Por el camino

NEW AQUITAINE REGION

Departments: Charente, Charente-Maritime, Corrèze, Creuse, Dordogne, Gironde, Landes, Lot-et-Garonne, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Deux-Sèvres, Vienne, Haute-Vienne.

Population: 5.9 million

Prefecture: Bordeaux

Surface area: 2 011 km2

Specialities: Bordeaux wines, Cognac, Armagnac, Espelette chilli pepper, Périgord walnuts, Marmande tomatoes, oysters from the Arcachon basin, Salers meat, Aquitaine cows, Bayonne ham, Pauillac lamb, Bordeaux canelés. Goose, duck, pommes sarladaises, poulet basquaise, garbure, lamprey. Black truffle.

Sports clubs: Girondins de Bordeaux (football), Stade montois, Union sportive dacquoise, Aviron bayonnais, Union Bordeaux Bègles Atlantique, Stade rochelais, CA Brive Corrèze Limousin, Section paloise, Biarritz olympique, SU Agen (rugby union), Elan Béarnais Pau-Orthez, CSP Limoges (basketball).

Competitions: Tour de France, surfing at Lacanau (Lacanau Pro) and Biarritz. Tour du Limousin.  

Festivals: Bayonne festival, Dax festival, Madeleine festival in Mont-de-Marsan, Francofolies festival in La Rochelle, Angoulême comic book festival, Brive book fair, Nuits de nacre in Tulle, Grand Pavois in La Rochelle, Garorock in Marmande, Cognac crime film festival.

Economy: Bordeaux wines, Cognac and Armagnac, aerospace industry, biotechnologies, chemicals, scientific research. Image and digital sector. Agri-food industry. Port of Bordeaux. Tourism. Universities.

Sights: Bordeaux, Saint-Émilion, La Rochelle, Biarritz, Bassin d'Arcachon, Dune of Le Pilat, Lascaux caves, Futuroscope Poitiers, Lacanau beaches, Biarritz, Biscarosse, Hourtin, Carcans, Soulac-sur-Mer, mouth of the Gironde, Bordeaux vineyards, Dordogne châteaux, Château de Pau, Pyrenees, Ile d'Oléron, Ile de Ré.  

Websites and social networks: www.nouvelle-aquitaine.fr

NÉRAC (POP: 6,880)

A stronghold of the d'Albret family, kings of Navarre, Nérac is home to a beautiful Renaissance château that is now a museum dedicated to this family until Henry IV. Marguerite de Navarre, sister of Francis I and one of the first writers in the French language, established a prestigious court here, open to the most renowned artists of her time. Margaret of Valois, the famous "Queen Margot", did the same after her forced marriage to Henri de Navarre, the future Henry IV, and attracted Agrippa d'Aubigné, Pibrac, Clément Marot and Montaigne to Nérac. The court was also renowned for its many romances, with the king and queen having numerous extramarital affairs. When Henry of Navarre became King of France, the Nérac court fell into decline and the town never regained its former splendour.   Nérac is also the home of President Armand Fallières and the birthplace of singer Michel Polnareff, who took refuge in Nérac during the war. Cartoonist Yves Chaland is also from Nérac, where a comics fair, the Rencontres Chaland, pays tribute to him.   Nérac is also home to the Périn family of cyclists, whose most famous representative was Michel Périn, a team-mate of Raymond Poulidor who took part in seven Tours de France, finishing 7th in 1973.  

Nérac Castle Museum

Construction: 14th to 16th centuries. Museum opened in 1873 and moved into the château in 1934. 

Style: Louis XII.

History: a seigniorial residence is mentioned in 1088. The d'Albret family officially became lords of Nérac in 1306. Initially linked to the House of Armagnac, they became closer to the Kings of France. Nérac castle was rebuilt between the 14th and 16th centuries, during the heyday of the House of Albret, which seized the kingdom of Navarre through marriage. In the 16th century, it comprised four main buildings. The castle was dismantled during the French Revolution.

Characteristics: This is a Louis XII-style building, forming the transition between Gothic art and the early Renaissance. All that remains of the original château overlooking the Baïse River is one of the four wings that delimited the courtyard, and a staircase tower.

Current purpose: the museum features archaeological collections tracing the history of the Albret region from prehistory to the Roman conquest, as well as memorabilia from the House of Albret and the Court of Navarre.

Listed as: historical monument since 1862. Musée de France and Maison des Illustres.  

Hose of Conferences

Construction: 16th to 18th centuries.

Style: Renaissance.

History: On 3 February 1579, Catherine de Médicis travelled to Nérac for conferences between Catholics and Protestants to put an end to the Wars of Religion. The Queen Mother stayed at the château and the conference ended on 25 February with the "Treaty of Nérac".  Tradition has it that this private mansion was the venue for these conferences, but it is likely that most of the discussions took place at the château. The Maison des Conferences became municipal property in 1981 following a donation.

Characteristics: a first mansion was built in the first half of the 16th century on the site of medieval residences, the walls of which have survived. It comprises a main building and a wing set back from the courtyard with three superimposed galleries. A pavilion housing a staircase was added at the end of the 16th or beginning of the 17th century against the façade of the first building. The complex was divided into smaller properties in the 17th century.

Current use: the site has been transformed into a museum of Protestantism.

Listed as: historical monument since 1988.

