OCCITANIE REGION
Departments: Ariège, Aude, Aveyron, Gard, Haute-Garonne, Gers, Hérault, Lot, Lozère, Hautes-Pyrénées, Pyrénées-Orientales, Tarn, Tarn-et-Garonne.
Population: 5.9 million
Prefecture: Toulouse
Surface area: 72,724 km2
Specialities: foie gras, cassoulet, aligot, tielle of Sète, cod brandade, Tarbes beans, garbure, sweet onions, Céret cherries, wines (Pic Saint-Loup, Corbières, Cahors, Costières de Nîmes, blanquette de Limoux, Minervois, Tavel, Madiran). Perrier spring water.
Sports clubs: Stade Toulousain, Castres Olympique, Montpellier HR, USAP Perpignan (rugby union), Montpellier HSC, Nîmes Olympique, Toulouse FC (football), Dragons Catalans (rugby league), Montpellier Handball, Fenix Toulouse, USAM Nîmes-Gard (handball).
Competitions: Tour de France, Open Sud de France (tennis), Route d'Occitanie (cycling).
Economy: aerospace (Airbus, Ariane, Toulouse), defence, IT, nuclear, agri-food, agriculture (wine, cereals), tourism, pharmaceuticals. Universities (Montpellier, Toulouse).
Festivals: férias in Nîmes and Béziers, Rio Loco (Toulouse), Radio France Festival in Montpellier (classical), Comédie du Livre book fair (Montpellier), Electro Beach (Port Barcarès), Jazz in Marciac, Cinémed (Montpellier), Circa Auch, Noir Novel Festival in Frontignan.
Sights: Cité of Carcassonne, Lourdes Basilica, Toulouse (Capitole, Saint-Sernin, etc.), Montpellier (Place de la Comédie, Écusson), Pont du Gard, Nîmes Arena, Cathar castles, Canal du Midi, cathedrals of Albi, Castres and Rodez. Millau Viaduct, Niaux and Maz d'Azil caves. Valentré Bridge in Cahors. Character villages. Beaches in Aude, Gard and Hérault. Ski resorts in the Pyrenees and Ariège. Website: www.laregionoccitanie.fr
HAUTES-PYRÉNÉES (65)
Population: 229,570
Prefecture: Tarbes
Sub-prefectures: Argelès-Gazost, Bagnères-de-Bigorre
Surface area: 4,464 km²
Specialities: Black Pork of Bigorre (AOC), Tarbes beans, Wines (Madiran and Pacherenc du Vic Bilh AOC), Barèges-Gavarnie AOC mutton, Onions of Trébons, Gascony hen, Garbure, Foie gras, spit cake...
Sports clubs: Tarbes Pyrénées rugby, TGB (basketball).
Competitions: Downhill Mountain Bike World Cup (Lourdes), La Montée du Géant du Tourmalet, Grand Raid des Pyrénées, Pyr'Epic...
Festivals: Gavarnie Festival (Theatre), Tarbes en tango, Equestria festival of equestrian creation (Tarbes), Sacred Music Festival (Lourdes), Jazz Festival (Luz St Sauveur), Piano Pic in the Grand Tourmalet, Small Mountain churches Festival (Louron valley ), Fête of the Mariolles, Cheese Fair, Wine Fair in Madiran, Pyrenees Hounds Show, Chops Festival in Luz St Sauveur, Traditions Fair in Loudenvielle.
Major tourist attractions: Pic du Midi de Bigorre, Cirque of Gavarnie (UNESCO World Heritage site), Pont d'Espagne waterfalls (Cauterets), Pyrenees National Park, Lourdes pilgrimage.
Economy: agri-food, rail industry, aeronautics, hydroelectricity, 4-season tourism, spa...
Websites / FB / Twitter: www.hautespyrenees.fr / www.facebook.com/DepartementHautesPyrenees / https://www.instagram.com/departementhapy / https://twitter.com/DepartementHaPy / www.pyrenees-trip.com / www.facebook.com/hautespyrenees / www.instagram.com/hautespyrenees / https://www.tiktok.com/@hautespyrenees
Km 1.7
LOUDERVIELLE (POP: 54)
Château de Moulor Foundation: 12thcentury.
