The Good Life France Magazine




The Good Life France Magazine brings you the best of France - inspirational and exclusive features, fabulous photos, mouth-watering recipes, tips, guides, ideas and much more...


Published by the award winning team at The Good Life France

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AUTUMN 2024

  • Text
  • Free magazine
  • Paris
  • France
  • Brittany
  • Lyon
  • Bordeaux
  • Photography
  • Travel
  • Recipes
Packed with brilliant guides, features and stunning photos, mouth-watering recipes from top chefs, culture, history and much much more. Discover Paris & its hidden gems and dodge-the-drizzle treats, beautiful Bordeaux and it's secret seaside sensation, Cap d'Agde, Corsica and the off-the-beaten track Cele Valley in the Lot, Narbonne, Lyon & Languedoc and many more fabulous French gems.

Agde The Greeks named

Agde The Greeks named their new port Agathé Tyché – Good Fortune – and the town remained one of the largest commercial ports in the Mediterranean right up to the 18 th century. Today, the sloping riverside site once occupied by Greek traders is a maze of narrow streets lined mostly with 17 th century properties, where grand staircases and ornate loggias often overlook interior courtyards. If a door is open, peep in! Secret France: CAP D’AGDE Just a short hop from Béziers, Agde and its neighbours offer unique cultural attractions and all the fun of the Occitanie coast. Gillian Thornton explores. Cap d'Agde © H.Comte At the foot of the hill, the 12 th century cathedral of Saint-Etienne is something of a surprise, built from black basalt from nearby Mont Saint-Loup, last in a chain of extinct volcanoes running south from the Auvergne. For central accommodation close to the cathedral, station, and quayside restaurants like the friendly L’Amiral, book one of the spacious rooms at Hotel Yseria. Located in a 17 th century barracks overlooking Place Jean Jaurès, this charming small hotel is a member of the reliable Logis network. Agde is also home to an unexpected art treasure, the extraordinary Château Laurens, set in a spacious park overlooking the junction of the Hérault river and the Canal du Midi, just minutes’ walk from the cathedral. In 1897, 24-year-old medical student Emmanuel Laurens inherited a huge fortune as well as the family estate of Belle-Ile, commissioning a vast villa in the latest Art Nouveau style, inspired by Antiquity and his passion for foreign travel. Laurens entertained here in lavish style until the 1930s when his investments crashed and he was forced to sell, remaining a tenant however until his death in 1959. The abandoned chateau steadily deteriorated until purchased by the town in 1994, eventually opening to the public in June 2023 after major restoration. Expect a surreal fantasy of bold colours, elaborate furniture, and stunning stained glass. The Ancient Greeks knew a strategic spot when they saw one, so when they pitched up near present-day Agde in the 5 th century BC, the combination of volcanic outcrop and broad river ticked all their boxes for the perfect trading base. Today the first Greek port in the western Mediterranean is the gateway to one of France’s newest seaside resorts Le Cap d’Agde, and to the fishing port of Le Grau d’Agde, three contrasting communities in one neat package around the Hérault river. Catch a shuttle bus from Béziers-Cap d’Agde airport or take the train for the 12-minute journey from Béziers to Agde on the Occitanie rail network. Chateau Laurens 46 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 47