After our excellent adventures in Carcassonne chez Patricia and Andre, we were advised to stop by the quaint medieval village of Mirepoix, in the heart of the Cathare region, on our way to Sarlat just a few weeks ago, so off we went. I’d wondered if Mirepoix was where the famous mirepoix culinary method of combining carrots, celery and onions and using them in French cooking was discovered. Nope. It wasn’t.

With its 13th century oak arcades framed around the marketplace lined with shops and cozy cafes and bakeries, Mirepoix is worth a quick looksee. This is one of the last remaining examples of an arcaded village in France.

Actually, Mirepoix is a bastide built around the main square and the houses date from the 13th to the 15th centuries.

One of the most visited attractions in Mirepois is the Maison des Consuls, which showcases arcaded rafters that are carved with hundreds of unique portrayals of gargoyles, monsters, animals and caricatures of medieval social groups and professions, as well as ethnic groups from all over the world.

Mirepoix is host to an annual puppet and doll festival that takes place on the 2nd week of August (for information, telephone 05 61 68 20 72).