Nestled in the foothills of the Black Mountains, Caunes-Minervois is a storybook French village, with cobbled streets too narrow for cars, one beautiful door after another, stone walls adorned with climbing roses and ivy.
It also has lots of life. Although it doesn’t even have 2,000 residents, it has EIGHT restaurants! They are really good, too. The Hôtel d’Alibert, for example, is beautiful and delicious. The Cantine de la Curé (the priest’s canteen–it’s across from the abbey) has tapas in a garden. La Mangeoire (manger, as in away in a) and la Marberie (the marble works–Caunes is known for its quarry for red marble) have lovely interiors as well as shady terraces.
In the summer, outdoor classical concerts on Fridays animate the lovely garden behind the abbey. In winter, jazz concerts in the abbey’s caveau, or wine cellar, take advantage of the great acoustics.
The monastery was the heart of the ancient village, although it was inhabited since neolithic times, and later had a Roman villa. The abbey was started in the 8th century, when the town was becoming rich.
You can visit the church, sumptuously decorated with local marble, and go under the altar to the crypt. There’s a cloister, and a small museum of archaeological finds.
- The crypt.

Mostly, though, it’s a pleasure just to stroll around Caunes. Some of the streets turn into stairs, and most in the center of the village are just too narrow for cars to pass. Which means the soundtrack for your walk is the wind and birds.
There are some beautiful homes, not just from medieval times but also Renaissance, including Hôtel d’Alibert. Most of the Renaissance buildings are near the mairie, or town hall.
- Renaissance windows.
The doors range from majestically imposing to extremely small. I saved most of them for another post just on doors.

Near the abbey is an old lavoir, or communal laundry, which still gets used.
Its location on a hill offers views across the plain that extends to the Pyrénées. Gorgeous.
And the views of the roofs are wonderful, too.
Charm is everywhere.
Though it’s not without its challenges.
I hope you enjoyed Caunes-Minervois. If you ever see wine from here, buy it (there are several wineries). You won’t be disappointed.
Caunes is a great daytrip from Carcassonne. I haven’t finished with it, either. We will go out of town the next time, plus I have to visit the marble quarry, since our kitchen counters came from it.
sumptuous shots!
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Thanks. If you saw my camera, you would laugh.
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Lovely photos capturing those quiet streets.
There’s a novel by Christopher Hope based on Caunes. Definitely worth reading, Signs of the Heart : Love and Death in Languedoc.
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Thanks! I’ll have to find it.
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Oh dear….Should we stay there? Is it too far away? So many questions.
Ali
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It’s about 30 minutes from Carcassonne–most people who live there work in Carcassonne. It depends on whether you like little village all the time, or just for a visit.
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I guess a walk through with a lot of sighing would be be sufficient….maybe even lunch??
Ali
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That sounds good!
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Those outside seats look a bit medi-evil.
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Ha! Good one!
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Oh, I am in love. What a beautiful village. Besides the wonderful restaurants, do you know if there is a grocery in this village or a weekly market?
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There are a couple of small grocery stores, plus the usual butcher and some bakeries….there is a small but complete market on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
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Thank you!
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Reblogged this on hus i frankrike and commented:
Once again a retweeted episode from a fellow blogger – this time presenting our neighbour village Caunes- Minervois, well-known for its eighth century monastery, and the famous red marble. Enjoy!
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Not sure how I missed this but I’m very glad I found it just now …. you have me sold — that is a perfectly perfect little gem of a place and with all those gorgeous eateries and a marble quarry I rather think you may have presented me with heaven (not forgetting the view of the mountains)
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It’s really quite charming.
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We have taken the exactly same pictures! (well the village didn’t change much in between your and our visit!)….. including the closed shutters…. and same as you, we arrived, walked a bit around and were just gobsmacked at the choice of restaurants in this tiny place – I can’t remember the name of ‘our’ place but if I remember correctly, it had a terrace – in any case, it was delicious and the village itself was so utterly charming, it can’t be real, can it?! One day, one day, we’ll see it again
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The charm of Caunes is that it is timeless.
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