Midi-Pyrénées

Rolling fields of yellow sunflowers, the Armagnac vineyards and crumbling, ancient stone buildings amid sleepy villages make this colourful region popular with those who enjoy good food, fine wine and a leisurely pace of life.

Home of Armagnac, rugby and the Three Muskateers, the Midi-Pyrénées is the largest region of France, extending from the Dordogne in the north to the Spanish border. It is blessed by radiant sunshine and gorgeous scenery. South of the cultivated fields and cliffside villages beside the Lot river lie the stony lands of the Quercy Causse and the rocky gorges of the Aveyron and Tarn rivers. Centered around Millau, there are tortuous gorges and valleys, spectacular rivers, underground caves and grottoes and forested mountains.

Further south, high chalk plateaux, majestic peaks, tiny hidden valleys and small fortified sleepy villages, which seem to have changed little since the Middle Ages, contrast with the high-tech, industrial and vibrant university city of Toulouse. Lourdes is one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in the world. Toulouse-Lautrec, the artist, was born at Albi, the capital of the département of Tarn. In the east, the little town of Foix, is a convenient centre from which to explore the prehistoric caves at Niaux and the Aladdin’s Cave of duty-free gift shops in the independent state of Andorra.

The Pyrenees comprises the Midi-Pyrenees, at the centre of which is Toulouse, and the Pyrenees Orientales, which belongs to the southern Languedoc and borders Andorra and Spain. Together they form a stunning area of France, with pretty towns and swathes of sunflower fields and vineyards, which steadily rise to become the mountainous landscape of the Pyrenees themselves.

The Midi-Pyrenees is famous for its gastronomy, as well as being the proud home of the musketeer d’Artagnan, immortalised by Alexandre Dumas. It’s a place that dances to nature’s rhythm; from the wooded valleys of Aveyron, through the charming towns of Albi, Auch and Toulouse, to the breathtaking scenery of the Pyrenees National Park, it’s a captivating region where humanity exists in harmony with its surroundings. The Pyrenees Orientales stretches from the mountains to the Mediterranean coast, and features as much variety as its larger counterpart. Perpignan is one of its main attractions, an enchanting town declared the centre of the world by Dalí. The beach at Collioure is also a fine place to spend the day, while the area around Mount Canigou is truly magical.

The Pyrenees is a region that provides walking and cycling for all ages and abilities – the huge mixture of landscapes means visitors can select exactly the style and scenery they prefer for the perfect active holiday.

Places of interest

Albi: Birthplace and Museum of Toulouse- Lautrec; imposing Ste Cécile cathedral with 15th-century fresco of The Last Judgement.

Auch: Capital of ancient Gascony, boasts a fine statue of d’Artagnan.

Collonges-la-Rouge: Picturesque village of Medieval- and Renaissance-style mansions and manors.

Foix: 11th-/12th-century towers on a rocky peak above town; 14th-century cathedral.

Lourdes: Famous pilgrimage site where Ste Bernadette is said to have spoken to the Virgin Mary in a grotto, and known for the miracles said to have been performed there.

Martel: Home of the Haute Quercy heritage railway with steam trains in July and August.

Cuisine of the region

Food is rich and strongly seasoned, making generous use of garlic and goose fat, and there are some excellent regional wines. Seafood such as oysters, saltwater fish, and piballes from the Adour river are popular.

Cassoulet: Stew of duck, sausages and beans.

Confit de Canard (d’oie): Preserved duck meat.

Croustade aux pommes: Caramelised apple tart sometimes containing Agen prunes.

Magret de canard: Duck breast fillets

Ouillat (Ouliat): Pyrénées soup with onions, tomatoes, goose fat and garlic.

Piperade Basque: An omelette of tomatoes, peppers and local pimentos.