Close to Carcassonne the village of Pennautier is the home town of Pierre Louis Reich de Pennautier, a famous figure in the Languedoc region whom used to be the general tax collector for the French clergy.
     Between 1670 and 1676, at the start of Louis XIV's reign , he commissioned the building of a splendid chateau, a true scaled down version of Versailles.
    The chateau was built in the heart of the Cabardes vineyards and in 1701, its wine was mentioned at the King's table.
    The Pennautier's estate provided funds for the canal's building and as soon as 1675 when the Canal du Midi opened to navigation Riquet's barges shipped the chateau 's wine to Toulouse, Bordeaux ,Béziers and Cette.

     To visit and see :
    - The Château de Pennautier and its vineyard
    -The XIXth century Château de Rayssac and its vineyard
    - The Malves estates with the bedroom of king Charles VIII
    - The Foucaud water-flow basin located 2 Km away from Carcassonne : A superb botanic garden with no less than 500 different species of mediterraneen plants.

    Where to eat :
    - At the château de Pennautier
    - In Pezens on the RN113 at " Au réverbère"

    Where to sleep :
    - Château de Pennautier
    - Château d'Aragon, bed end breakfast

Cruise on the Canal des Deux-Mers