On vacation in Occitania or on a road-trip in the South of France, you want to visit Narbonne in 1 day and are looking for a circuit to visit the city on foot.
Well, I offer you my tourist circuit of the most beautiful places in Narbonne with Google Maps to put in pedestrian GPS mode to follow my route on foot. In addition to the main visits to make, I will tell you my gourmet addresses and my advice for booking your accommodation in the best district of Narbonne.
So, it is now time to discover my circuit to visit Narbonne on foot with the itinerary and the program of visits.
Visit Narbonne in 1 day
One of the best ways to visit Narbonne is to do it in 1 day on foot. Indeed, the city is compact and the most beautiful tourist attractions are within walking distance. Of course, if you want to stay longer, you can visit Narbonne in 1 day and plan other visits and activities around the city.
Indeed, from Narbonne, you can easily take a train or rent a car to explore nearby towns such as Carcassonne, Béziers, Sète ou Montpellier. You can also go to the coast in about twenty minutes to enjoy the beaches or visit one of the many vineyards in the region or the Salin de l'île Saint-Martin de Gruissan.
Finally, you can also discover a large and beautiful site in the Occitanie region 15 minutes away by car: The splendid Abbaye de Fontfroide.
What to see in Narbonne?
Located between Montpellier et Carcassonne South of France, even if it attracts fewer tourists than its neighboring towns, Narbonne is nevertheless worth a detour. Indeed, this small town offers visitors a perfect blend of history, culture and natural beauty.
The city was founded by the Romans over 2 years ago and remnants of its ancient past can still be seen today. But in Narbonne, you can also see major historical monuments from medieval times, picturesque canals and beautiful beaches (Saint-Pierre, Narbonne Plage, Gruissan) less than 000 minutes from the city center.
THENarbonne Tourist Office offers a pretty barge ride that allows you to discover Narbonne other than on foot: See their website to book a 1-hour ride on the Canal de la Robine.
On the other hand, Narbonne is not limited to its architectural heritage. Indeed, Narbonne also has a gastronomic heritage that is interesting to discover. You can discover it by going to one of the many restaurants in the city to taste cassoulet, oysters, mussels and good wine. But you can also enjoy the lively atmosphere of markets such as the Halles de Narbonne.
How to visit Narbonne in 1 day?
To visit Narbonne in 1 day, the most practical and the most pleasant is to follow a tourist circuit on foot which allows you to discover all the most beautiful sites of the city.
Indeed, in Narbonne there is no tourist bus. As a result, so as not to miss any of the essential visits, the circuit that I propose to you below remains the best way to make a complete visit to Narbonne in 1 day.
In fact, by following my circuit, in 1 day, you can visit Narbonne on foot freely and at your own pace. You will follow the 14 main stages which allow you to make the essential visits or simply to take beautiful photos of the exterior (see details of the visits below).
The journey of the itinerary (see Google Maps below) is only 2,6 kilometers which is very pleasant to cover on foot in a day, taking breaks at each stage to visit the sites or have a drink at the coffee Terrace.
What to visit in Narbonne in 1 day?
If you spend a day in Narbonne, you can visit all the emblematic sites of the city on foot:
- The Halls of Narbonne
- St. Paul's Basilica
- House of the Three Nurses
- Our Lady of Graces
- Square of the Four Fountains
- Merchants Bridge
- Via Domitia (right next to the Archbishops' Palace)
- Archbishops Palace
- Cathedral of Saint-Just and Saint-Pasteur
- The Horreum
- San Sebastian Church and its cloister
- Garden of the Viscounts
Itinerary map to visit Narbonne on foot
Here is the map of the route to follow on foot to visit Narbonne:
Where to park to visit Narbonne on foot?
To make my tourist circuit, the best will be to park in the underground parking of the Halles de Narbonne. Indeed, it is the best located car park to do my circuit because it starts from this market. Here is its location Google Maps.
Program to visit Narbonne on foot
My tour begins in the heart of Narbonne, at the famous Les Halles market. Then you will discover the historical and religious heritage of the city through charming squares and alleys. Then, you will visit the major sites of the city such as the Saint-Just and Saint-Pasteur cathedral and the Palace of the Archbishops.
If you are interested in history, the route also passes through the Roman Horreum where you can walk through underground tunnels from Roman times.
And my program to visit Narbonne on foot will also take you to discover beautiful panoramas (bridge of merchants, Canal de la Robine, Jardin des Viscounts).
