Tolosa
Toulouse
Usage
The main city of the Occitanie region, on the Garonne. Many red-brick buildings give it the nickname "the pink city". Occitan appears alongside French on metro signage
Grammar Note
The ending is -a, not French -e. Spelling follows signs and maps. The French name is Toulouse
Montpelhièr
Montpellier
Usage
The capital of the Hérault department near the Mediterranean, a university city with a tram network. The central square is Plaça de la Comèdia
Grammar Note
The digraph lh stands for a palatal l. Spelling follows signs and maps. The French name is Montpellier
Carcassona
Carcassonne
Usage
A city in the Aude department, known for its walled medieval fortress (the Cité), a World Heritage Site tied to Cathar history
Grammar Note
Spelling follows signs and maps. The French name is Carcassonne
Albi
Usage
The capital of the Tarn department. Its red-brick cathedral and episcopal quarter are a World Heritage Site, and it is the birthplace of the painter Toulouse-Lautrec
Grammar Note
Spelling follows signs and maps. The French name is Albi
Nimes
Nîmes
Usage
A city in the Gard department, famous for its well-preserved Roman amphitheatre, and close to the Pont du Gard
Grammar Note
The Occitan spelling has no circumflex. Spelling follows signs and maps. The French name is Nîmes
Avinhon
Avignon
Usage
A city on the Rhône. The papal court sat here in the 14th century; it is known for the Palace of the Popes and its bridge. A gateway to Provence
Grammar Note
The digraph nh stands for a palatal n. Spelling follows signs and maps. The French name is Avignon
Marselha
Marseille
Usage
The great port city of Provence, symbolised by its Old Port and the hilltop basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde
Grammar Note
The classical spelling is Marselha, not the Mistralian Marsiho. Spelling follows signs and maps. The French name is Marseille
Niça
Nice
Usage
A Mediterranean coastal city with a seaside promenade and an old town, known as the home of salade niçoise and socca
Grammar Note
The letter ç is used only before a, o, u and sounds /s/ here. Spelling follows signs and maps. The French name is Nice
Besièrs
Béziers
Usage
A city in the Hérault department, close to the famous Fonséranes locks on the Canal du Midi, and a centre of wine country
Grammar Note
Spelling follows signs and maps. The French name is Béziers
Narbona
Narbonne
Usage
An ancient Roman colony in the Aude department, known for its cathedral and for the covered market beside the Canal de la Robine
Grammar Note
Spelling follows signs and maps. The French name is Narbonne
Rodés
Rodez
Usage
The capital of the Aveyron department, with a red-sandstone cathedral; it hosts the summer Occitan-culture festival Estivada
Grammar Note
The ending carries an acute accent: -és. Spelling follows signs and maps. The French name is Rodez
Arle
Arles
Usage
A city on the lower Rhône, known for its Roman amphitheatre and as the town where Van Gogh stayed. A gateway to the Camargue
Grammar Note
Spelling follows signs and maps. The French name is Arles
Ais de Provença
Aix-en-Provence
Usage
A university city in Provence, known for its plane-tree boulevard and fountains, and as Cézanne's home town
Grammar Note
de means "of". The ç in Provença sounds /s/. Spelling follows signs and maps. The French name is Aix-en-Provence
Grassa
Grasse
Usage
A hill town west of Nice, known for the perfume industry
Grammar Note
Spelling follows signs and maps. The French name is Grasse
Menton
Usage
A seaside town near the Italian border, known for its lemons and its yearly lemon festival
Grammar Note
Spelling follows signs and maps. The French name is Menton
Caors
Cahors
Usage
The capital of the Lot department, known for its loop of the river Lot, the Valentré bridge and its dark red wine
Grammar Note
Spelling follows signs and maps. The French name is Cahors
Milhau
Millau
Usage
A town in Aveyron, famous for the giant viaduct over the Tarn valley
Grammar Note
Spelling follows signs and maps. The French name is Millau
Còrdas
Cordes-sur-Ciel
Usage
A medieval fortified hilltop town (bastide) in the Tarn, known in French as Cordes-sur-Ciel ("Cordes above the sky")
Grammar Note
Spelling follows signs and maps. The French name is Cordes-sur-Ciel
Seta
Sète
Usage
A harbour town in the Hérault near the end of the Canal du Midi, between the sea and the Thau lagoon, known for oysters and fish dishes
Grammar Note
Spelling follows signs and maps. The French name is Sète
Capitòli de Tolosa
Capitole of Toulouse (city hall)
Usage
The building housing the city hall and theatre; the square in front is the town's meeting place. The metro line A station is named after it
Grammar Note
de Tolosa means "of Toulouse". Mind the accent: Capitòli.
Plaça del Capitòli
Place du Capitole
Usage
The big central square of Toulouse, lined with cafés and facing the city hall
Grammar Note
del is de + lo. The ç in plaça sounds /s/.
Basilica de Sant Sarnin
Basilica of Saint-Sernin
Usage
A Romanesque basilica in Toulouse and a major church on the pilgrim road to Santiago; a World Heritage Site
Grammar Note
Sant Sarnin is Occitan for Saint-Sernin.
