flew just over an hour to Montpellier, the regionís capital and eighth-largest city in France. A charming university town of 228,000, Montpellier boasts Renaissance and contemporary architecture, outdoor cafÈs, shops, chic boutiques, gardens and parks, so thatís where I began my excursion of these unique villages, which are within a few hours drive of Montpellier and a short distance from one another. Minerve: Just 85 residents live here, but 120,000 visitors come annually. At this walled fortress, you can see remains of fortifications and a castle from the 11th century, mansions turned boutiques selling regional crafts and museums of the Cathar era. Hurepel Museum has miniature reconstructions depicting the Cathar period (call 04-68-91-12-26). Archaeological and Paleontological Museum (call 04-68-91-22-92). Additional information, call 04-68-91-81-43. Minutes away by car, Monique and Pascal Bourgogne run a charming, prestigious site called Les Aliberts, five cottages with one to four bedrooms, weekly rates available. Les Aliberts, 34210 Minerve, 04-68-91-81-72, e-mail, aliberts@wanadoo.fr, Web site, www.gite.com/aliberts or aliberts.web-france.net. Limoux: In this small town in the heart of Cathar country, which is partly enclosed by a 14th-century fortified wall, you can see a fascinating and informative 30-minute film about the Cathars ("Charmes et Mysteres des Cathares") for about $3.50 for adults, $3 for children, 47 Avenue Fabre díEglantine D 118- 11300 Limoux. Telephone 04-68-31-48-42. Every January to March, the town has a lively carnivalóthe "Fecos"ówhich has taken place without interruption since the Middle Ages. Office de Tourisme de Limoux, Promenade du Tivoli - BP 5, 11300 Limoux, 04-68-31-11-82, e-mail, limoux@fnotsi.net. Lagrasse: An agriculture community in the Orbieu Valley, with vineyards and olive groves, Lagrasse has one of the most ancient abbeys in EuropeóBenedictine Abbey of St.e-Marie díOrbieux (call 011-04-68-43-15-99), dating from the eighth centuryóand a 13th-century church. In this town of 650 is a group of artisans working in small ceramic, glass, pottery and leather shops. I couldnít resist purchasing unique, hand-painted glassware by Beatrice Dolezalek-Lauw (who speaks English) at 3 Place de la Halle (call 04-68-43-11-39) Contact Syndicat dí Initiative, 6 Boulevard de la Promenade, 11220 Lagrasse; call 04-68-43-11-56, or e-mail, info@lagrasse.com or lagrasse@fnotsl.net. Villerouge Termenes: Right in the middle of this medieval village with 187 residents is the 13th- and 14th-century Villerouge-Termenes Castle, considered to be a classic example of medieval military architecture and completely renovated. An excellent self-guided audio tour tells of the life of the last-known Cathar parfait who was burned at the stake beside the castle in 1321, as well as describing daily life in the 14th century. Open daily April to October and at various times other months (call 04-68-70-09-11). Each summer thereís a "Medieval Summer" in which the entire village, after preparing all year, participates in replicating 14th-century life, with dance, music, games, theater, costumes, markets and food. For information and booking, call 04-68-70-06-24. For additional information, call 04-68-70-09-11. Boutenac: In this Corbieres village of 600, you wonít regret staying at the four-star La Bastide des Corbieres, a fabulous chateau run by the charming and hospitable Francoise and Jacques Camel, who bought the exquisite 1890 property in 1995 and embarked upon a major remodeling. Their B&B, (17 Rue de la Revolution, 11200 Boutenac; 04-68-27-20-61, e-mail, bastide.corbieres@wanadoo.fr) open since 1997, is closed in February. For $55, double occupancy, you can indulge in luxury with terrycloth robes, monogrammed face towels and in some rooms, bathtubs for two, which are named after wines: "Chardonnay," "Syrah," etc. And for about $7 you can have a delightful five-course, homemade dinner prepared by the couple. Cucugnan: This village of 128 lies less than two miles below the 11th- to 13th-century castle of Queribus, a historical monument that was the last refuge of the Cathar zealots and later a royal fortress (call 04-68-45-03-69). The villageís Church of St. Julien and St. Basilisse has a rare statue and several paintings depicting a pregnant Virgin Mary. Auberge de Cucugnan Hotel/Restaurant (2 Place de la Fontaine, 11350 Cucugnan (call 04-68-45-40-84), is a two-star logis run by the Villa family, who opened it in 1999 after so many people who had visited the restaurantówhich serves regional cuisine and which theyíve run for 30 yearsóinquired about rooms. And itís a deal: rooms with private bath are about $40. The nearby Achille-Mir Pocket Theatre (call 04-68-45-09-09) on Place du Platane has a charming film, "The Vicar of Cucugnanís Sermon," written in 1884 about a local legend: The clever way the townís priest inspired lapsed parishioners to attend church. The theater and castle of Queribus are open daily from May to October and at various times other months (call 04-68-45-03- 69). Abbaye de Fontfroide: The "Jewel of the Corbieres" is a 12th-century Cistercian abbey in a serene atmosphere with a gorgeous rose garden with 11 varieties and 3,000 rose bushes; it is about nine miles from Cucugnan.(Call 04-68-45-11-08, fax 04-68-45-18-31.) If You Go Driving: If you donít feel comfortable renting a car (especially if you want to enjoy sipping the many wines of the region), you might consider having a private driver for groups: Air Service Mediterranee; 04-67-86-46-46, e-mail: yr1asm@aol.com. Telephones: To call from the United States, donít dial the initial 0 in the local numbers and precede the number with 011-33. For more information: French Government Tourist Office, 444 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10022; 212-838-7800 or www.francetourism.com. Comiteí Regional du Tourisme, Languedoc-Roussillon; 04-67-22-81-00, www.cr-languedocroussillon.fr/tourisme, www.sunfrance.com, e-mail, spp.crtlr@sunfrance.com. Sharon Whitley Larsen is a freelance travel writer.