Summertime in Sète means water jousting season. Once you've witnessed competitors duel from the stern of a boat, this canal-woven former fishing port becomes your launchpad to the Languedoc, the pretty pocket of southern France known for its rosé as much as its river valleys, mountain villages and Roman ruins. Creep behind the honey-stone ramparts of the medieval Cité de Carcassonne; stroll beneath the mighty UNESCO Pont du Gard, the world’s highest Roman aqueduct; the buzz in the creative energy of art galleries; and stroll the stalls at the Halles market that teams with fish, oysters, and dishes with Catalan, Italian and Spanish influences.