• INCENTIVES IN THE COUNTRY OF THE CATHARES
• MEETING POINT POLAND

INCENTIVES IN THE COUNTRY OF THE CATHARES

By Peter van Oyen

A lively history, a Mediterranean rhythm and an extremely varied and surprising green scenery: these are the assets of the French départements of Aude and Haute Garonne. This region in the Haute-Languedoc, with the Mediterranean Sea and the Pyrenees nearby, offers a wealth of opportunities when it comes to culture, sports and gastronomy. This is why the former Land of the Cathares is very well suited as an incentive destination. And yet, the incentive houses are not yet aware of this. Back to basics, a young company of Sabine Jacobs and Bart Verheyleweghen, two Flemish expats, wants to change this.

Already for some years now, the country of the Cathares can easily be reached from Belgium. From the airport of Charleroi (www.charleroi-airport.com) a Ryanair plane (www.ryanair.com) flies you to Carcassonne, and only a few hours later you are in a different world.

CARCASSONNE REVIVES THE MIDDLE AGES
The medieval centre of Carcassonne (www.carcassonne.org) has been proclaimed by UNESCO as World Heritage. And rightly so, because when you approach it and you see this walled city rise from the ground, history comes alive all by itself. A walk in the historic centre is impressive, particularly between the double system of ramparts that surrounds the city. The citadel, dominating a steep bank of the river Aude, is in turn dominated by the Château Comtal. This fortress within a fortress has a moat, five towers and wooden battlements on its ramparts. Also the monumental St Nazaire basilica is certainly worth a visit. At the main gate, the ‘Porte Narbonnaise’ (complete with moat, drawbridge and portcullis) is located near the Tourism Information Office. Late in the evening, when the day tourists have gone, the city is at its best: footsteps make faint noises in the small streets and the age-old stones are nicely illuminated. It goes without saying that the city is dream destination for incentive groups. There is an abundance of possibilities for adventurous treasure hunts in the city, which will undoubtedly sharpen the team spirit.
Between the basilica and the Count’s Castle, the Hôtel de la Cité is a member of the prestigious Orient Express chain of hotels. In summer the groups can make use of the garden, looking out onto the ancient city walls and the Count’s Castle. The hotel has a gastronomic restaurant, La Barbacane (1 Michelin star), as well as a brasserie, Chez Saskia. Small groups can also dine in the wine cellar, which is considered to be one of France’s best. The 61 rooms and suites, as well as the public spaces like the bar and the hall are elegantly appointed, and they transport you to the times of knights and ladies. This fantastic setting offers meeting facilities for up to 120 persons. (www.hoteldelacite.com).
Another hotel within the city that is suitable for groups, is the Best Western Le Donjon, offering 63 rooms. Here, the meeting capacity is up to 100 persons. (www.bestwestern-donjon.com).


TASTING CABARDES WINES AT A CHATEAU
Once you get outside of Carcassonne’s walls, you feel a bit unsafe. Taking the Pont Vieux across the river Aude you reach a long plain that has been connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean for ages. Once outside the walled city you realise the strategic minds of the stronghold’s builders. Indeed, Carcassone is situated in a kind of tunnel, formed by the Pyrenees and the Corbières on one side and the Montagne Noir on the other. Entering the city from Toulouse, you discover rows and rows of intensely manicured vineyards. Only at 7 km from Carcassonne, the Château de Pennautier is the most famous winery of the appellation of Cabardès (www.chateaudepennautier.com). The castle was designed by the same architect who also built the palace of the Sun King, and it is therefore also called the ‘small Versailles of the south’. It has been owned for over 400 years by the counts of Lorgeril-Pennautier. The castle is also famous for its wines. Back to Basics offers the opportunity to groups to visit the castle and taste the Cabardès wines. The castle gardens are also suitable for banquets.


WITH TWO-HORSEPOWER CITROEN THROUGH THE COUNTRY OF THE CATHARES
To the north of Carcassonne the road starts to wind more and more. When you arrive at the Montagne Noir (Black Mountain), you are in an Ardennes-like area with a lot of scenic beauty. Back to Basics makes your group discover this region in an undoubtedly original way: in two-horsepower Citroens. An unmistakable must is a visit of the ‘Gouffre géant de Cabrespine’ (Giant Cabesprine Chasm – www.grottes-de-france.com). The main cave is as high as the Eiffel tower in Paris! Apart from its immense volume the Gouffre has a worldwide reputation for its beauty and its crystallisations. Here, Back to Basics regularly organises violin concertos, which enhance the impressive acoustics even more.
The hilly, scarcely populated and wooded area was for a long time the last resort of the Cathares who had been chased from Carcassonne and Toulouse by the papal and royal armies. The Montagne Noir and the rest of the Cathares region are dotted with remainders of fortresses where the members of this sect were trying to oppose the official forces –without success. Centring on these picturesque ruins some quaint little small towns and villages emerged. Saissac (with romantic ruins), Montolieu (village of books with castle) and Mirepoix (with nice medieval market square) are only three examples of places that can be discovered with the two-horsepower Citroen. (Information: www.audetourisme.com).

