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Midi Pyrenees travel guide
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The Pyrenees are found along the border between France and Spain, and the midi-Pyrenees region covers the middle, more mountainous, section of the region. The Midi-Pyrenees region also spreads north into areas that are remote from the Pyrenees mountains - e.g. the Lot Department, to the east of the Dordogne, is officially in the Midi-Pyrenees, and the Midi-Pyrenees encompasses the historical region of Gascony.
It is unlikely that you would cover the whole region in one holiday - typically visitors either come for the mountains of the south, the beautiful countryside and history of the north, or the calm attractions of the Gers region in the centre of the region.
The capital of the Midi-Pyrenees region is Toulouse, the attractive red-brick city to the north of the region.
Places to visit in the Midi-Pyrenees
The north
The north of the region includes the Lot and Aveyron departments, and some fine scenery.
The part of the northern Midi-Pyrenees that falls in the Massif Central (including Conques, Belcastel, Estaing, St Eulalie d'Olt and Saint-Come d'Olt, Najac and Sauveterre-de-Rouergue) can be seen in a separate section: Massif Central
The highlights of this northern part include Rocamadour and the Gouffre de Padirac, and the Lot valley including St Cirq Lapopie and Cahors.
Moissac, with its very famous cloisters, and Auvillar, another 'most beautiful village' are in this part of the Midi-Pyrenees region, as are Montauban, an attractive bastide town in the Tarn et Garonne department.
Further highlights include Cordes (now officially renamed as Cordes-sur-Ciel), another very popular, well-preserved medieval town in this part of the Midi-Pyrenees, also Autoire and Carennac.
Also highly recommended are Loubressac and the very popular, very attractive, village of St Cirq Lapopie (east of Cahors).
- Figeac in the Lot department is also a quaint and interesting small town to visit
Pont de Valentre at Cahors (photo
copyright)
The centre
In the centre of the Midi-Pyrenees region lies the Gers department, and also the departments Tarn and Tarn et Garonne. The region is largely recognised by its unspoiled rolling countryside and ancient bastide towns.
Visit the cluster of classified most beautiful villages - Montreal-du-Gers, Fources and Larressingle (the baby version of Carcassonne) and a couple of the other towns in the region - Condom (yes the sign at the entry to the village has been photographed before...), Auch and Fleurance perhaps, as good examples of typical towns of the Gers region.
Lectoure is also in Gers in the central Midi-Pyrenees
Two more beautiful villages to visit in the Tarn-et-Garonne are those at Bruniquel (east of Montauban) and Lauzerte (north of Moissac).
The group of towns to the east of Toulouse, in the Tarn region, includes Gaillac, a typical red-brick town of the Tarn region, and also Albi and Castres, with Mirepoix a little further south.
Walled village of Larressingle, Gers
Into the Pyrenees
The southern part of the region includes the Ariège, Haute-Garonne and Hautes-Pyrénées departments.
Two bastide towns deserving a mention in the Haute-Garonne department south-west of Toulouse are Carbonne and Cazeres. Heading across to Ariège try to see the towns and castles at Foix and Montségur.
Toulouse flowers (picture thanks to Jamie Henderson)
The southern part of the region is in the mountains, it can be wild and dramatic, and is often very beautiful, with mountain passes, crashing rivers, and dramatic cliffs.
St Bertrand de Comminges is a classified most beautiful village in the Haute-Garonne department, and La Couvertoirade is north of Lodève in the Aveyron department.
One place of 'remarkable interest' is Lourdes, famous site of miraculous healing powers.
You will perhaps want to visit the Pyrenees National Park, and perhaps even venture to Mont Perdu in the deep Pyrenees on the Spanish border, a listed world heritage site. A little more accessible is the mountain and spa town at Bagneres-de-Luchon.
The Cirque de Gavarnie, an imposing cliff face south of Luz and Argeles, is a good place for hikers to start exploring the region. Skiing in winter, and walking and cycling in summer, make the Pyrenees very much an outdoors destination.
Note: Most beautiful villages in the Midi-Pyrenees not (yet) covered in this guide:
CAMON - 10 km SE of Mirepoix
SAINT-LIZIER - 2 km N of St Girons
BROUSSE-LE-CHATEAU - 10 km N of St Sernin-sur-Rance
SARRANT - 40 km NW of Toulouse
CARDAILLAC - 8 km N of Figeac
LACAPELLE-MARIVAL - 15 km NW of Figeac
CASTELNAU-DE-MONTMIRAL - 25 km W of Albi
LAUTREC - 15 km NW of Castres
PUYCELSI-GRESIGNE - 30 km E of Montauban
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