787km (489 miles) SW of Paris; 61km (38 miles) E of Carcassonne; 93km (58 miles) S of Montpellier
In 118 B.C., Narbonne was the first town outside Italy to be colonized by the Romans. At that time, it was a busy port, and the largest town in Gaul after Lyon. It remained a hub for more than a millennia (in the 12th and 13th century AD, it had a prestigious Jewish university), and even today you can see evidence of its former wealth. But in the 14th century the river silted up and Narbonne became a backwater. It remains on today.It’s still a wonderful place to come to dig deep into history. Visitors also do tastings and tours in the surrounding vineyards (the website RueDeVignerons.com lists those open to the public); or head to nearby beaches. The latter can be found a hop away in the village of Gruisson and its adjoining beach, Gruisson-Plage; and in the suburb of St-Pierre la Mer and its adjoining beach, Narbonne-Plage. Both are 15km (9.25 miles) south of Narbonne. Buses from the town are frequent, each marked with its destination.