History: the fiefdom of the seigneury included part of the current territories of the communes of Germ, Loudervielle, Armenteule and Aranvielle and some land in the neighbouring Larboust valley. The keep and chapel belonged to the Lords of Montlaur, vassals of the Barons of Spain-Montespan. The last members of the Lords of Moulor family to have lived in the castle died out in 1753 and 1754. All that remains of the castle is a square watchtower erected on the hill where the castle once stood.
Characteristics: The Moulor tower was built to ward off attacks by the Moors. These towers, like those at Bordères, Louron, Estarveille and Génos, could be part of a castle or surrounded by a simple wall. All square in shape, they had a single entrance to a room topped by a vaulted ceiling. This vault was pierced by a hole through which the upper floor could be reached by means of a simple ladder.
Pyrenees National Park For more than 25 years, this park has protected an area of 46,000 ha, to which can be added 15,000 ha of the Ordesa National Park in Spain, with a rich flora of more than 400 species, including ramondie, fritilaria, saxifrage and the Pyrenean lily, and an exceptional wildlife. Bearded vultures, golden eagles, Egyptian vultures and, closer to home, marmots, isards and, as luck would have it, brown bears…
Km 7
COL DE PEYRESOURDE (1,569 M)
With 69 visits since 1910, when it was one of the pioneering mountain passes, the climb to Peyresourde is one of the most frequently climbed by the Tour de France. This was still the case in 2021, with Anthony Turgis in the lead.
HAUTE-GARONNE (31)
Population: 1,400,039
Prefecture: Toulouse
Sub-prefectures: Muret, Saint Gaudens
Surface area: 6,309 km²
Specialities: cassoulet, Toulouse sausage, foie gras, duck breast, Toulouse violets, AOP Fronton wine, AOC Cadours garlic, IGP des Pyrénées lamb, AOC Bigorre black pork, Label Rouge Lauragais veal.
Sports: mountaineering, horse riding, climbing, hiking (Via Garona GR861, GR10, GR46, GR653, GR86, etc.), rugby, caving, white water sports on the Garonne (canoeing, kayaking, hydrospeed, rafting), aerial sports (paragliding, gliding, microlight aircraft), winter sports (skiing, snowshoeing, dog sledding), mountain biking (FFC Pyrénées Comminges), sailing. Sports clubs: Stade Toulousain (rugby union), Toulouse Football Club, Fénix Toulouse Handball, Toulouse Métropole Basket, Spacers Volleyball, TOXIII, Union Sportive Colomiers Rugby.
Competitions: Luchon Aneto Trail (Luchon has been awarded the Station Trail© label), Trail du Mourtis, Trail Toulouse Métropole, Trail du Cagire.
Economy: Aerospace, tourism, 4 ski resorts, winegrowing (Fronton)
Outstanding sites: Aurignacian Museum, Saint Bertrand de Comminges listed as one of the Most Beautiful Villages in France; Martres-Tolosane and Revel awarded the Towns of Arts and Crafts label; Lake Saint Ferréol; the Unesco-listed Canal du Midi with its greenway; Lake Oô in the central Pyrenees; City of Space, the most visited tourist site, Saint Sernin Basilica, one of the largest Romanesque basilicas in Europe...
Festivals: 31 Notes d'Eté, Jazz sur son 31, Luchon Television Creation Festival, Printemps du rire, Rio Loco, Comminges Festival in Saint Bertrand de Comminges, Toulouse les Orgues...
Websites and social networks: http://www.haute-garonne.fr/ / http://hautegaronnetourisme.com / https://www.facebook.com/TourismeHG / https://twitter.com/TourismeHG / https://www.instagram.com/tourismehg
Km 14.1
CAZEAUX-DE-LARBOUST (POP: 100)
Church of Sainte-Anne
Construction: 12th, 17th and 19th centuries.
Style: Lombard Romanesque.
Characteristics: small building built around a 12th-century chapel consisting of a nave and a cul-de-four vaulted apse. A side aisle was added later, followed by a bell tower and its spire.
Special feature: listed 15th-century frescoes by a local painter and another Catalan painter were painted over in 1790, then rediscovered in 1893 by the decorative painter from Bagnères-de-Luchon. They depict the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the birth of Eve, original sin, Adam and Eve driven from paradise, the crowning of the Virgin Mary, Saint John the Baptist preaching and the Last Judgement.
