• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
Wandering Carol's

Luxury Travel Blog

The Unpretentious Guide to Luxury Travel

  • Home
  • About Wandering Carol
  • Destinations
    • Asia Travel
    • Caribbean Travel
    • Europe Travel
      • Austria
      • Czech Republic
      • England
      • France
      • Germany
      • Hungary
      • Ireland Travel
      • Italy
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • Wales
    • North America Travel
      • Canada Travel
      • Mexico Travel
      • USA Travel
  • Spas and Wellness
  • Experiences
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Romantic Travel
    • Sacred Places
    • Adventure
    • Solo Travel
  • Contact
Day trip to Narbonne, Canal

Things to do in Narbonne France

Luxury travel blog » Places to Travel » Europe Travel » France » Things to do in Narbonne France
May 6, 2016 by Carol Perehudoff

This post may contain affiliate links.

There are plenty of things to do in Narbonne, France. This appealing city of 50,000 in the Languedoc Roussillon region of southern France has a Roman heritage, a 13th-century Archbishop’s Palace and makes a great day trip if you’re cruising on the Canal du Midi.

Day trip to Narbonne, Canal

Narbonne day trip

There’s no way you can see everything when you travel so why do I feel like my day trip to Narbonne is a failure? I have unfinished business here, that’s why! You probably will, too. While a visit to Narbonne isn’t on everyone’s France travel itinerary, this attractive city in the Languedoc Roussillon region has a surprising amount to see.

Why Narbonne will confuse you

So let’s get to all the wonderful things to do in Narbonne. This is a city of layers that go back (at least) to the Romans in 118 BCE, and you can never be sure what level you’re at. You think you’re at street level then you look down and there’s a chunk of the Via Domitia, an excavated section of an ancient Roman road, at least six feet below.

Narbonne day trip, Via Dolmetia
A little rest on an ancient road

Stand on the Via Domitia

The Via Domitia was the first Roman road in France (except that France didn’t exist yet) and was built to connect Rome to Spain.

You can go right down and stand on the Via Domitia (or take it a step further and sit yourself down because how many times in your life can you sit on a 2,000 year old Roman road and not be run over by a chariot?). Go ahead. Feel the grooves in the stone worn by centuries of wheels.

I could have happily sat here for hours but I was visiting Narbonne with a group from our hotel barge, the Athos, on a cruise down the Canal du Midi, and people were starting to look at me oddly.

Explore Roman history in Narbonne

Back when Narbonne was the capital of the province of Gallia Narbonensis, and the first Roman colony in France, it was an important port.

Then Rome fell, and in the 14th century the Aude River silted up, the Christians expelled the Jews (which really screwed things up as they lost loads of important tradesmen) and the plague came and, oh yes, the Black Prince invaded and things went downhill from there, but never mind – let’s get back to the Romans.

One day in Narbonne, Roman Tower
Roman towers incorporated into the Archbishops Palace

 

Where to see Roman Narbonne

Most Roman sights in Narbonne and central. You can find Roman artifacts in the Archeological Museum; in the Horreum, an ancient underground warehouse; and in the deconsecrated Notre-Dame-de-Lamourguier Church, which is filled with 2,000 Roman stone blocks.

I immediately put the church-filled-with-blocks on my list of things to do in Narbonne because I couldn’t imagine what it must look like. I’d heard of churches built over Roman ruins but never one filled up with them and thought it was an interesting twist on history.

Narbonne things to do, visit Merchants Bridge
Isn’t this a street?

Don’t miss the Merchan’ts Bridge

I could have sworn I was on a shopping street paved with pink marble then Matthieu, our guide from the Athos, told our little group we were actually on the Merchants Bridge that crosses the Canal de la Robine, a flower-lined canal that bisects the city.

(And it wasn’t until I walked north and saw the bridge from a distance that I truly believed him.)

The Merchants Bridge connects the west bank to the main square, the Place de l’Hotel de Ville, which is a wonderful place to start your Narbonne tour.

Narbonne day trip Archbishop's Palace
Archbishop’s Palace

The Place de l’Hotel de Ville

Narbonne had a real heyday in the 13th century. Today, the facade of the Archbishop’s Palace still lords over the Place de l’Hotel de Ville just like the archbishop Gilles Aycelin himself must have done when he ruled over the region in the late 1200s.

