12 Spots to Get to Know Narbonne, Narbonne, France

France is a massive vault of tourist attractions with the magnificence of Paris, Normandy war history, the Loire Valley castles, Cannes' glitz and glamour, Lyon's gastronomical scene, Bordeaux vineyards, and the French Alps, to name a few.

The lesser known regions may get overlooked from time to time, but if you really want to dig deeper into another version French history and culture, then the Occitanie region has loads to offer. The larger cities of Toulouse and Marseille anchor this beautiful area that includes both mountains and coastline, and Narbonne is planted between them near the coast. Another gorgeous city nearby is Carcassonne, also complete with its own walled-in city and history.

I was lucky enough to have my French friend, Adeline, who lives in nearby Sauvian, take me on this tour of Narbonne. Narbonne is her claimed ville préférée and she made sure all of the details of Narbonne's grandeur and charm were displayed and explained to me in proper French. Now I am happy to share the highlights in English for the visitors who are interested in what Narbonne has to say for itself.

Narbonne hails from Roman times, founded around 100 B.C. The markings of the Roman Empire are worth finding, from the Roman Wolf Sculpture arched above where Rue Droite ends into Place du Forum, to the unearthed remnant of La Via Domitia in the Place de l'Hotel de Ville. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).