Listed as: Historical Monument since 1921
Km 19.9
BAGNÈRES-DE-LUCHON (POP: 2,700)
Its privileged position has enabled Bagnères-de-Luchon to host the Tour de France 55 times, a record for a town of its size. It has to be said that this renowned spa town has been part of the history of the race since 1910, when it hosted the first two high mountain stages of the event, both of which were won by Octave Lapize, the future winner of that edition. The Queen of the Pyrenees has also often crowned the future winner of the Tour, or its hero, such as Pascal Simon in 1983, Thomas Voeckler in 2010 and Julian Alaphilippe in 2018. That year, the allées d'Étigny were the setting for a novel start in the form of an F1 Grand-Prix-style grid. Bagnères-de-Luchon is the most distinctive mountain town in the entire Pyrenees range. Surrounded by the 13 most famous peaks in the range, including Aneto (3,404 m), the highest peak in the Pyrenees, Luchon is a lively holiday destination that attracts travellers of all types, in all seasons. Since 2011, Bagnères-de-Luchon has been listed as one of the Grand Sites de Midi-Pyrénées. The therapeutic virtues of the waters of Luchon have been renowned for over two thousand years. It's no coincidence that the Roman goddess of water, Ilixon, gave her name to the Luchon region. Today, the spa town of Bagnères-de-Luchon is the busiest in the Haute-Garonne and the Midi-Pyrénées region. Since 2011, it has been a member of the Association of European Spa Towns.
Km 39.2
SAINT-BÉAT-LE-LEZ (POP: 400)
Saint-Béat overlooks the Garonne in a corridor bordered by mountains. In this authentic setting, its medieval heritage, its tourist attractions and its many shops and services make it easy to appreciate the town and life in Saint-Béat. Saint-Béat has been a marble-cutting town since ancient times and is now famous for its sculpture festival and the many statues on display in the town.
The marble quarries Used extensively during the reign of Louis XIV, the quarries - also known as Roman breccias - were subsequently neglected or abandoned and the marble was reviled, only to be rediscovered by Mr Capelle-Layerle in the 19th century. Today, Saint-Béat has nine marble quarries of various colours, one of which is underground.
Saint-Béat Castle Château de Saint-Béat is one of the few feudal citadels in the Pyrenees that has not fallen into disrepair. It dates back to the 12th century and was enlarged by Henry IV. A stronghold, it was sparsely inhabited by the lords. The castle was manned by captains-at-arms until the 16th century. Well-placed, the castle did not have to repel any invasions in its history, although it was the scene of fighting between valleys. Nevertheless, its position was strategic, "the key to France" at the gateway to Spain.
Km 50
COL DE MENTÉ
Rated first category, the Col de Menté has been climbed twenty-two times by the Tour de France between 1966 and 2022. The most famous ride took place in 1971, when Luis Ocana crashed with the Yellow Jersey on his back and was forced to retire. Around the pass is the Mourtis ski resort, in the commune of Boutx and managed by the Community of communes of Saint-Béat.
Km 65.4
COL DU PORTET D'ASPET (1,069 M)
The stele in memory of Fabio Casartelli stands just beyond the Col du Portet d'Aspet. It reminds passers-by that the 1992 Barcelona Olympic champion died when he crashed heavily on the descent in 1995. The Portet d'Aspet is a Tour de France classic, having been climbed 33 times since 1947. It was Philippe Gilbert who was in the lead during the last passage of the race in 2018.
Fabio Casartelli stele The stele was installed in October 1995, sculpted by Bruno Luzzani in white and grey marble from Italy. It depicts a large white wheel, blossoming into an Olympic flag. His bicycle, as it was when he fell, can be seen in the Madonna del Ghisallo chapel, on the pass of the same name in Italy.
ARIÈGE (09)
Population: 152,398
Prefecture: Foix
Sub-prefectures: Pamiers, Saint-Girons
Surface area: 4,890 km²
Specialities: Bethmale and Moulis (cheeses), Flocons d'Ariège (confectionery), Azinat (Ariège cabbage stew), Mounjetado (Mountain Cassoulet), hypocras (medieval aperitif), Pamiers "Cocos" (dried beans).
Sport: Trail des Citadelles (foot race), Ronde de l'Isard (cycling), Trail des Crêtes (foot race), L'Ariégeoise (gran fondo), l'Ultrariège, la PicaPica (ultra-trail, Montcalm races), Canoeing, outdoor sports,. Rugby.
Festivals: Jazz Festival in Foix, Manouch' Muzik Festival de Mazères, MIMA Puppet Arts Festival in Mirepoix, Résistances Film Festival, Foix Land of History, Music in Gabriel Fauré’s land Festival, Autrefois le Couserans.
