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WHY BUY IN
MIDI-PYRENEES?
This vast and extremely diverse region offers 8 departments which
resemble other more famous corners of France in every respect apart
from one – property prices!
Put simply your money goes further here: if you’re priced out of the
Alps, consider the mountains and ski resorts of the Midi-Pyrénées,
if your heart was set on the Dordogne take a look at the Lot, and if
Provence was your first love you will find an equally beautiful but
less expensive amour in the Tarn or Aveyron.
The great outdoors is the chief attraction. Whether relocating or
buying to let, the Pyrénées offer all-year-round activities
from skiing in winter to spectacular backdrops for walking, cycling,
climbing and fishing whenever the mood takes. The Tarn and
the Lot are famous for kayaking while golfers have three courses
around Toulouse and others at Albi and Rodez. You are
also much closer to beaches of the Mediterranean or the surfing of
the Atlantic than those who buy in the Alps.
Add to this mix beautiful fortified towns, breathtaking valleys,
sacred Lourdes, the famous pilgrimage route to Santiago de
Compestella and the elegance of cosmopolitan Toulouse and you have
some idea of the region’s as yet unrealised potential.
MIDI-PYRENEES DEPARTEMENTS: Ariège, Aveyron, Haute-Garonne,
Gers (historically Gascony), Lot (historically Quercy),
Hautes-Pyrénées, Tarn, Tarn-et-Garonne
MAJOR TOWNS IN MIDI-PYRENEES: Toulouse, Foix, Auch, Tarbes,
Montauban, Cahors, Rodez
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WHAT TO SEE IN MIDI-PYRENEES
(a brief tour by département)
Lot
Rocamadour is a breathtaking vision of medieval
houses, towers and battlements seemingly climbing up a steep rock
face to the château overlooking the Alzou valley below. The
site has been a centre of pilgrimage since St. Amadour’s body was
found in the cliffs in 1166, pilgrims can pause at 14 stations
marking Jesus’s journey to the cross as they climb to the château.
Less devout visitors can take the funicular to the top.
Rocamadour Town is pedestrianised and its streets are lined
with souvenir shops and all manner of temptations for the bon
viveurs among the throngs of summer visitors.
The Gouffre de Padirac is an underground cave complex on a massive
scale, the chamber known as the Salle du Grand Dôme would
accommodate the tallest of cathedrals. Part of the trip is by
gondola and you should allow one and a half hours for the trip. Top
Tip: this far undergound it is always cold, even on the hottest
summer day – bring your pullover! To find it take the D90, 15 km
north east of Rocamadour.
Tarn et Garonne
Auvillar is a lovely hilltop village overlooking the Garonne
on the famous pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compestella in
Northern Spain. The fortifications that protected the village still
exist and you can only enter by one of three ancient doorways. The
galleried triangular ‘square’ in the centre is surrounded by grand
17th and 18th century residences and in its heart is the famous
circular grain market – still the centrepiece of Sunday morning’s
farmers’market. Look out for the measuring holes for different
commodities in the brickwork.
Nestling among the vineyards of golden Chasselas grapes which were
once taken as a cure, Moissac is another charming village on the
pilgrim’s route. It is famous for the abbaye Saint-Pierre with its
Romanesque tympanum depicting the Apocalypse over the southern
doorway, the fifty carved capitals providing an ‘Open Bible’ to
instruct worshippers and the cloister whose dedication stone can
still be read - AD1100. Contemporary sculpture puts in an appearance
in the stylised figures ‘seated’ on the public benches twixt
cloister and abbey.
The Gorges de l’Aveyron provide dramatic scenery and lots of
delightful riverside villages to visit, don’t miss St. Antonin-Noble-Val
(where much of Charlotte Gray was filmed) or Bruniquel ‘one of the
most beautiful villages of France’ with a maze of narrow streets
leadinng to the Medieval château which overlooks the Aveyron river
below. Najac has a fine château, fine views and even finer
restaurants.
