France > France travel > Midi-Pyrenees

Midi Pyrenees, France tourist information

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

Northern Midi-Pyrenees

The north of the Midi-Pyrenees region includes the Lot and Aveyron departments, and some fascinating towns and fine scenery.

Aveyron, France

The Aveyron department 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

Lot, France

The highlights of the Lot department include Rocamadour and the Gouffre de Padirac, and the village and animal park at nearby Gramat.

Follow the attractive Lot Valley including St Cirq Lapopie and Cahors. The pretty village of Puy l'Eveque on the Lot River further east towards Fumel also deserves a visit.

Rocamadour, Lot, France

Be sure to also visit Autoire and Carennac in this department, and also highly recommended in Lot is the village at Loubressac.

- Figeac in the Lot department is also a quaint and interesting small town to visit in the south, and see also Souillac a town with a fine abbey-church, and Gourdon, both in the north-west.

(see Lot, France for more places and more information)

The central Midi-Pyrenees

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.

Tarn-et-Garonne, France

In Tarn-et-Garonne, visit Moissac, with its very famous cloisters, and Auvillar, another 'most beautiful village' and both in this part of the Midi-Pyrenees region. See also Montauban,  an attractive bastide town in the Tarn et Garonne department.

Cloisters at Moissac

Two more beautiful villages to visit in the Tarn-et-Garonne are those at Bruniquel (east of Montauban) and Lauzerte (north of Moissac).

Tarn, France

A highlight of Tarn, France is Cordes (now officially renamed as Cordes-sur-Ciel), another very popular, well-preserved medieval town.

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.

Gers, France

Heading into the Gers department,  visit the cluster of classified most beautiful villages - Montreal-du-Gers, also Fources and Larressingle (the baby version of Carcassonne) and a couple of the other towns in the region - including Condom (yes the sign at the entry to the village has been photographed before...).

See also the towns of Auch and Fleurance perhaps, as good examples of typical towns of the Gers region.

Lectoure is also in Gers in the central Midi-Pyrenees

Walled village of Larressingle, Gers

See also the travel guide for Gascony, now used as the 'tourism' name for the Gers department.

Into the Pyrenees - the southern Midi-Pyrenees

The southern part of the Midi-Pyrenees region includes the Ariège, Haute-Garonne and Hautes-Pyrénées departments. 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.

Haute-Garonne, France

The capital of the region, Toulouse, is found in this department.

Two bastide towns deserving a mention in the Haute-Garonne department south-west of Toulouse are Carbonne and Cazeres.

Toulouse flowers (picture thanks to Jamie Henderson)

Visit also St Bertrand de Comminges, a classified most beautiful village in the Haute-Garonne department.

 

Ariege

Heading across to Ariège try to see the towns and castles at Foix and Montségur and Mirepoix.

(see Ariege, France for more places and more information about this department)

 

Hautes-Pyrenees

One place of 'remarkable interest' in the Hautes-Pyrenees department is Lourdes, famous site of miraculous healing powers to the south of Tarbes.

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.

Other

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

Visit Midi-Pyrenees - travel information

Map of Midi-Pyrenees, France