Languedoc-Roussillon (Occitan: Lengadòc-Rosselhon; Catalan: Llenguadoc-Rosselló) is one of the 26 regions of France. It comprises five departments, and borders the other French regions of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Rhône-Alpes, Auvergne, Midi-Pyrénées on the one side, and Spain, Andorra and the Mediterranean sea on the other side. Llívia is a town of Cerdanya, province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain, that forms a Spanish exclave surrounded by French territory (Pyrénées-Orientales département).

These two formerly fiercely independent provinces gave their names to this distinctive French region, which had a strong Spanish influence which is still evident today. The past has dictated much of what the discerning holidaymaker can enjoy in the area - Cathar castles, Romanesque abbeys, Roman remains and historic towns such as the medieval Citadel de Carcassonne are all steeped in history.

The newly formed region does not fully represent the culture and history of the Languedoc, particularly as Toulouse is not officially part of the region but was cultural and historical capital of the area. The region is called the Languedoc after the old French language langue d'Oc that was spoken in southern France. The langue d'Oïl was spoken in the north and went on to become modern French. 'Oc' and 'oïl' were the different ways of saying 'oui' (yes). Occitan (or Provençal as it is now called) was spoken widely in the south until the treaty of Villers-Cotterêts imposed the langue d'Oïl on the area in 1539. The language petered out after this, only to be revived by a 19th-century poet called Frédéric Mistral. Although it never regained its popularity, Occitan is sometimes heard in the Languedoc area or seen on the occasional road sign, and is a popular language course at university. This is mainly due to its fabulous troubadour tradition in literature.

The Languedoc Rousillon area has seen many settlers, starting in around 450,000 BC and including the Phonecians, Greeks, Romans, Visigoths and Moors, before finally being taken over by the Franks in the 8th century. There are vestiges of the Roman Empire all over the area, particularly in the Roman town of Nîmes where you can see the Pont de Gard aqueduct. Nîmes is also home to the textile phenomenon that is denim, having exported the first denim to the US in order to clothe slaves.

However it is the miles of safe, sandy beaches that have first and foremost made this an extremely popular destination for family holidays. Away from the coast, the diverse hinterland is characterized by mountains to the north (The Cèvennes) and the south (The Pyrénées) with a vast central section of typically Mediterranean, dry, stony plains given over to vines (Corbières and Minervois) and fruit, making a riot of colour in early spring.

Montpellier is an ancient university town, having had a medical school there since the 12th century. In Albi you can see a great collection of Toulouse-Lautrec artwork. Béziers is the centre of the Languedoc wine industry and was very rich in the 19th century. The medieval walled city of Carcassonne appears as a fairytale vision across the plains when you are driving on the motorway. In contrast to this, there are a number of futuristic (and stylistic) visions along the coastline, not least La Grande Motte, a 1960's beach resort with flamboyant architecture. All in all, the Languedoc is a winning blend of the best aspects of France, and not as expensive as neighbouring Provence and the Côte d'Azur.