Limoux

For the wine region, see Limoux wine.

Limoux
Limoux
Administration
Country	France
Region	Languedoc-Roussillon
Department	Aude
Arrondissement	Limoux
Canton	Limoux
Mayor	Jean-Paul Dupré (PS) (2008–2014)
Statistics
Elevation	156–740 m (512–2,430 ft) (avg. 172 m or 564 ft)
Land area1	32.41 km2 (12.51 sq mi)
Population2	9,781  (2008)
- Density	302 /km2 (780 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	11206/ 11300
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Town square

Limoux (French pronunciation: [limu]; Occitan: Limós [liˈmus]) is a commune and subprefecture in the Aude department, a part of the ancient Languedoc province and the present-day Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France. It lies on the river Aude about 30 km (19 mi) due south of Carcassonne.

Population

Historical population of Limoux

Year	1793	1800	1806	1821	1831	1836	1841	1846	1851	1856
Population	5100	5142	5723	5915	6247	7105	7417	7444	7776	6835

Year	1861	1866	1872	1876	1881	1886	1891	1896	1901	1906
Population	6937	6770	5897	6661	6283	6810	6371	6684	7084	7223

Year	1911	1921	1926	1931	1936	1946	1954	1962	1968
Population	7010	6640	7639	7797	8193	7587	8334	9603	10,824

Year	1975	1982	1990	1999	2008
Population	11,101	10,206	9665	9411	9781

Culture

The town is perhaps best known for its Winter festival called fecas [ˈfekɔs], often referred to (inaccurately) as a Carnival or fête. It is generally referred to as Carnaval de Limoux in French language. This takes place between January and Easter and is conducted in Occitan, the traditional language of the area (In Occitan the word fecas is the name of a dance characteristic of the festival). As of 2011 the wine Festival "Toques et Clochers" will be held in Limoux every spring.

The cafe scene is dominant in Limoux where food and drink represent the dominant cultural pastime.

Sights

The heart of the town is the place de la République, a wide square with some fine stone arcading and a number of timber framed houses. Limoux straddles the River Aude and the banks are lined with grand houses, especially on the eastern side, the so-called Petite Ville (lit. "Small City").

Limoux is an attractive place with a wonderful sense of fun. The town likes to party in a most unself-conscious way and for its own pleasure rather than for the sake of tourists. While worth visiting in itself, it is also an excellent base for discovering the history of the region and is ideally placed for exploring the coast, the mountains and some of the finest walking country in France.

Markets

• Weekly market every Friday (or Thursday if a public holiday falls on a Friday).
• Flea market or Brocante the first Sunday of each month on the Promenade du Tivoli.
• Evening markets on Tuesdays in July and August.

Places of interest

• The Musée Petiet (Tourist Information Office),
• Musée du Piano (Museum of the piano)
• CathaRama (a history of the Cathar movement).
• Winery tours at Sieur d'Arques and Aimery.
• Jardin aux Plantes la Bouichère - Flassian, 2 hectares of gardens which is home to various collections of increasingly rare plant varieties.

Personalities

Limoux was the birthplace of:

• Francis de Gaston, Chevalier de Levis (1719-1787), Marshal of France
• Alexandre Guiraud (1788-1847), poet, dramatic author and novelist
• Poulpard (1981-20**), one of the most famous french stand-up comedian, also writer of few dramatic novels.

See also

• Limoux Grizzlies, a rugby league club from Limoux
• Limoux wine, white wine, usually sparkling, produced in the area
• Communes of the Aude department

References

• INSEE

External links

• Photos of Limoux
• Aude in photos: Limoux (163 photos)
• Site de la Bande de Carnaval de Limoux ’Les Limouxins’