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Spain/France

From Languedoc to Catalonia Through the Pyrenees: A Cross-Border Discovery

Program No. 21705RJ
Explore the French and Spanish Pyrenees, discovering pristine wilderness, medieval villages, picturesque vineyards and secrets of wine and cheese making in this unique region of Europe.

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Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
May 9 - May 22, 2024
Starting at
4,449
May 23 - Jun 5, 2024
Starting at
4,449
Sep 19 - Oct 2, 2024
Starting at
4,599
Sep 26 - Oct 9, 2024
Starting at
4,599
Oct 10 - Oct 23, 2024
Starting at
4,449
Oct 17 - Oct 30, 2024
Starting at
4,449
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
May 9 - May 22, 2024
Starting at
5,269
Filling Fast!
May 23 - Jun 5, 2024
Starting at
5,269
Sep 19 - Oct 2, 2024
Starting at
5,499
Sep 26 - Oct 9, 2024
Starting at
5,499
Filling Fast!
Oct 10 - Oct 23, 2024
Starting at
5,269
Oct 17 - Oct 30, 2024
Starting at
5,269

At a Glance

Be inspired by the gorgeous mountain landscapes of the Pyrenees and delve into the distinct but equally fascinating cultures that evolved on either side of these peaks on a discovery of southern France and Catalonia. Time stands still in the medieval villages and Romanesque castles of this sun-streaked land where the crags and peaks of the Pyrenees hold treasures of history and culture awaiting your discovery. Walk in the footsteps of Moliere at Pezenas, touch medieval castle walls defended by the Cathars in Carcassone and taste the wines of Languedoc and the cheeses of Catalonia while local experts cast light on one of Europe’s most intriguing regions.
Activity Level
Let's Go!
2-3 miles of walking on some days. There are several days with visits to villages and castles with cobblestones, uneven surfaces and very steep inclines. In addition, there is a gentle walk through Aigüestortes National Park over rough ground.
Small Group
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

