Pezenas – a Visit from the Luxury Hotel Barge

Luxury hotel barge Athos visits charming villages while cruising the Canal du Midi

…Have recently returned from another excursion to Pezenas.  Pezenas’ claim to fame is that the playwright, Moliere, settled here for a few years during the time of the 14thC Languedoc Court.

Captured by the magic of Pezenas

Pezenas Bougainvillea
Pezenas entry towers by Old wall
14thC Hotel Lacoste at Pezenas
Gothic archways in the 14thC Lacoste Mansion

Although I’ve visited countless times before, I admit to always being enchanted by its:

  • 14th C Languedoc court mansions with architecture rare to villages in this area;
  • Small, pretty and perfectly kept garden courtyards;
  • Delightful artisan shop-windows;
  • Enticing antique-shops,
  • Gourmet sweet shops,
  • Tiny tapas restaurants,
  • Potters, milliners and costume-makers.
Bountiful Olives at Pezenas market
Olives at Pezenas market

On this particular visit, we stumbled on buskers.  Groups of children gathered and sat, captured by Bach duets for clarinet and violin.  Behind all this, the morning market was in full throng with summer tourists.

Athos is an Owner-Operated Luxury hotel barge, and so we take a particular interest in making sure that clients who cruise with us enjoy all of the land-based visits.  Pezenas is a fantastic example of a village slightly off the beaten track, but chock-full of pleasant surprises.