Aveyron
Designed to make you feel like you’re driving in the clouds, the
Viaduc de Millau is the world’s highest road bridge and spans the
valley of the River Tarn near Millau. Designed by British architect
Norman Foster, at 343 metres it is higher than the Eiffel Tower and
carries the four lanes of the A75 autoroute. One of the wonders of
the modern world and a breathtaking drive! The perfect introduction
to this up and coming département.
Tarn
When you have explored Albi’s gargantuan Cathédrale Ste-Cécile and
Musée Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (Albi’s most famous son), head for
Cordes. This lovely hilltop village – full name Cordes-sur-Ciel –
lives up to its name as a village ‘in the sky’. Albert Camus wrote
‘Everything is beautiful there, even regret.’ The Jardin du Paradis
transports modern-day visitors to similar raptures.
Haute Garonne
Known as La Ville Rose because of the pink hues of its brickwork,
Toulouse is an enchanting city. It is more than just the capital of
the region – it is a vibrant capital of art, architecture,
gastronomy and shopping. Toulouse is a great city-break destination,
best explored on foot. Focus on the Old Town around the huge 18th
century Hôtel de Ville, place St-Georges and rue Alsace-Lorraine for
that perfect mix of grand palaces, shops, bars and cafés. Don’t miss
the fleamarket held on Sundays in Place St-Sernin or Les Abattoirs –
a modern and contemporary art centre which includes Picasso’s ‘La
Dépouille du Minotaure en costume d'Arlequin’ (1936).
As the centre of France’s high-tech aerospace industry, ancient
Toulouse is also graced with a cutting edge “space park” for
visitors to explore the final frontier. Cité de l’Espace includes a
planetarium, the Terradome film experience, a life-size Ariane
rocket and many interactive exhibits.
Ariège
The fortifiied walls of all the region’s ‘bastide towns’ enclose a
grid of medieval houses and a central market square which was the
hub of town-life. Mirefoix’s square is one of the lovliest in France
with 13th-15th century half-timbered houses seemingly perched on
stilts above the supporting arcades. Relive the market square’s
hey-day amidst the bustle of Monday and Thursday’s market.
Hautes Pyrenées
The 100 km (62 miles) long Parc National des Pyrénées runs along the
French and Spanish border. Here 350 km (217 miles) of well-marked
footpaths and B&B huts enable visitors to explore the spectacular
scenery of snow-capped mountains, deep lakes and lush valleys.
Sightings of local wildlife such as ibex and vultures will be an
unforgettable experience – encountering a Pyrenean Bear on a narrow
mountain ledge will be more memorable still.
* Tips for
walkers: for maps and information on huts offering meals and beds
for the night, contact the Park Office at Cauterets (05 62 92 52 56)
or at Luz-St-Sauveur (05 62 92 38 38) both open all year round. For
those seeking an even bigger challenge, the national park is
traversed by the GR10 long-distance trail which links the Atlantic
with the Mediterranean and which is one of the great walks of
France.
Whether you’re climbing, skiing or walking, Cauterets is an
excellent base for exploring the rugged mountains of the Bigorre
region. From Gavarnie on the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage route
take the track to the Cirque de Gavarnie where the highest waterfall
in Europe is encircled by eleven 3,000 m peaks. The Brèche de
Roland, a breach in these seemingly impenetrable peaks, forms a
spectacular geological gateway from France to Spain. For unrivalled
views – this time of the universe – take the cable car from La
Mongie to Le Taoulet and marvel at heavens from the Observatoire Pic
du Midi de Bigorre.
Lourdes: Four million visitors a year follow in the footsteps
of 14 year old Bernadetter Soubirous who in 1858 wandered into the
Grotte Massabielle. Here she experienced 18 visions of the Virgin
Mary and was led to a spring with miraculous healing powers.
Subsequent miracles – endorsed by the church – are attributed to the
powers of the holy water. Believer or non-believer, you will be
enthralled by the nearby Grottes de Bétharram as you explore the
vast caverns by underground boat and train.
Gers
Epicureans can taste the difference between Armagnac and Cognac at
Comdom’s Musée de l’Armagnac. If you are still in possession of your
faculites, head for nearby Larressingle. This remarkably preserved
fortified village is one of the last remaining Gascon villages with
its walls – and seemingly everything else - still intact. The
experience is more than the usual tour of ramparts, donjon and
gateways – the fortifications seem to have held back time itself and
you half expect to run into D’Artagnan as you explore its nooks and
crannies.