Circuit to visit Narbonne on foot
Here are all the detailed steps of my circuit to visit Narbonne on foot by following the map attached above:
The Halls of Narbonne
Before discovering the historical heritage of Narbonne, my circuit suggests that you take a tour of the Halles de Narbonne. It is a covered market that has existed since 1901 where you will find local products, wines and specialties of the region.
Narbonne in 1 day – Saint Paul's Basilica
From the halls of Narbonne, going towards the hospital, you will reach the Basilica of Saint Paul in 8 minutes. It is a former collegiate church classified as a historic monument, the particularity of which appeals to tourists is the frog in the stoup. See caption on newspaper article echo-languedoc.fr.
Narbonne in 1 day – The House of the Three Nurses
Before reaching Notre Dame de Grâces, which is 350 meters from Saint Paul's Basilica, you will pass in front of the House of the Three Nurses.
It is a house dating from 1558 which is located at the corner of rue Edgar Quinet and rue des 3 nurses. You will not be able to visit it but you will be able to admire its facade which is a model of the southern Renaissance architecture of Languedoc. It was so called because of the round-shaped caryatids that are found on one of the facades of the house.
Narbonne in 1 day – Our Lady of Graces
300 meters after the Maison des Trois Nourices, you will pass in front of the beautiful Notre-Dame de Grâces church which is also called the Chapelle des Pénitents Blancs. It is not open to visitors in summer but you can observe its 16th century Gothic architecture from the outside.
Place of the 4 fountains
A 3-minute walk from the Church of Our Lady of Graces, my circuit passes through the place of the 4 fountains. This square is located in the heart of the old town of Narbonne. You may be able to take a coffee break and then take the street of the bridge of the merchants which leads as its name suggests to the bridge.
Merchants Bridge
This bridge dates from Roman times. It crosses the Robine canal, a vestige of an old bed of the Aude (Atax).
After crossing the Merchants' Bridge, you will arrive at the Place de l'Hôtel de Ville. This is where the splendid Palace of the Archbishops of Narbonne is located.
Archbishops Palace
Here is the most beautiful square in Narbonne in the heart of the medieval historic centre: the Place de l'Hôtel de Ville with its Palace of the Archbishops which dates from the 12th century.
This palace now houses a museum which allows you to discover the former apartments of the archbishops and beautiful art collections (paintings, earthenware, furniture, collections of prehistoric archeology and medieval art).
With your museum entrance ticket, you can access the dungeon and climb to the top to enjoy a magnificent view of the old town of Narbonne.
On this town hall square, you can also discover part of the Via Domitia. It is a portion of the remains of the mythical ancient road that linked Italy to Spain in the 2nd century BC.
Visit Narbonne on foot – Horreum stage
Continuing my tour to visit Narbonne on foot, you can visit the Roman Horreum Museum. From the Place de l'Hôtel de Ville, take Rue Droite then Rue Armand Gauthier and turn left on Rue Rouget de Lisle.
It is an ancient underground Roman warehouse. It is now a museum that houses an incredible collection of Roman artefacts, including pottery, statues and mosaics.
Cathedral of Saint-Just and Saint-Pasteur
My circuit to visit Narbonne in 1 day takes you to discover by following an impressive Gothic masterpiece of the 13th century: the Cathedral of Saint-Just and Saint-Pasteur. After visiting the interior of the Cathedral, you can also discover the Jardin de l'Archevêché.
Admire its intricate carvings, magnificent organ and stained glass windows as you step inside this magnificent building.
If you like churches, not far from the Cathedral is the Saint-Sébastien Church and its cloister. Otherwise, you can continue towards a pretty park which will end my tourist circuit of Narbonne.
Visit Narbonne in 1 day, ending with the Garden of the Viscounts
This pretty garden is perfect to end my circuit to visit Narbonne on foot. Flowery, structured and calm, here is a video posted on youtube which will give you an overview of this lovely place.
Hotel for visiting Narbonne on foot
If you want to spend a night or more in Narbonne, here is the accommodation I recommend for visiting Narbonne on foot: l'Former Convent of the Carmelites.
Indeed, it is a historical monument renovated and moved into rooms and apartments. It is an unusual place from where you will have an extraordinary view of the old town of Narbonne (see the customer comments left on Booking.com).
400 meters from the Cathedral or the Jardin des Viscounts, the location of the former Convent of the Carmelites is ideal for visiting Narbonne on foot.