The area of the Midi-Pyrénées reaches from the Spanish border in the south to Auvergne and Limousin in the north. The area is situated in the middle of France and offers a unique landscape with charming villages in the mountains, nice market towns, medieval buildings and kathar castles. You will find a lot of activities here and an unspoiled paradise for trekkers, fishermen, skiers and bike riders. The Pyrenees is moreover a fantastic mountain land which offers unique experiences of nature. If you are looking for culture, sports activities, good food and peace, then the Midi-Pyrenees is the place to go.

The landscape of the Midi-Pyrenees

The landscapes of the Midi-Pyrenees are characterised by peaceful, empty roads, clean rivers, orchards as well as vineyards and sunflower fields.

The beautiful landscape of the Pyrenees is best experienced by going by the Pyrenees route. The trip goes through the Pyrenees towards the Atlantic Ocean and may start in Tarascon-sur-Ariège by following D918. The view is most impressive and among others, leads you over Col du Tourmalet which is known from Tour de France.

Large cities in the Midi-Pyrenees: Toulouse

Toulouse is known as "the pink city" as it is built from almost only red bricks. Toulouse is a university city and may resemble the Latin Quarter in Paris with bookshops, book cafes and old-fashioned shops, but it also has lots of modern and exciting shops, nice old houses and architectural gems to offer. Toulouse is called France's aerospace city and you will e.g. find the Airbus headquarters here which can be visited by tourists.

Tourist attractions in the Midi-Pyrenees

When you are a tourist in the Midi-Pyrenees, the market towns Périgueux, Cahors and Albi are good starting points to explore the region. Furthermore, the region has some of France’s most well-preserved medieval buildings and kathar castles besides Europe’s largest prehistoric caverns, Lascaux in particular.

The most spectacular sight of the Pyrenees is ”Cirque de Gavarnie”.  From a lake on the Spanish side, the water falls heavily into a waterfall between the well over 2000 m snow-covered mountains. You can visit the horse-shaped mountain formation via a two-hour walk from the little village Gavarnie.
Pic du Midi de Bigorre (2877 m) is also worth a visit. From the ski town La Mogie, you can go by cable car four kilometres to the top where you will find a unique view over the pinnacles of the Pyrenees.

Sports activities in the Midi-Pyrenees

The Midi-Pyrenees is the place to play sports. You will find 37 golf courses, more than 2500 km of rivers, torrents and lakes, more than 50 places from where you can sail a canoe, sail a kayak or do rafting, more than 160 places where you can climb and 26,000 km of trekking routes. 

Many towns and villages rent out bikes and horses which make it possible to experience the Midi-Pyrenees on your own, in your own speed and at close quarters to the nature.

Gastronomic characteristics of the Midi-Pyrenees

You will find a number of exciting wines in the area with AOC status, e.g. Cahors, Gaillac, Fronton, Madiran et Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh and Marcillac. The oldest French brandy, one of the most expensive brandies in the world, Armagnac, is also from this area.

One of the best ways to experience the local culture and the specialities of the region is to visit one of the local food markets where you will find the best of the local specialities such as black truffles, succulent pies, foie gras, walnuts and wild mushrooms.

The climate of the Midi-Pyrenees

The Midi-Pyrenees has an average of 2000 hours of sun per year which makes it one of the sunniest regions in France. The average temperatures are between 26 and 28 degrees in the summer, 16-24 degrees in the spring and 21-25 degrees in the autumn. The mountain areas have their own microclimates where one town can be sunny, and only 10 km away, it may be cloudy.

Some of the photos are kindly lent out from Maison de la France. Photographers: E. Bascoul.