TOULOUSE THROUGH PINK GLASSES
Toulouse, Haute Garonne’s capital, is often called ‘la ville rose’ (the pink town). This refers to the large number of houses, churches and other monuments that over the years have been erected using bricks. The city’s heart is the imposing ‘Place du Capitole. You just cannot ignore the 128-metre long Capitolium with its eight columns made of pink marble. Behind the 18th-century gable Toulouse’s entire history is hidden. The ‘Salle des Illustres’ (Hall of Fame) boasts a number of magnificent frescoes.
The Grand Hotel de l’Opéra (www.grand-hoteliopera.com) looks out onto the Place du Capitole. This is a transformed old monastery. You can still notice the vaults in the Salon Capitouls, a meeting room that can hold up to 80 people. The hotel revives the ‘belle epoque’ period and has rooms that all breathe their own atmosphere, which makes them very popular for incentive groups. The city centre can best be explored on foot. St Sermin’s basilica is extremely beautiful. It is one of the best renowned Romanesque buildings in Europe.
The monastery and church of the Jacobins, with the tomb of St Thomas of Aquinas, are a haven of peace (information on the inner city: www.mairie-toulouse.fr or www.ot-toulouse.fr).
Toulouse is also a town where you can enjoy local gastronomy. Just think of the foie gras, duck breast, cassoulet (a one-pan dish), wines such as Gaillac or Frontonnais, violet sweets or ‘brique de Toulouse’ sweets.
Back to Basics can organise visits to the (covered) markets so that groups can discover and sample these heavenly foods.


AIRBUS AND ARIANE
Toulouse is a bustling city that looks to the future. Or better, that looks up, because this is where the Airbus planes and Ariane rockets are being built. So, a visit to Toulouse is not complete without having had a look at the Airbus state-of-the-art technology. Back to Basics regularly organises guided visits of the vast Airbus complex. In the Clément Ader factory groups can witness how Airbus aircraft are being constructed. At present a lot of attention is devoted to the A380, the biggest plane ever (www.airbus.com).

Bart Verheyleweghen & Sabine Jacobs
BACK to BASICS
Incentives - Seminars South France
Route d'Alzonne
F-11170 Montolieu
Tel. & fax: +33-468 24 84 25
backtobasics@wanadoo.fr

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MEETING POINT POLAND

By Theo Verbraeken

Poland, one of the newest members of the EU, is getting more active and excited on all levels, and that is also the case for their travel industry, particularly the MICE portion of it, where they would like to become a major player on the Incentive and Meetings scene in Europe.

So last month a selection of Belgian top incentive organizers was invited to get acquainted or renew their acquaintance with the Polish MICE potential during a fam trip that was organized jointly by EUROMIC, LOT Polish Airlines, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, and logistically put together by Mazurkas Travel, one of the leading DMC’s in the country (and also the Polish member of EUROMIC).
The visit combined Warsaw with Krakow, definitely the two major attraction poles in the country, and the first impression you get when visiting Warsaw and listening to all the stories and evaluating the history of this country, is one of admiration for the Polish people and their persistance!
If you think of the way they have meticulously restored their city and all its treasures after its almost total destruction in 1944, how everything has been recreated exactly the way it was: the palaces, the churches, the market square, etc..... Awesome is the only suitable word!

And now, with the EU membership firmly in place, you can feel that they really want to play with the big guys, also where MICE is concerned, and are trying to get ready to host incentives, meetings, conferences, etc... in a professional way.

So here is a short impression of wat I felt during our short visit:

GETTING THERE:
LOT Polish airlines has an extensive network that connects all major European cities with several flights a day to Warsaw, from where convenient domestic connections are available to Cracow and the other major Polish cities.
For more information and to consult their timetable: www.lot.com

HOTELS:
Almost all major hotel chains are now present: Hyatt, Marriott, Radisson SAS, Sofitel and Intercontinental will inspire confidence with their well known worldwide standard, while still some good oldfashioned style local hotels like Gromada or Europejski might attract some meeting planners, especially those that need ample meeting space.
The major player in the hotel market however, is definitely Starwood Hotels and Resorts, especially after their acquisition of Le Meridien, so now MICE organizers have the choice between The Sheraton Warsaw Hotel & Towers, The Westin Warsaw and Le Royal Meridien Bristol in Warsaw, and also in Cracow, the Sheraton Cracow is top of the bill. www.starwoodhotels.com

MEETING SPACE IN WARSAW:
Brussels should be ashamed!
That was my impression after having seen what Warsaw has to offer in that respect!
Some of the hotels have capacity of upto 3.000 people for a sit-down dinner, but the main asset Warsaw has for future conferences is definitely the "Patac Kultyry i Nauki" (Palace of Culture and Science).
Being the highest building in Poland and housing a number of important  companies, theaters, cinemas etc... the conference space available is quite impressive.
An unlimited number of meeting rooms for 15 to 500 people, and with the absolutely unique Congress Hall seating 2.800 participants in "grandeur". The stage is there, the technical equipment is there, and the price to pay is relatively inexpensive! (see www.pkin.pl).
And then there is the "Royal Palace" with all its impressive history! Being completely destroyed during the war it was meticulously rebuilt between the 70' and 80' into its pre-39 state.
You should see it to believe what the Polish people have achieved here!
It is an absolute "must" for a gala-dinner or other event held during a conference or an incentive.
The only problem for certain events would be that it is not allowed to have orchestras or to dance! We wonder why?

