Pyrenees Guide

Situated in the heart of south-west France, It is one of the largest regions in the country, with a landscape of ancient towns, villages, castles, Romanesque churches and an inexhaustible history.

Its extensive agriculture makes it a region of farmers and peasants, producing a variety of crops. The gastronomic escellence of the Midi Pyrenees is unquestionable, whether you dine in a Relais-Château or in a local inn, you will taste wonderful foie gras, cassoulet, roquefort and drink local wines such as Fronton, Gaillac, Cahors and of course Armagnac. 

Foix - Foix is proud of its history. Gaston Phoebus was born here, a famous Occitan warrior, poet, and politician from the 14th century. He was also well-known for his hunting skills, so a good all-rounder who represented the different aspects of his region. He left a patriotic regional song, which is ...

The Ariege - The department of Ariege nestles in the Pyrenees, next to Andorra, its highest peaks visible from Toulouse. It is one of the least populated, most unspoiled regions of France. Far from the centres of power, Ariège has always served as a refuge: for prehistoric man who sheltered in the many ...

Pyrenees National Park - Created in 1967, the Pyrenees National Park is made up of two zones: The central zone (45705 hectars) is almost uninhabited and is subject to reinforced protection. It is in this area that the most spectacular landscapes are to be seen and t he peripheral area is a kind of pre-park on the edge of ...

The Pays de Sault - The Department of the Aude drives a wedge between Ariege to the west and Pyrenees Orientales to the east to claim its corner of the French Pyrenees mountain range at the beautifully scenic Pays de Sault. Situated between the foothills of Ventoux, the Vaucluse Mountains and the Lure Mountain, the ...

Vallee d'Aure - The Aure valley is made up of a vast plain, where most of the inhabitants live, and a fifteen-kilometre long corridor. In the past, the valley's wealth came from the textile industry and its lead sulphide mines, but now tourism is its key to success. A stone's throw from the Pyrenean National Park, ...

Lourdes and Around - Between 11th February and 16th July 1858, the Virgin Mary, appeared at the Grotto of Massabielle on 18 occasions to Bernadette Soubirous, a young girl of 14 years from a family of bankrupt millers. The words and actions that the Virgin exchanged with Bernadette form the Message of Lourdes: a call ...

Tarbes - Tarbes is a French town and commune, in the département of Hautes-Pyrénées, of which it is the préfecture. It is part of the historical region of Gascony. It is the second largest metropolitan area of Midi-Pyrénées, with 110,000 inhabitants. It is the seat ...

Baronnies - The Baronnies (Les Baronnies in French) is a historic name for the area East and North of Mont Ventoux in Southern France. Today most of the Baronnies is part of the département Drôme (a part of the région Rhône-Alpes). Smaller areas in the East and South belong to the ...

Mas d'Azil & Labouiche - The paleolithic cave site of Mas d'Azil (20 kilometers west of Foix) was excavated by Edouard Piette in the 19th century. Mas d'Azil was one of the first prehistoric caves to yield evidence of human habitation. Occupations at the site range in date from 17,800 to 6500 years BC. The underground ...

Garonne - The river Garonne, called nowadays "Canal de Garonne", is the result of the building of the "Canal du Midi" (17th century) and "Canal Lateral" (19th century). This junction allowed the creation of an important commercial waterway, which had been expected for quite a ...

Saint Girons & Saint Lizier - Saint Lizier is an ancient roman town rich in art and history and which is officially classed among the most beautiful villages of France. Situated at the foot of the Pyrenees in the department of Ariege, the city is a magnificient belvedere with a view of the mountains of the Couserans ...