Glèisa dels Jacobins
Church of the Jacobins
Usage
A Gothic convent church in Toulouse, known for the palm-tree-like pillar that spreads into its vaulting
Grammar Note
glèisa is "church"; dels is de + los.
Pont Nau de Tolosa
Pont Neuf of Toulouse
Usage
A bridge over the Garonne and the oldest one still in use in the city; the name means "new bridge" but it dates from the 16th-17th centuries
Grammar Note
Pont Nau means "new bridge".
Gara de Tolosa Matabiau
Toulouse-Matabiau Station
Usage
The central railway station of Toulouse, linked to the metro and buses, with trains to the region and beyond
Grammar Note
gara means station (not French gare).
Aeropòrt de Tolosa-Blanhac
Toulouse-Blagnac Airport
Usage
The international airport of Toulouse, close to the Airbus headquarters, with a tram link to the city
Grammar Note
aeropòrt means airport; the nh in Blanhac is a palatal n.
Canal del Miègjorn
Canal du Midi
Usage
A 17th-century canal from Toulouse to the Thau lagoon on the Mediterranean; its plane-tree towpaths are popular for walking and cycling. A World Heritage Site
Grammar Note
Miègjorn means "south" (lit. midday), the Occitan counterpart of French Midi.
Ciutat de Carcassona
The Cité of Carcassonne
Usage
A medieval walled fortress with a double wall and dozens of towers; a World Heritage Site. You can walk inside freely; only the castle needs a ticket
Grammar Note
ciutat means city; it is not spelled like French Cité.
Gara de Carcassona
Carcassonne Station
Usage
The station on the lower-town side; the walled Cité is a 20-30 minute walk or a bus ride away
Grammar Note
gara means station.
Catedrala de Santa Ceselha d'Albi
Albi Cathedral (Sainte-Cécile)
Usage
One of the largest brick Gothic cathedrals in the world, with remarkable painted interiors; a World Heritage Site together with the surrounding episcopal city
Grammar Note
catedrala means cathedral; d'Albi is de + Albi contracted before a vowel.
Palais de la Bèrbia
Palais de la Berbie
Usage
The former bishops' palace of Albi, now the Toulouse-Lautrec museum; a fortress-like building above the Tarn
Grammar Note
Mind the accent: Bèrbia.
Pònt de Gard
Pont du Gard
Usage
A Roman aqueduct bridge with three tiers of arches, near Nîmes; a World Heritage Site
Grammar Note
pònt means bridge; de Gard means "of the Gard".
Arenas de Nimes
Roman Arena of Nîmes
Usage
A Roman amphitheatre from around the 1st century, still used for events and for the Féria festival
Grammar Note
arenas is plural, like French arènes.
Castèl de Fois
Château de Foix
Usage
A castle on a rock in the Ariège with three towers, linked to the Cathar period
Grammar Note
castèl means castle.
Montsegur
Montségur
Usage
The ruined hilltop fortress regarded as the last Cathar stronghold; the steep path takes roughly 30-45 minutes
Grammar Note
The Occitan spelling carries no accent: Montsegur.
Mont Augal
Mont Aigoual
Usage
One of the highest summits of the Cévennes, with a weather observatory on top; known for hiking
Grammar Note
Augal is the Occitan name of the mountain.
Cevenas
Cévennes
Usage
The mountain range in the north of Languedoc, with chestnut woods, valley villages and a national park
Grammar Note
Spelling follows signs and maps. The French name is Cévennes
Garona
Garonne
Usage
The large river that rises in the Pyrenees and flows through Toulouse and Bordeaux to the Atlantic
Grammar Note
The ending is -a.
Camarga
Camargue
Usage
The wetland in the Rhône delta, known for white horses, black bulls and pink flamingos; a protected nature area
Grammar Note
Camarga is the Occitan counterpart of French Camargue.
Aigas Mòrtas
Aigues-Mortes
Usage
A walled town on the edge of the Camargue, near salt pans and pink pools; you can walk around the medieval ramparts
Grammar Note
aigas is the plural of aiga (water), mòrtas feminine plural "dead": literally "dead waters".
Larzac
Larzac plateau
Usage
A limestone plateau across Aveyron and Hérault, known for sheep, Roquefort cheese and open skies
Grammar Note
The spelling matches French; it is often used with an article (lo Larzac).
Pirenèus
Pyrenees
Usage
The mountain range on the French-Spanish border; hiking in summer and skiing in winter
Grammar Note
The ending is -us (plural), with the accent on è.
Mètro de Tolosa
Toulouse Metro
Usage
Two driverless lines (A and B); station names and announcements show Occitan alongside French
Grammar Note
Mind the accent: mètro.
Aeropòrt de Montpelhièr-Mediterranèa
Montpellier-Méditerranée Airport
Usage
The airport just outside Montpellier, with a tram and shuttle link to the city
Grammar Note
aeropòrt means airport.
Plaça de la Comèdia
Place de la Comédie
Usage
The central square of Montpellier with the opera house and tram stops; the usual meeting place
Grammar Note
Mind the accent: Comèdia.
Musèu Fabre
Musée Fabre
Usage
The fine-arts museum of Montpellier, known for its collection of European paintings
Grammar Note
musèu means museum.
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