On one side of the palace is a fierce-looking defensive tower, the Donjon Gilles Aycelin. In those times the church was the super power of the region, and not above a fight or two to defend itself.

Things to see in Narbonne, cathedral
Narbonne Cathedral

Visit the Archbishop’s Palace

I don’t want to be impolite but the Archbishop’s Palace is a rambling mass of confusion (though very eye catching). It houses the Donjon, two museums, the Jardins des Archeveques (Archeological Gardens) and somehow also manages to be the entrance to the half-built gem of the city, the imposing Cathedral of St-Just and St-Pasteur, which is one of the top things to see in Narbonne.

Saint-Just and Saint-Pasteur Cathedral of Narbonne

The Saint-Just and Saint-Pasteur Cathedral was built in a pure Gothic style, and once you’re inside you’ll be struck dumb by the high vaulted ceilings, higher even than the vaulted ceilings of Paris’s Notre-Dame.

Narbonne day trip, the Cathedral
Inside the cathedral

The problem with Narbonne Cathedral

There’s only one small issue: The cathedral has no tail (officially known as a nave). Not only was money an issue, but to build the lengthy nave as planned Narbonne’s fortified wall behind it would have had to be knocked down, and with invasions and what not, it was decided the plans for the nave should be abandoned.

(I did wonder why they didn’t think of this before they spent 50 years building the cathedral, but of course I don’t understand urban planning.)

Day trip to Narbonne, cathedral

 

Exploring Narbonne Cathedral

Stumpy or not, The Saint-Just and Saint-Pasteur Cathedral has one of the most glorious interiors you can imagine, with a mammoth organ that reaches practically to heaven, wonderful Gobelin and Aubusson tapestries, and a rare and superb, yet very battered, 14th-century retable, which is sort of like a relief, and in its centre is an alabaster statue of Our Lady of Bethlehem.

Retable Narbonne Cathedral
Retable

 

The mystery of the Retable

The retable of the Saint-Just and Saint-Pasteur Cathedral was lost for centuries and in the 1950s it was found behind a wall of stucco. This just goes to show there’s a upside side to losing things. They might be even more valuable and rare when you find them, which should be a huge relief to people who lose their keys on a daily basis.

Also very serene is the cloister, even though all the statues have their heads hacked off or faces battered in as a result of the French Revolution. The cloister was built, Matthieu says, as a consolation prize to the archbishop for not getting his nave.

Visit Narbonne Cathedral cloister
Consolation cloister

More things to do in Narbonne

After our Narbonne guided tour I still had things I wanted to see, so I headed toward Notre-Dame-de-Lamourguier. This, you may remember, is the deconsecrated church full of stones. However the bridge that masquerades as a pink-marble street, the Merechant’s Bridge, lured me into its shops and I had difficulty extricating myself.

Note: Shopping is Narbonne is excellent.

Narbonne day trip, covered market
Covered Market

Narbonne Market

By the time I finished shopping, I had to hurry to the historic covered market of Narbonne, Les Halles, to meet our group for lunch, so I didn’t get to the cathedral. Matthieu had promised that the meal, while simple, was to be served in a unique and riveting manner. The only clue he would give was that the restaurant is owned by a famous former rugby player, Gilles Belzons.

I’ll eat fast, I thought, because no matter how riveting the meal, how can it be more riveting than a church filled with stones?

Restaurant Chez Bebelle

I found Chez Bebelle in the bustling market and saw our group sitting on stools at a table. I heard a loud whistle and a package of meat came flying through the air. A tall muscular man behind the counter whipped his arm up over his head and caught it, which is indeed a unique and riveting way of serving food and one of the main draws of Narbonne Market.

Restaurants Narbonne Chez Bebelle
Rugby skills come in handy

 

Here’s how Chez Bebelle works

It’s has to be one of the most fun places to eat in Narbonne. When someone orders horse meat (I didn’t create the menu, I’m just telling you what’s on it) or beef or duck, Gilles shouts the order out to the horse butcher or the beef butcher, or whistles to the duck merchant (whose booth is around the corner and therefore out of sight). Then the butcher lobs a package of meat back at him.

Gilles never missed, and packages came whizzing through the air nonstop.