Heritage and tourism : Château de Foix (completely redesigned in 2019 and enhanced with an interactive tour), Saint-Lizier Bishop Palace and its Notre-Dame de la Sède cathedral, the Sixtine of the Ariège, Caves of Mas d'Azil and Niaux (the largest underground network in Europe), underground river of Labouiche, Château de Montségur (Unesco World Heritage site), medieval town of Mirepoix (all Grand Sites Occitanie), village of Camon, rated as the most beautiful village in Ariège, Carla Bayle, a picturesque artists' village, and the Prehistoric Park in Tarascon-sur-Ariège (an immersion in the daily life of our ancestors), Ecomuseum of Alzen (nestling in the heart of the Ariege Pyrenees Regional Nature Park), Saint-Lizier Bishop Palace Museum, Hotel d'Ardouin Museum in Mazères on the history of the Merovingians, Iron Museum in Montgailhard, a modernised museum trail.
Websites and social networks: https://fr-fr.facebook.com/ariegeledepartement/ / http://www.ariege.fr/ / https://www.facebook.com/tourismeariege/ / http://www.ariegepyrenees.com/ Nestling at the foot of the Pyrenees, Ariège is a land of authentic adaptation. Once punctuated by the pounding of Catalan-style forges, it is now building its development on three key sectors, between technology (aeronautical subcontracting, nanotechnologies), the green economy and tourism. A natural and cultural mosaic, Ariège has a way of life that tastefully blends nature and local traditions: how can you talk about Ariège without describing its breathtaking landscapes, with their torrents and thermal springs, its Mérens horses, champions of adaptation to mountain conditions, or its Bethmale cheese, matured in the heart of the green valleys of the Couserans? Nestling in a land of steep mountains and sun-drenched valleys, Ariège has seen centuries of history unfold, filled with emblematic events and characters: from the first prehistoric man to the Cathar and Resistance fighters, the history of Ariège is waiting to be heard. Ariège and its riches fascinate and seduce tourists and new arrivals every year: to taste Ariège is to adopt it. This could be the leitmotiv of the Departmental Council, which is mobilising the energies of all local players, both public and private, to design the Ariège of tomorrow.
Km 78.7
AUCAZEIN (POP: 60)
Owned by the Templars, who built the Romanesque chapel there, Aucazein was on the route to Santiago de Compostela, which crossed what is now Ariège from Fanjeaux to Portet d'Aspet. A gold mine has been exploited here.
Km 83.2
AUDRESSEIN (POP: 105)
The village took part in the War of the Maidens. It lies at the confluence of the Lez and Bouigane rivers, which flow down from the Bellongue valley. The 13th and 14th-century parish church of Saint-Martin is topped by a bell tower.
Church of Notre-Dame de Tramesaygues
Construction: 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th centuries
History: the pilgrimage to Notre-Dame-de-Tramesaygues already existed in 1139. The old chapel was too small and was rebuilt in the 13th century, with successive extensions. This ancient place of pilgrimage expanded when a brotherhood known as the Brotherhood of the Holy Name of Mary was attached to the chapel on 8 September 1315.
Characteristics: with a bell tower-porch, medieval frescoes and a beautiful porch decorated with paintings.
Listed as: UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Pilgrim's Way to Santiago de Compostela. Historical monument since 1990.
Km 94.5
SAINT-GIRONS (POPULATION 6,250)
As a crossroads providing access to eighteen different valleys, Saint-Girons almost always sees the Tour de France peloton pass through. This was particularly true of the 100th edition, when Christopher Froome's supremacy was challenged on the road to Bagnères-de-Bigorre. Meanwhile, at the front of the race, the show was put on by Dan Martin. The Irishman skilfully manoeuvred past Denmark's Jakob Fuglsang to claim his first Tour de France stage victory. In 2017, at the peak of his powers, Warren Barguil won in Foix as part of a royal breakaway that also included Alberto Contador, Mikel Landa, Fabio Aru and Nairo Quintana. He did it again on the summit of the Izoard and won the polka-dot jersey. Luis Leon Sanchez won here in 2009. But the town has more often than not welcomed riders on their way to the summits. In both 1995 and 2003, the route to Cauterets and then Loudenvielle provided Richard Virenque with the points he needed to secure the polka-dot jersey. However, the peloton suffered a tragedy on that day in 1995, when Fabio Casartelli died on the descent following the Portet-d'Aspet pass. Every year in September, the Roue Libre association organises the Fabio Casartelli Memorial, an international cycling event at which the rider's family gather in Saint-Girons. A former Tour Maillot Jaune, Frédéric Moncassin, who also won two stages in 1996, has settled near Saint-Girons. The 16th-century château of the Viscounts of Couserans, which houses a number of municipal services, and the 15th-century portal of the church of Saint-Vallier are protected sites, but heritage enthusiasts are more likely to head up to Saint-Lizier to admire one of the city's ten listed monuments, including two cathedrals.