Best of all, you’ll…

  • Venture into the Spanish Pyrenees and learn about the unique flora and fauna of the area.
  • Explore Carcassonne, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and learn the history of the Cathars.
  • Meet with a local artisan cheesemaker.
Featured Expert
All Experts
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Tony Muldoon
After graduating with a master’s in Hispanic Studies in 1993 from the University of Glasgow, in his native Scotland, Tony Muldoon came to live and work in the mountains of Andalusia — first in the Sierra Nevada and now the Serrania de Ronda. He leads trekking and cultural programs all over Spain, Portugal and Morocco as well as cultivating olives and almonds on his smallholding. His passion for the history, culture and landscapes of his adopted home is heartfelt.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Tony Muldoon
Tony Muldoon View biography
After graduating with a master’s in Hispanic Studies in 1993 from the University of Glasgow, in his native Scotland, Tony Muldoon came to live and work in the mountains of Andalusia — first in the Sierra Nevada and now the Serrania de Ronda. He leads trekking and cultural programs all over Spain, Portugal and Morocco as well as cultivating olives and almonds on his smallholding. His passion for the history, culture and landscapes of his adopted home is heartfelt.
Profile Image of Sandra Velazquez
Sandra Velazquez View biography
Sandra Velazquez was born in Valladolid, Spain. She has always had a passion for travel, history and performing arts. She did her undergraduate work in Madrid, spent a summer in London working on English, and continued her education in Los Angeles, California. Sandra brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to her group leading through her acting, passion for learning, and embrace of new traditions and cultures.
Profile Image of Meritxell Centeno
Meritxell Centeno View biography
Meritxell Centeno has a background in communication and environmental journalism, in addition to qualifications as a licensed mountain guide and regional expert, specializing in Romanesque art and Pyrenean history and culture. As president of the local guide association for the Aiguestortes National Park, she is actively involved with the local community and is enthusiastic in her goal of researching, preserving and promoting the rich culture of the Pyrenees. In addition to her native Catalan and Spanish, Meritxell is fluent in English, French, and Italian.
Profile Image of James McDonald
James McDonald View biography
James McDonald is a mathematician and nonfiction writer. He was educated at University College, Oxford and holds an M.A. from Oxford University and an M.Sc. from Sussex University. He writes on topics including the Cathars of the Languedoc, the Counts of Toulouse, Occitania, Medieval warfare and the Medieval Inquisition. His work is characterized by combining serious scholarship with an entertaining style. He is currently the châtelain of a late Medieval castle in the South of France, listed as a Monument Historique by the French Government.
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings
by Amy Kelly
A spirited, meticulously researched chronicle that recreates the life and world of Eleanor of Aquitaine in 12th-century Europe. A Harvard University Press Classic, first published in 1950.
Love and Revolutionary Greetings: An Ohio Boy in the Spanish Civil War
by Laurie E. Levinger
Follow the story of a boy name Sam Levinger who travels to Spain in 1937 to join the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. Based on letters home to his mother, this story will captivate and educate it's readers of the American involvement during the Spanish Civil War.
The Road from the Past, Traveling through History in France
by Ina Caro
Time travel through France by way of its finest castles, chateaux, cathedrals and monasteries. This unusual travelogue is an invaluable companion for traveling in Paris, southern France, the Dordogne and the Loire Valley, combining personal observation with large doses of well-presented history.
Footprint Focus Guide Barcelona & Catalunya, Includes Andorra & Eastern Spanish Pyrenees
by Mary-Ann Gallagher
This slim Footprint guide provides up-do-date listings of eateries, lodging places, maps, as well as activities, sites and nightlife. The handy "Essentials" section also has useful advice on getting to and around Barcelona & Catalunya.
Romanesque Churches of Spain: A Traveller's Guide
by Peter Strafford
A perfect companion for travellers, by leading Times journalist Peter Strafford. With its ten maps and arrangement by region, the book provides a stimulus for the exploration of wild and remote areas that are unfamiliar to many people, especially across the Pyrenees and in the mountainous areas of Aragon,
The Frost on His Shoulders
by Lorenzo Mediano (Lisa Dillman translator)
In the 1930s, in an isolated valley of the Pyrenees Mountains, an aging teacher reconstructs a bloody and tragic event that seemed destined to remain forever hidden behind a wall of silence
Languedoc-Roussillon Map
by Michelin Travel Publications
A detailed regional map.
Montaillou, The Promised Land of Error
by Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie, Barbara Bray (Translator)
This absorbing, candid and marvelously detailed portrait of daily life in 13th-Century Languedoc was a French bestseller. It's based on the 600-year-old transcript of heretic interrogations by Bishop (later Pope Benedict XII) Jacques Fournier of Pamiers. 30th Anniversary Edition.
Barcelona
by Robert Hughes
A Longitude favorite, this big, thoroughly enjoyable cultural history of the city touches on architecture, art, religion and literature from Roman outpost to today.
Hot Sun, Cool Shadow
by Angela Murrills
In this mouthwatering travelogue interspersed with classic recipes, Murrills shows the allure of Languedoc and the slow food movement. Charmingly illustrated by her husband, Peter Matthews.
Cadogan Guide Languedoc-Roussillon
by Dana Facaros, Michael Pauls
Based themselves in southwest France, Dana Facaros and Michael Pauls cover the sweep of the Mediterranean from the Rhone Valley to the Spanish border in knowledgeable detail.
The Catalans
by Patrick O'Brian
Patrick O'Brian's bitingly funny novel of Dr. Alain Roeg, who returned home to a family in crisis, beautifully evokes Saint-Feliu, the town in Languedoc ("French Catalonia") where O'Brian made his home.
Homage to Catalonia
by George Orwell
Orwell's portrait of the Barcelona uprising and the spirit of a city at war is a classic, an observant and heartfelt report from the streets.
Catalonia, A Cultural History
by Michael Eaude
A literary, cultural guide to the art, architecture, traditions and history of Catalonia.
The Perfect Heresy: The Revolutionary Life and Spectacular Death of the Medieval Cathars
by Stephen O'Shea
An insightful review of a difficult subject - the Albigensian Crusade - and the tragic, bloody history of the Cathars,
France, A Traveler's Literary Companion
by William Rodarmor (Editor)
This collection contains literary gems from all corners of France--not just Paris--by a select group of 20th-century French writers from Colette to Simenon.
A Most Holy War, The Albigensian Crusade and the Battle for Christendom
by Mark Gregory Pegg
As talented a writer as he is a historian, Pegg never loses sight of the drama of grand expeditions, heroic sieges and the panoply of village insurgents, kings and crusaders in this rousing tale of the battle for Christendom.
Inquisition and Medieval Society
by James Buchanan Given
A professor of history, Given draws on the ideas of Marx and Foucault in this schoalrly analysis of the papal inquistion in medieval Languedoc.
Paris to the Pyrenees
by David Downie
David Downie's spirited book is haunted by the Gallic chieftain Vercingetorix and the Gallo-Roman forebearers of modern France. On ancient trails through the forests of the rugged Morvan, they continued across the celebrated wine country of Burgundy and the centuries-old Via Podiensis on the Way of Saint James.





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