I meant to hurry through the meal but it was too entertaining, and then I needed a photo with the butcher and with Gilles, the famous rugby player, and then I decided I needed an autographed paper placement, too. It was only when I looked at my watch and remembered that I wanted to see the 2,000 Roman stones that I started to panic.

Day trip Narbonne, Covered Market
Nice market, but I’ve got to run

 

Notre-Dame-de-Lamourguier

While Mattieu settled the bill, I raced over to Notre-Dame-de-Lamourguier practically with my hands in the air, and well, I couldn’t find the door. I ran around three sides of the large building, but of course it must have been on the fourth side. I’d run out of time, however, and would have to leave without completing my tour.

Clearly, there are too many things to do in Narbonne and I wished my day trip could have been longer.

Things to do in Narbonne France, see the Canal de la Robine
The Canal de la Robine, the watery thoroughfare of Narbonne

 

Unfinished business

As I sat in the van on the way back to the Athos, Matthieu and I talked about the stunning Narbonne Cathedral that was never completed.

“It wouldn’t be the same if it was finished,” he said. “It would be still be beautiful, of course, but because it’s not finished it makes the story.”

Maybe it’s the same for sightseeing, I thought. Maybe it doesn’t matter if you don’t see everything, because you can’t see everything in a day trip to Narbonne, and sometimes the unfinished stories are the best.

 

Travel Guide for Narbonne

On the horizon for Roman Narbonne: In the planning stages is a large Roman Museum designed to put Narbonne on the Roman tourist trail in France – look for it to open in 2020.

Where to eat in Narbonne

If you’re a meat eater the Restaurant Chez Bebelle is an affordable and fun way to eat lunch during your Narbonne day trip. The menu is pretty much beef steak, horse, chicken or duck and ranges from €11 to €19.

Cultural sights and more things to do in Narbonne

Both the Archeological Museum and the Art and History Museum are located in the Archbishop’s Palace. So is the Narbonne Cathedral.

The Horreum Museum at 7, rue Rouget de Lisle, is a prime example of Gallo-Roman underground warehouses.

Notre-Dame-de-Lamourguier, the church of 2,000 Roman stones, is behind the covered market. If you visit, send me a photo of the stones.

Visit the Abbaye Fontfroide – Sofie at WunderfulWanderings.com has an excellent post about this historic abbey that dates back to the 11th century.

Barging

The Canal de la Robine in Narbonne is an off-shoot of  the Canal du Midi, which is a mecca for barge trips. I cruised on the Athos du Midi, a first class hotel barge and this was a day trip. Read about my 6-night trip Canal du Midi cruise on the Athos.

Getting to Narbonne

While barging and boating are popular ways to travel in the region, Narbonne is also on the train line and lies between Perpignon and Beziers. It’s a 50-minute high speed train ride from Montpellier on the TGV, and 15 km from the Mediterranean. You can also get here by train from Barcelona or Avignon. A TGV train from Paris gets you to Narbonne in less than five hours.

Narbonne Plage

Don’t show up in the city of Narbonne wearing a bikini. The beach, Narbonne Plage, is not right in town but about 15 km away and is a popular seaside resort.

Another great day trip from the Canal du Midi in the Languedoc region is Pezenas. Read: What to do in Pezenas, France.

Learn more:

For more info on France visit the official French Tourism website.
Read more Europe travel blog posts: Top European destinations to visit or What to do in the South of France.

 

 

 

Category: France, One day in, Travel

About Carol Perehudoff

A former freelance travel columnist for the Toronto Star, Carol has won more than 30 writing awards and honours. A spa and luxury travel expert, she’s written for top travel publications around the globe.

Previous Post:What to do Lyon boat cruiseWhat to do in Lyon – besides eat
Next Post:What to do in Pezenas, France: Follow the Moliere TrailWhat to do in Pezenas, see Moliere Monument

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Carol Perehudoff

    Thanks, Kristina – I hope you make it here soon.

  2. SeizeTheGlobe

    This is such a fascinating article! It’s so rich with history and culture. I have yet to visit France, but this will definitely go on my itinerary if I’m in the southern area.

  3. Carol Perehudoff

    Thanks, Bernard. I definitely avoided the horse meat.

  4. Bernard Tan

    I would totally love to try eating in the markets, but not horse meat. Love the architecture and the details!

