Books, art, old buildings. In the south of France. The village of Montolieu, just 15 kilometers (nine miles) from Carcassonne, is intellectual AND adorable.
Montolieu bills itself le village du livre (the village of books), with 17 bookstores for under 800 residents. Plus art galleries. Plus very cute cafés and restaurants. All nestled among tiny, car-free lanes and crooked stone houses. With jaw-dropping views.

Enough said. Let’s go for an afternoon stroll.






And finally, the views, over the Dure river. The village is in the Black Mountains, atop a hill that allowed for fortification (but was invaded by Vandals and Visigoths nonetheless). It was a stronghold of the Cathar religion, and later a center for textile manufacturing.




I have lots more photos and will put some on Instagram, so check there, too. I’ll have to go back to visit the Manufacture Royale (royal factory, for textiles) and the book museum. A very worthy day trip from Carcassonne!
The village is amazing. My cat, Tian Tian, passed away a couple months ago. He was a 17 year old black cat with green eyes. Happy to see he’s been reincarnated in France. I hope to visit him soon:)
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You will love it.
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That looks great, but sadly Trev does not do vertiginous
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There’s plenty to see without going to the lookout. It’s C.U.T.E.
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How adorable! The French have held onto their book culture (by which I mean hard book over kindle) so much better than many others. Libraries even in small communities are often vibrant places with authors giving readings and actors coming to perform books and bookshops aplenty but this place …. just wow! And so pretty too. A good book and a view to gaze on when tearing one’s eyes from the page – I can’t imagine anything nicer 🙂
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Yes, the French bookstore is a community treasure.
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bonjour,
I have been following your blog for a while now since we will be moving near to you in September. I am so glad to hear about this village and see all the great pictures. I know that during the winter, reading is the thing to do in Occitanie.
But there must be more to do?!
thanks,
Beverly
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There’s a ton to do, in little Montolieu and in the region. Castles, museums, brocantes, markets, festivals, hiking, spelunking, canoeing (and on and on with the outdoorsy stuff), concerts, plays….
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Thanks, I can’t wait to get started! Maybe I’ll pass you on the streets someday.
Certainly will pass on your lovely apartment rental information. They are so lovely and tenderly decorated.
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Yes, I hope we do meet! There are a few others in the area, too, like cotecampagne, poshbirdy and another Bev.
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Looks to be quite a charming little place with a lot of creative inhabitants!
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Yes, it seems like everybody has joined in the fun, whether by putting out books or beautifying with flowers.
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Oh my word. It’s just so beautiful!! Every picture was just more lovely than the last! I love the buildings 😍 and the scenery was so incredible too. You’ve added one more place to my France bucket list!
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There are a bunch of très cute villages around, in addition to Montolieu. Minerve, Caunes-Minervois, Lagrasse, Saint-Hilaire, Bram are a few. And then there are a ton of really tiny gems.
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That’s what I’m gathering! Many places that you just can happen while traveling around. I’ll look into those ones you listed
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I have photos of them but have to get around to writing posts.
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I’ll be watching for them!
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Reblogged this on Ayesha's Diary.
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Aaaahhh, the river. I would be there- I can almost hear it. And the cat! Love a black cat. We have Fat Jack, Cooper and Baby who is 15 this year. The ‘men on stilts’ overlooking the rooftops- very cute!!
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The pool looks like it must be a popular swimming spot. When we were there, thunder rumbled (but no rain), and nobody was swimming.
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But, where were the people!
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There were people, but it wasn’t crowded at all. Just enough to feel lively.
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Lovely little village. The views! and the books, I can’t imagine life without books. Another spot to add to my list of places to visit.
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Oh, the books. There were so many different bookstores, each with its own specialty. And piles of books just sitting around the village.
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While visiting a friend in the south of England , she showed me a typical English red telephone booth which was full of books. The idea is that you can take any book you want to read and you leave the books you have read. I thought it was a great idea.
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There was a phone booth library in a little mountain village (Pyrénnées). So cute.
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Yes….love those small villages. Keep them coming.
Ali
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Will do! Hope you get to check them out in person.
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What a gorgeous place! It appeals to my love of the quirky. I especially love the slate shingled roof and the men on stilts and the self serve vegie shop .
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Slate roofs aren’t very common around here. It’s more terre cuit curved tiles.
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This village looks amazing. I love the atmosphere.
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It’s really charming. This just scratches the surface.
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I wish I could go there now. I think I would be in heaven with all those bookstores! And those views…beautiful!
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Yes, plus they are all so cute.
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This looks like a very special place. I love seeing all of these beautiful and special places that you travel too! Your region is on my list to visit not only for its beauty but history as well.
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I hope you get to visit! There are so many cute places to see in the region. I’ll be adding more for your list. 😉
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A beautiful village indeed – I try and get there every couple of years… And when I do get to go there, I usually stop off at the paper mill in Brousse et Villaret. 🙂
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Ah the paper mill was another school outing. I really miss going on those.
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Montolieu is another one of my eternal love affairs…. As an ardent reader, this was paradise for me every single time. I wouldn’t want to live there but I can’t come back often enough!!!!
My one regret is – of course, and understandably – that Montolieu is in France and I want to read English books. But with my roughly 2000+ books (95% E) however, I won’t be complaining!
I also took a number of photos of washing hanging across the lanes and ways…. did you have that joy too?
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I didn’t see it hanging across the streets, but I did see lots of those folding drying racks, just out on the little streets that are barely big enough for a car, with no sidewalks. Not that cars pass down them, unless to deliver groceries.
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