Couiza
Encyclopedia
Couiza is a commune
in the Aude
department in southern France
.
Couiza is located at the foothills of the Pyrenees
, on the road between Limoux
, going towards Carcassonne
and Quillan
, going towards Perpignan
. Couiza, at the top of the Haute Valley of the Aude, is at the foot of the hill leading to Rennes-le-Château
and is on the Aude River
.
, a 16th century castle
, was built by the Dukes of Joyeuse and is now a hotel and restaurant (Les Ducs de Joyeuse). There is also a good tourist office, another restaurant, two patisseries and a post office. There is also a church in Couiza dedicated to St. Jean the Baptist. The area around Couiza is rich in historic and geographic interest.
and Espéraza
on the way but the service is limited. Leaving Couiza the main road (D117) leads to Perpignan
. Down to Barcelona
or up to Narbonne
and the TGV
lines across the South of France.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Aude
Aude
Aude is a department in south-central France named after the river Aude. The local council also calls the department "Cathar Country".Aude is also a frequent feminine French given name in Francophone countries, deriving initially from Aude or Oda, a wife of Bertrand, Duke of Aquitaine, and mother...
department in southern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Couiza is located at the foothills of the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
, on the road between Limoux
Limoux
Limoux 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...
, going towards Carcassonne
Carcassonne
Carcassonne is a fortified French town in the Aude department, of which it is the prefecture, in the former province of Languedoc.It is divided into the fortified Cité de Carcassonne and the more expansive lower city, the ville basse. Carcassone was founded by the Visigoths in the fifth century,...
and Quillan
Quillan
Quillan is a commune in the Aude department in southern France.-Geography:Quillan is located at the foothills of the Pyrenees, on the road between Carcassonne and Perpignan....
, going towards Perpignan
Perpignan
-Sport:Perpignan is a rugby stronghold: their rugby union side, USA Perpignan, is a regular competitor in the Heineken Cup and seven times champion of the Top 14 , while their rugby league side plays in the engage Super League under the name Catalans Dragons.-Culture:Since 2004, every year in the...
. Couiza, at the top of the Haute Valley of the Aude, is at the foot of the hill leading to Rennes-le-Château
Rennes-le-Château
Rennes-le-Château is a commune in the Aude department in Languedoc in southern France.This small French hilltop village is known internationally, and receives tens of thousands of visitors per year, for being at the center of various conspiracy theories, and for being the location of an alleged...
and is on the Aude River
Aude River
The Aude River is a river of southwestern France. Its source is in the Pyrenees mountains and it then runs to Carcassonne and turns, reaching the Mediterranean Sea near Narbonne...
.
Population
Features
The Château de CouizaChâteau de Couiza
The Château des Ducs de Joyeuse is a castle in the commune of Couiza in the Aude département of France.Originally built for the Dukes of Joyeuse in the mid-16th century, the castle is now used a hotel. The well-preserved building, flanked by round towers, is regarded as typical of many buildings...
, a 16th century castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
, was built by the Dukes of Joyeuse and is now a hotel and restaurant (Les Ducs de Joyeuse). There is also a good tourist office, another restaurant, two patisseries and a post office. There is also a church in Couiza dedicated to St. Jean the Baptist. The area around Couiza is rich in historic and geographic interest.
Transportation
The railway line from Carcassonne runs here stopping in LimouxLimoux
Limoux 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...
and Espéraza
Espéraza
Espéraza is a commune in the Aude department in southern France.It lies on the River Aude just north of the foothills of the Pyrenees.-Population:-History:* The church was built during the 13th century....
on the way but the service is limited. Leaving Couiza the main road (D117) leads to Perpignan
Perpignan
-Sport:Perpignan is a rugby stronghold: their rugby union side, USA Perpignan, is a regular competitor in the Heineken Cup and seven times champion of the Top 14 , while their rugby league side plays in the engage Super League under the name Catalans Dragons.-Culture:Since 2004, every year in the...
. Down to Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
or up to Narbonne
Narbonne
Narbonne is a commune in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. It lies from Paris in the Aude department, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Once a prosperous port, it is now located about from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea...
and the TGV
TGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
lines across the South of France.