THE LANGUEDOC

QUICK HISTORY (from Wikipedia)
The Mediterranean coast of Languedoc has been settled by the Greeks, Phoenicians and Romans, and invaded by the Alamanni, Vandals, Visigoths, and Saracens.
Languedoc was known in the Middle Ages as the county of Toulouse, an independent county which was in theory part of the kingdom of France.
In the 12th century, Languedoc was the center of the Cathar religious movement. The Roman Catholic Church declared them heretics, and the Albigensian Crusade wiped them out. As a consequence, the county of Toulouse was taken by the crown of France in 1271, (the county of Toulouse was a vassal of the crown of France, but had many connections with the Crown of Aragon, which included Catalonia) and has been part of France ever since.
Later the name given to the area was Languedoc, literally meaning "language of oc", from the word "yes" in the local Occitan language ("oc", as opposed to "oïl", later "oui", in the north of France).
The kings of France made Languedoc one of the provinces of the kingdom, and established the parlement of Languedoc in Toulouse. The parlement and the province were abolished at the time of the French Revolution, like all the other parlements and provinces of France.

THINGS NOT TO MISS

CARCASSONNE. World famous medieval city, about an hours drive from Saint-Chinian. Well worth a visit even though it gets very busy during the summer months. Bear in mind that it's a bit of a con because it was rebuilt to the condition you see now about 150 years ago by Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, amid some controversy, particularly concerning the slate roofs, which were originally tiled.

CITE DE MINERVE. No such problems at Minerve. Beautiful little town set in a valley. Completely pedestrianised - you reach the town on foot crossing the bridge. Dates from the 11th Century.

OPPIDUM D'ENSERUNE. Roman ruins near Montady not far from Beziers. There is amazing view of a dried out salt lake with the fields radiating out from a central point (see photo).

CATHAR CASTLES. The castles mostly nestle in the foothills of the Pyrenees, a little over an hours drive from Saint-Chinian. The castle at Peyrepertuse is particularly stunning, as it appears to have been carved out the living rock.