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FOOD AND DRINK IN MIDI PYRENEES
Every region of France claims to be a gastronomic capital – and
Midi-Pyrénées, with its cornucopia of goodies, puts forward a strong
case for inclusion in the feasting firmament. Foie gras (goose-liver
pâté) is a speciality in Gers and Lot, the former also home to the
tenderest of lamb. Cassoulet de Toulouse is a stew of white beans,
kidney beans and confit of duck sausage cooked in life-prolonging,
Nigella Lawson endorsed, goose fat. Jambon (ham) from Najac and
Naucelle, saucisses (the word sausage doesn’t do them justice)
Laucanes and Roquefort cheese are all products of the ‘terroire’.
There are more than 15 AOC (Apellation d’origine controlée) wines in
Midi-Pyrénées including the robust Cahors, Madiran, Gaillac and
Fronton; also try the local vins de Pays des Côtes de Gascognes. The
vineyards producing the region’s world famous eau-de-vie, Armagnac,
straddle the border between the Gers and the Lot-et-Garonne
départements. Armagnac’s single distillation produces a more complex
and fragrant brandy than the better known Cognac – taste the
difference for yourself wherever you see a battered Vente Directe
sign outside a local farm or at Condom’s Musée de l’Armagnac. Don’t
miss the aperitif called Quercy Noix, made from the Lot’s abundant
crop of walnuts.
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GETTING TO MIDI-PYRENEES
AIR
Fly to Toulouse with ……..
-
British
Airways from Gatwick
-
Aer Lingus
from Dublin
-
bmi from
Manchester
-
easyjet
from Gatwick and Bristol
-
flybe
from Birmingham and Bristol
-
bmibaby
from Manchester
Fly to Rodez
with .......
Ryanair from Stanstead and
Dublin
! Certain areas of Midi-Pyrénées are closer to the airports of other regions:
Fly to
Pau with ………..
Ryanair from Stanstead and
Dublin
Fly to Bergerac with ……….
Flybe from Birmingham,
Bristol, Southampton, Exeter and Leeds
Fly to Carcassonne with ……..
Ryanair from Stanstead and
Dublin, Nottingham, Liverpool and Shannon
ROAD
Paris
à A10
à
A20
à
Toulouse
COACH: Eurolines (08705 143219,
www.eurolines.com) offers services to Cahors,
Lourdes, Tarbes and Toulouse
RAIL
London Waterloo/Ashford
à Eurostar
à Paris Nord
à Metro
à Paris Austerlitz à
Toulouse (TGV)
Contact Rail Europe (08705 848848,
www.raileurope.co.uk) for details
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EVENTS AND FESTIVALS in MIDI PYRENEES
Festival Garonne (Toulouse, July), Musique d’Eté (Toulouse, July/August),
Festival Albi-Jazz (Albi, June), Carnaval (Albi, Lent), Fête des 400 Coups (Montauban,
September), Festival Nez Rouges – Clown/Circus Festival (Saint-Orens-de-Gameville,
first week in February)
There is also Jazz in Marciac, "les Orgues" (organ music) in Toulouse, Tempo
Latino in Montauban and "Le Festival Lyrique" in St-Céré. Not forgetting the
"Fête de la Truffe" (truffle fair) in Lalbenque, the flower market in Fourcès,
the "Festival Bandas y Penas" in Condom as well as the "Flamme de l'Armagnac"
and the "Fête du Chasselas" in Moissac celebrating Chasselas grapes
SKIING:
There are 35 ski stations in the Pyrénées chain but the principal five in
Midi-Pyrénées are all south of Tarbes. Piau-Engaly and La Mongie are
family-friendly resorts and St-Lary-Soulan, Luz-Ardiden and Gourette also have
thermal baths.
MIDI-PYRENEES PROPERTIES FOR SALE
Click here for properties for sale in
Midi-Pyrenees
Contact us with your suggestions,
recommendations or corrections
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