  5. Mags

    Lovely architecture. I’ll be bumming around France a bit this fall, I may need to add Narbonne to the itinerary.

  6. arzotravels

    Totally agree that you often cannot see everything. It is a pity though maybe that is why a place is special- can you ever “finish” with a place? Looks like a very lovely place.

  7. Carol Perehudoff

    The flying meat in Narbonne is a definitely a draw, Katie.

  8. Carol Perehudoff

    A smile a day keeps the blues away, right, Nisha? Thanks for reading.

  9. Carol Perehudoff

    Me, too, Megan. Which is a good thing because getting lost comes with the travel territory.

  10. Katie Dillon

    I’ve never been to Narbonne but it looks like you had a fantastic time. I love the bit about the flying meat packages… that would have made my day!

  11. Nisha

    Narbonne looks so cool, a beautiful mix of old and new. The markets are lively and buzzing. I smiled reading your post. :)

  12. Megan Claire (@mappingmegan)

    For me, half the fun in exploring a new city is getting lost and not knowing where you’re at … I’ve found that you stumble across the most amazing local gems that way! Sounds like there’s a lot to do in Narbonne – thanks for the tour!

  13. Lauren Meshkin @BonVoyageLauren

    I love that it has so many different layers of history… and levels! Definitely putting Narbonne on my list, thanks for sharing.

    Happy travels :)

  14. anna

    The market atmosphere sounds amazing! I love seeing your food being made-directly from the butcher. Good tip about not showing up in your bikini!

  15. Tamara Elliottt

    Wow, I’d never even heard of this place. Spectacular architecture!

  16. NYC JetSetter

    I’ve never been (or heard of to be honest!) but it looks like the perfect place for sightseeing!

  17. A Taste for Travel (@atastefortravel)

    I love eating in markets both for the fab food and atmosphere. Sounds like there’s both at Chez Bebelle

  18. Amelie Gagne

    What a wonderful history-rich place to visit! I have only been to Paris, but if I go back to France, I would definitely love to see Narbonne! But probably in more than a day ;)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Sidebar

luxury travel blogger wandering carol on train

About Wandering Carol

In my 10+ years as a travel writer and columnist I've seen the best of what the world has to offer and written for some top publications around the globe - and now my goal is to bring this expertise to you. For more blah blah blah, visit my
About page.

Book Your Next Adventure

Booking.com

Connect with me online

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
Carol Perehudoff published in top media, logos for newspapers and magazines

How to Use This Site

  • Use the SEARCH BOX if you’re looking for something specific.
  • Click on the ‘DESTINATIONS’ tab on the top menu to see the countries we write about.
  • SUBSCRIBE to keep up with the latest articles and get tips to make your next journey inspiring.

Caribbean Travel

golden sand beach in Saint Lucia

14 Fun Things to Do in St Lucia

golden sunset in the caribbean

5 Ways to Budget and Plan a Luxury Caribbean Vacation

Paradisus Palma Real Beach, Dominican Republic

Paradisus Punta Cana and Paradisus Palma Real, tale of two paradises

Beautiful beach, affordable luxury Caribbean

Affordable luxury Caribbean – vacation tips and tricks

Welcome to this luxury travel magazine

Click around to find some top destinations and fab adventures - and put a spark in your life through travel.
Carol Perehudoff on the media, logos
Driving between Montreal and Quebec City

Explore! Quebec Road Trip from Montreal to Quebec City

A Fun Montreal to Quebec City Road Trip This 3-day itinerary from Montreal to Quebec City will show you a world of spectacular nature, outdoor adventure, great restaurants and places to stay in the gorgeous regions of Lanaudière and Mauricie.  Driving Time Montreal to Quebec City If you’re making the drive from Montreal to Quebec …

Inspiration

“Who says you can’t run away?”

Share

  • https://www.facebook.com/pages/WanderingCarolcom-A-Luxury-Travel-Blog-for-those-who-Love-to-Laugh/1503397106575455
  • https://instagram.com/wanderingcarol/
  • http://pinterest.com/wanderingcarol
  • https://wanderingcarol.com/feed
  • http://twitter.com/WanderingCarol

Copyright © 2023 · Wandering Carol’s Seeking Elsewhere Magazine · All Rights Reserved · Disclosure and Privacy Policy

59 shares