Languedoc, located in southern France, is blessed with stunning Mediterranean waters bordered by a nearly unbroken beach stretching from the Rhone to the Pyrenees. Charles de Gaulle recognized the area's attributes, and began to develop the coast into what is now a highly-successful vacation destination. The university city of Montpellier, known for its medical school, is Languedoc's capital, and its Musee d'Anatomie houses a variety of grisly exhibits from medicine's sometimes gruesome past.

In 50 BC, the Roman colony of Nimes had a healthy population of 60,000, and its residents were entertained at the well-preserved Amphitheatre Romain, which today hosts everything from ballets to bullfights. Bulls are bred in the northern province of Lozere, where gardiens herd cattle atop slender white horses while wearing wide-brimmed black hats. French Catalonia remains heavily influenced by its former rulers from Barcelona, who employed Perpignan as their capital city. Catalan is still proudly spoken in the city and around, said to be one of the sunniest spots in France.