Location

Rue Caterine is located in the Village of Brissac Le Haut. Brissac is a great holiday location, with a variety of things to do coupled with Mediterranean weather and beautiful surroundings.

The regional centre is Montpellier, once home to Nostradamus and Rabelais, and now renowned as France's ville surdouée or `supergifted city'. Montpellier Airport to Brissac is an hour's drive.

Brissac and its region are drenched in history. It was a Roman province, later under Visigoth rule. Languedoc was central to the 12th-century troubadour culture. Brissac has direct local links with the Holy Grail legend ... the Templars ... and the Cathar War, which overthrew the civilization that produced troubadours and the Courts of Love. Brissac Castle (Private residence of the owners) was the home of the family which founded Montpellier in the 10th century.


Local Attractions

© Steve Wilson © Steve Wilson © Steve Wilson © Steve Wilson


Brissac Village

Brissac village is split into two parts. Brissac-le-Haut and Brissac-le-Bas.

Brissac-le-Haut, as given in its name, is built on a small hill. With a population of approximately 50, it is a quiet residential area. The bread van comes up every day except Monday in summer and the fish van on Saturdays, but otherwise there are no shops or facilities here. Its a peaceful, sleepy village with the only sounds being the wildlife like the crickets in the garrigue and the birds in the air. Time is marked by the chimes of the bell tower on the half hour, so no need to wear a watch during your stay. The bell tower clock is accurate to within 20 minutes of “world time,” which perfectly suits the lifestyle in Brissac.

Brissac-le-Bas is the lower village built on the valley floor. It is a larger village with a population of approximately 350. There is a Boulangerie (where you can get your daily bread, and extras like postcards and milk), a butcher's shop (with limited groceries), a post office, and a restaurant.

The green roofed church is at the centre of the village, next to the parking (for those who don't want to walk for their morning croissants) and the village green and tree shaded 'Sources': natural springs, which cool the area in the summer heat and have been the source of Brissac's prosperity for many thousands of years.


Travel Information and Recommendations

There is no public transportation to Brissac. Visitors will need a car.

Directions to Brissac-le-Haut will be included with your booking confirmation.

By car from the UK

Driving time from the Le Shuttle terminal at Calais is about ten or eleven hours - a solo driver needs to break the journey overnight. Total driving distance within France can be reduced somewhat by using one of the longer ferry crossings to Caen or St Malo, and driving down the west side of the country.

By air

The nearest airport is Montpellier Méditerranée (airport code MPL) which is served by direct flights from:

Other possibilities are to fly to Nîmes (Ryanair or via Paris) an hour and a quarter's drive, or to fly to Carcassone (2 hours), Toulouse (3 hours), Marseilles (3 hours). All are approximate driving times to Brissac.

By rail

Travel direct from London to Avignon on Eurostar with no changes and a journey time of six hours and fifteen minutes (according to Eurostar). It takes approximately two hours to drive to Brissac from Avignon.
Alternatively for even less driving time; travel on Eurostar and change to French TGV (high-speed train). London to Montpellier takes about eight hours with one change at Lille. It is less than an hours drive from Montpellier station to Brissac.

Visitors traveling by air or rail are recommended to make their car-hire arrangements in advance.

We are affiliated with Auto Europe, who appear to give good value deals with a price which usually includes two drivers, unlimited mileage and basic insurance. If you use them via our site they give commision which all goes into the chateau restoration fund.

Click here to access Hire Car quote form.