THINGS TO DO AND SIGHTS TO SEE:

Destination Warsaw:
Absolutely one of the future players for the Meetings and Conference industry in the years to come! With that potential and easy access it can not go wrong !
The impression from experienced incentive organizers can be condensed as follows: Krakow for incentives, Warsaw for meetings. There lies the future !
For more information on Warsaw: www.warsawtour.pl

Destination Cracow:
A city wrapped in legend, where time flows differently, and where every moment becomes a moment of history. For centuries Cracow was the capital of Poland, the seat of kings, drawing great scholars and artists from the whole world. It is their talents and imagination we must thank for the city's rich legacy of unique historical relics, which reflect the most important trends in European culture.
The renaissance Royal Castle at Wawel, the gothic St Mary's Basilica, the historical trade pavilions of the Cloth Hall, the former separate Jewish city of Kazimierz, and even the Nowa Huta district, absorbed by Krakow together with its socialist-realist, industrial architecture, are all places which make a visit to Krakow extremely worthwhile.
Although the city no longer plays such an important administrative role, for many people, thanks to its rich history, Cracow nevertheless represents a synthesis of all things Polish, connecting tradition with modernity. In the special atmosphere of the beautiful and mysterious streets of the Old Town and Kazimierz (the old Jewish quarter) you will find everything you need to allow you to escape from everyday life. Galleries full of exhibitions, cafes, pubs and restaurants: all of this is an integral part of any visit to Cracow. And all this is merely a modest part of what we can offer travellers seeking exciting destinations on the world map.

SOME OF THE “MUSTS” IN CRACOW:

The Hill of Fame

The Wawel Castle in Cracow

Wawel Hill in Cracow, the mecca of every Pole and a must for foreign tourists, is a microcosm of Polish history and culture. From the 11th century on Poland's monarchs took up their residence here in the Royal Castle. And they were both crowned and buried here, in the Wawel Cathedral where later on Polish national heroes have also been laid to rest since the 19th century. The place not only overflows with priceless art treasures, architectural beauties, relics of the past and curiosities. It is also full of glory, magic, history and fable.

Wieliczka Salt Mine

Artists did a great job everywhere in the salt mines

One traveled Frenchman observed in the 18th century that Cracow's Wieliczka salt mine was no less magnificent than the Egyptian pyramids. Millions of visitors, the crowned heads and such celebrities as Goethe and Sarah Bemhardt among them, have appeared to share his enthusiasm when exploring the subterranean world of labyrinthine passages, giant caverns, underground lakes and chapels with sculptures in the crystalline salt and rich ornamentation carved in the salt rock. They have also marveled at the ingenuity of the ancient mining equipment in the Wieliczka salt mine. And the unique acoustics of the place have made hearing music here an exceptional experience.
The Wieliczka Salt Mine, nowadays practically on the outskirts of Cracow, has been worked for 900 years. It used to be one of the world's biggest and most profitable industrial establishments when common salt was commercially a medieval equivalent of today's oil. Always a magnet, since the mid-18th century Krakow's Wieliczka salt mine has become increasingly a tourist attraction in the first place. Today visitors walk underground for about 2,000 m in the oldest part of the salt mine and see its subterranean museum, which takes three hours or so.
UNESCO has entered the Wieliczka Salt Mine in its World Heritage Register by the way. 

KL Auschwitz death camp in Oswleclm

The notorious “end of the line” for many people

The site of the Nazi notorious Auschwitz death camp is an hour’s drive from Cracow. Between June 1941 and January 1945 about one million men, women and children perished in the three Auschwitz concentration camps – i.e. Auschwitz proper, Birkenau and Monowitz – and their more than forty sub-camps.
Every year some 500,000 visitors come to Oswiecim, an industrial town of 45,000, to see the Auschwitz. Half of them are Poles, and the rest mostly from the USA, Germany, the UK, France, Italy, and Israel. Over 25 million people have already visited the place.
Whether this visit should be included in an incentive trip or not, is up to the client and/or the organizer to decide.

The conclusion after this trip should be that Warsaw is a perfect conference and meeting destination, while Cracow is definitely worth an incentive trip.
But whatever you do, conference of incentive, do not forget to include Chopin’s music in one of your venues!!
With our thanks to:

1. Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Mrs Guenola Greck
2. EUROMIC, Mr Christophe Verstraete
3. LOT Polish Airlines, Mrs Marianne Evans
4. And the whole team of Mazurkas travel Poland (www.mazurkas.com.pl)