Cathedral of Notre-Dame de la Sède in Saint-Lizier
Construction: 10th century.
Style: Romanesque.
History: Notre-Dame-de-la-Sède cathedral was built on the heights of Saint-Lizier in a very simple Romanesque style with a single nave. In the 12th century, a cloister in the Romanesque tradition, which has now disappeared, and a vaulted chapter house were built. In the 14th century, the cathedral vault was raised to its current height. The three side chapels were also added at this time. In the early 1990s, traces of ancient paintings were discovered in the cathedral during the restoration of the woodwork. Two successive restoration campaigns brought to light a monumental collection of Renaissance wall paintings. The decoration was commissioned by Jean d'Aule, Bishop of Couserans from 1475 to 1515.
Current use: the cathedral is no longer open to worship and can now be visited as part of the Ariège Departmental Museum at the Bishops Palace in Saint-Lizier.
Listed as: historical monument since 1994.
Km 138.6
COL D'AGNÈS (1,570 M):
climbed on its shortest but most difficult side (8.2 pc average gradient), the Col d'Agnès has been ridden six times in the Tour de France. Alberto Contador was the first at the top in 2017.
Km 158.2
VAL-DE-SOS (POP: 580)
The commune is the result of the merger in 2019 of the communes of Goulier, Sem, Suc-et-Sentenac and Vicdessos. Suc-et-Sentenac is the birthplace of Henri Nayrou, a former sports journalist, lover of the Tour de France and director of the rugby weekly Midi Olympique: elected member of Parliament in 1997, he was president of the departmental council from 2014 to 2019. The Caraoucou waterfalls are a popular canyoning spot, and the town's main landmark is the church of Notre-Dame de Vicdessos, whose organ is a listed monument.
Loudenvielle
Loudenvielle ist ein reizender Ferienort im Louron-Tal, der sich um einen malerischen, künstlich angelegten See schmiegt.
Die natürliche Umgebung bietet mit ihren zahlreichen Wander- und Spazierwegen Erholung für Körper und Seele, während das Thermalbad Balnéa mit seinen Wellness-Angeboten wohltuende Entspannung verspricht. Die Berge rund um das Dorf sind ideal zum Skifahren und Mountainbiken und dank der Seilbahn können Sie die Aussicht genießen, ohne dabei ins Schwitzen zu kommen.
Das Dorf selbst bietet schöne Steingebäude, wie eine Kirche aus dem 12. Jahrhundert, während das Arixo-Museum einen Einblick in die Kultur und Geschichte der Region vermittelt.
Plateau de Beille
Ein Besuch auf dem Plateau de Beille führt Sie mitten in die französischen Pyrenäen. Die spektakuläre Natur ist ein Eldorado für alle Outdoor-Fans von Wanderern bis zu Radfahrern, die die atemberaubenden Landschaften und klare Bergluft genießen.
Im Sommer erblüht die Natur mit saftigem Grün, Wildblumen und dem sanften Summen der Bienen aus den berühmten Imkereien der Region. Im Winter verwandelt sich die Hochebene in eine unberührte Schneelandschaft, die sich ideal für Skilanglauf oder Schneeschuhwandern eignet.
Erleben Sie das berauschende Gefühl, wenn Sie den Gipfel des Plateaus erreichen, von wo sich ein atemberaubender Panoramablick auftut, der einem Wandgemälde mit lebendigen Tälern und schroffen Bergwelten ähnelt.
Ganz gleich, ob Sie sportlichen Nervenkitzel im Hochgebirge oder ein ruhiges Fleckchen in der Natur suchen – das Plateau de Beille ist ein wunderschönes, naturbelassenes Refugium, das nur darauf wartet, entdeckt zu werden. Es beflügelt die Fantasie und belebt die Seele.
Folge uns
Erhalten sie exklusive informationen zur Tour de France
