This journey takes us into the charming heart of France, offering a diverse program to suit every taste. Starting in the Auvergne, we travel from lush volcanic landscapes to Le Puy-en-Velay—a stop on the Way of St. James—then on to the Tarn Gorges and through the Haut-Languedoc region to Carcassonne, in the land of the Cathars.

Spas, churches, monasteries, castles, and country estates—alongside small workshops and large factories, museums, and markets—alternate with country roads, mountains, valleys, meadows, and pastures.

As always in France, we sample regional cuisine and visit historic inns along the way. Markets, small local producers, and shops bring variety to our plates and wine glasses.

This trip is a segment of the longer "Auvergne-Dordogne" tour.