Whole Earth Guide
The Midi-Pyrenees is the largest of the French regions and is are something of a grab-bag collection of Departments centred loosely on Toulouse and consisting of Ariège, Aveyron, Gers, Haute-Garonne, Hautes-Pyrénées, Lot, Tarn and Tarn-et-Garonne.
It stretches from the Pyrenees in the south up to Lot in the north, hemmed in by the Pyrenees-Atlantique to the west and the Pyrenees-Orientale to the east. It's sheer size makes for a wealth of different sights and activities thoughout the year.
There are numerous castles and chateaux right across the region with many famous ones such as Montsegur and Rennes-le-Chateau from the Da Vinci Code book and film but even more lesser known ones. It's also home to the Canal du Midi of course which stretches from Toulouse to the Mediterranean.
Amongst the collection of Les Plus Beaux Villages in this region are Autoire, Auvillar, Belcastel, Brousse-le-Château, Bruniquel, Camon, Cardaillac, Carennac, Castelnau-de-Montmiral, Conques, Cordes-sur-Ciel, Espalion, Estaing, La Couvertoirade, La Roque-sur-Cèze, Lacapelle-Marival, Lautrec, Lauzerte, Loubressac, Monestiés, Montréal-du-Gers, Najac, Puycelci-Grésigne, Rieux-Volvestre, Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, Saint-Côme-d'Olt, Sainte-Eulalie-d'Olt, Saint-Lizier, Sarrant and
Sauveterre-de-Rouergue.
The popularity of the region means many airport options including Carcassonne (CCF) and Toulouse (TLS) but numerous others lie just outside the region offering a wealth of choices.
The rail network is extensive but don't forget that the highspeed trains radiate out from Paris so whilst the high speed TGV trains will get you from Paris in under six hours, it can take quite a while going from Toulouse to Carcassonne.
A selection from Ariège...
Like to stay in a property in this area? Why not try one of these propertiesFoix
The town of Foix is dominated by the castle which towers over it and offers superb views of the surrounding countryside.
The town itself is quite charming although, aside from the castle, there aren't any particular sights to be seen. Each Friday morning the town hosts a very lively market which ...more
Holy place of pilgrimage - Lourdes
Ever since the young French girl, Bernadette Soubirous, witnessed a series of visions of the Virgin Mary in a grotto in the village of Lourdes back in 1858 the town has become a destination for pilgrims from all over the world.
Lourdes is situated in the Dept 65 of the Haute Pyrenees in the regio...more
Canal du Midi
The Canal du Midi starts in Toulouse and finishes up near Sete some 240 kilometres later passing through some terrific scenery that you'll glimpse little of when travelling by car.
A trip along the canal whilst steering your own canal boat is something that you should do at least once in your lif...more
Our selection in Amsterdam : Amsterdam
Although you "know" that Amsterdam has loads of bicycles, you'll never appreciate just how many are there 'til you see it for yourself. The photo here is just one spot from many cycle parks that are all over the city.Because of this concentration on cycling, you'll find that it's very much a cit...more
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