Stretching along France’s southwestern coastline from Provence to the Pyrenees, Languedoc feels like a country in its own right. Sultry and sun-baked, it’s been a strategic border since Roman times, and the area is littered with historical reminders, from Roman aqueducts to hilltop Cathar castles. These days it’s best known for its vineyards, which produce a third of all French wine, and its busy beaches, which sprawl all along its Mediterranean coast.