Axat trip planner

Axat is a commune in the Aude department in the Occitanie region of southern France.The inhabitants of the commune are known as Axatois or Axatoises.GeographyAxat is located in Cathar country at the doors of the Aude Pyrenees some 45 km west by north-west of Perpignan and 10 km south-east of Quillan. Access to the commune is by the D117 road from Belvianes-et-Cavirac in the north which passes east through the top of the commune and continues to Caudiès-de-Fenouillèdes. Access to the village is by the D118 which branches from the D117 in the north of the commune and goes south to the village then continues south through the length of the commune before turning west to follow a mountain ridge to Puyvalador. The commune is alpine in nature with extensive forests and rugged terrain. The village is in a valley in the north of the commune.Axat is a pretty tourist town situated in the high valley of the Aude. Surrounded by mountains and gorges, the narrowest Gorge of Saint Georges is only 3 km away. The River Aude is in a picturesque setting and is a popular whitewater sports location. There are 300 metres of fly fishing stretches where the quality of oxygen in the water attracts salmon and trout.A 100-year-old railway: the Carcassonne to Rivesaltes tourist railway (Train du pays Cathare et du Fenouillèdes) passes through the commune between Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet and Quillan with a station just west of the village. It links Axat to Rivesaltes with 60 km of track running over impressive viaducts and through tunnels on open air carriages.