But Rennes-le-Chateau is much older. And holds much more secrets than Berenger Sauniere’s source of money. It is a Holy Place, in the middle of a Holy Region. There are many stories about secrets, treasures, and mysteries in this area. It is a magic place. Where once stood a temple of Lemuria, where once was a settlement of Atlantis, where the Jews might have built a Temple of Salomon under the Pech Cardou to house the Arc of the Covenant. A place with holy mountains like the female Pech Cardou and the male Mountain Pech Bugarach. Often compared to the temple mount in Jerusalem and Mount Sinai in the desert. It has been called “the new Jerusalem.

Mary Magdalene was here. She preached here and baptised people. She and Jesus might have been buried here. The place is abundant with treasures. From the Visigoths who sacked Rome in 410 AD and took all the treasures the Romans had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem in 70AD. Treasures of the Merovingians, of Blanche of Castille as ransom money for her son Louis the Sacred, treasures of the Knights Templar and the Cathars. Valuable parchments. A secret last will, secret, incriminating documents for the Church, the Book of Love written by Jesus himself, forbidden Gospels, etc.

There are stories of underground civilisations and a UFO base under the Pech Bugarach. UFO’s are often sighted in the area and some people have even moved to the village of Bugarach hoping to get a lift on one of these UFO’s when the World goes down in December 2012. The area is full of stories of secret societies holding incredible secrets. And the area is full of the most extraordinary sacred geometry, reflecting also the major Star constellations in the Universe.

No wonder this place and in fact the whole area have become the source for bestsellers as “The Accursed Treasure” by Gerard de Sede, “The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail” by Baigent, Lee and Lincoln and “The Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown. And many, many other books, including three of mine.

We have had in the past twelve years, thousands of visitors to our domain Les Labadous, ideally situated in the valley south of Rennes-le-Chateau. With a beautiful view on the magic village and within walking distance.  We had tourists, treasure hunters, adventures, researchers, writers, camera teams and many spiritual groups. They all asked for information about the region. About Rennes-le-Chateau, Rennes-le-Bains and Alet-les-Bains. About the secrets, treasures and mysteries. About the Knights Templar. About the Cathars with their beautiful Cathar castles and initiation caves, About place where Mary Magdalene is venerated, about special churches, abbeys, Black Virgins and much more. And of course on how to get there, good restaurants and all the other information people need when staying and travelling in the magic region.

There are hundreds of books written about Rennes-le-Chateau, but most of them are on specific topics. But there are no books where everything is put together. The history, the stories, the treasures, the church, Berenger Sauniere, Mary Magdalene, The Cathars, everything. That is what I have done. My books are both travel books and spiritual guides. With lots of interesting theories, good maps and hundreds of pictures. Not only about Rennes-le-Chateau but also, the second book, on the whole Pays Cathar. And a third book about the most interesting topics related to Rennes-le-Chateau. The books are however written in Dutch, my native language. I am still waiting for a publisher to translate them in English and to publish them.

Book I is about the history of Rennes-le-Chateau. And the life of the village priest Berenger Sauniere and his maid/lover Marie Denarnaud. It is about his church and the 96 anomalies to be found in that magic place. It is about walking in the area immediately surrounding Rennes-le-Chateau, for example to the cave of Mary Magdalene     and it is about the places within 10 miles of Rennes-le-Chateau, like Rennes-les-Bains, Arques, Alet-les-Bains, the Pech Cardou and the Pech Bugarach and the Chateau Templiers.

Book II covers the sacred area around Rennes-le-Chateau and all the things to be seen in the Pays Cathar. Which roughly covers an area from Narbonne to Toulouse in the north, then from Toulouse to Pamiers, Foix and Andorra in the west, the Pyrenees in the south and the Mediterranean Sea in the East. With some wonderful ideas for walking and daytrips to the most interesting place in all the eight points of the compass. Concluding with some special chapters of the secrets, treasures and mysteries of these places.

Book III covers the seven major topics related to the secrets, mysteries, and treasures of Rennes-le-Chateau. You will find here the most important facts and theories about the Cathars, the Knights Templar, Mary Magdalene, The Arc of the Covenant, The Holy Grail, The Priory of Sion and Sacred Geometry. All with many pictures and good maps indicating where to find what.