MÉZIN (POP: 1,460)

Mézin sits on a hillside, looking out over the Armagnac valleys and the Landes forest that begins at its foot. This medieval town, which was the birthplace of Armand Fallières, President of the French Republic from 1906 to 1913, grew up around its church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste and its now-defunct monastery. The remains of the ramparts are a reminder of its past as an English stronghold during the Hundred Years' War. In the 19th century, the town grew rich thanks to the local gold: cork, to which the Musée du Liège et du Bouchon (Museum of cork) is dedicated. In the past, the village has hosted the Étoile des Espoirs, won by Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle in 1984, and the Tour de l'Avenir.  

St. John the Baptist Church

Construction: 12th to 14th centuries.

Style: Romanesque-Gothic.

History: financial difficulties explain the late completion of its construction (14th century). The Benedictine monastery once stood next to the church, connected to it by the sacristy and a side chapel. The convent was destroyed during the French Revolution.

Characteristics: the nave with its sculpted capitals dates back to the 13th-14th centuries. The façade is flanked by two symmetrical round towers. The portal has capitals decorated with fantastic figures. The north portal is surmounted by twelve niches that would have contained statues of the apostles, destroyed during the Wars of Religion. The bell tower rests on the pillars of the choir vault.

Listed as: historical monument since 1840.

LANDES (40)

Population: 409,325

Prefecture: Mont-de-Marsan

Sub-prefecture: Dax

Surface area: 9,243 m²

Specialties: foie gras, duck breast, duck confit, farmhouse poultry and Chalosse beef, Adour salmon, Adour asparagus and kiwis, tourtière, Landes pastis, Armagnac, Floc de Gascogne, Wines (Tursan, vin des sables, Coteaux de Chalosse)

Sports clubs: Basket Landes (women's league); US Dax Rugby (Pro D2); Stade Montois Rugby (Pro D2).

Events : Quiksilver Pro Surf, Ous Pins International Show Jumping in Tartas, Course landaise French championship, Luis Ocana gran fondo, Eurocup Basket Landes, French Paralympic Table Tennis championship, Roller Landes race, Biscarrosse tandem World Cup, Golf XLandes Trophy, Handilandes, Raid XL.

Main tourist attractions: Huchet current nature reserve, Hossegor marine lake, Cap de l'Homy beach and Contis lighthouse, Arjuzanx nature reserve, Marais d'Orx, Capbreton jetty, Marquèze eco-museum in Sabres, Arthous abbey in Hastingues, hydroplane museum in Biscarrosse, Buglose basilica in Saint Vincent de Paul, Maison de la Dame in Brassempouy, Museum of Faience and Table Arts in Samadet, Château and Plantarium in Gaujacq, Chalosse Museum in Montfort en Chalosse, spa town of Dax, Despiau-Wlérick Museum in Mont de Marsan, Notre Dame des cyclistes in Labastide d'Armagnac.

Cultural events: Arte Flamenco in Mont-de-Marsan, Musicalarue in Luxey, Toros y Salsa in Dax, Abbeys Festival, Jazz in Sanguinet, Latinossegor, Tale Festival in Capbreton, Fêtes de Dax and Mont-de-Marsan and local festivals in every village in the Landes (course landaise, corrida, bandas).

Economy: Tourism, spa treatments, agriculture, forestry, cattle and poultry farming, food processing, wood and wood by-product industries

Websites and social networks: https://www.landes.fr/ / https://www.facebook.com/Departement.Landes / https://twitter.com/LesLandes40 / https://www.youtube.com/user/departementlandes / https://www.flickr.com/photos/departementdeslandes/sets/ / http://www.tourismelandes.com / http://www.alalandaise.fr/ / http://www.landestyle.com/

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

BARBOTAN-LES-THERMES

Located in the commune of Cazaubon, Barbotan-les-Thermes is a spa whose waters and mud treat rheumatic and phlebological conditions, osteoarticular pain and arthritis. The use of Barbotan's thermal waters and mud has been known since before the Christian era. During the 16th century, illustrious figures such as Marshal Blaise de Monluc, Montaigne and Henry of Navarre came here to treat their aches and pains. It is one of the few resorts where venous and rheumatological ailments can be treated simultaneously. Barbotan is one of three remaining spas in the Gers, along with Castera-Verduzan and Lectoure.  

Saint-Pierre church and Barbotan gate

Construction: 16th century.

Style: Renaissance.

History and chracteristics: the church is unusual in that it is also an ancient gateway to the town. It is built on stilts because the ground is made up of hot mud. It comprises a nave with four bays and a Romanesque aisle. It is vaulted, and some of the keystones, particularly those in the sacristy, date from the same period. The building was completely remodelled after the Hundred Years' War: the vaults were rebuilt and the roof frames rest directly on the walls with overhanging rafters. The ogee-shaped outer porch houses a Renaissance-style door. The top was transformed into a pyramid shape to serve as a bell tower and in 1899, it received its clock. The pediment bears the Cazaubon coat of arms.

Listed as: Historical Monument since 1925.

RISCLE (POP: 1,700)

The history of Riscle dates back to the 9th century, when the first church was built. The feudal town grew up around it and the castle. In the 11th century, Riscle had a hospital, a convent and five churches. The town escaped the English, who threatened to destroy it in 1569. In 1594, Henri IV entrusted the county of Riscle to the Podénas family. Riscle completed its transformation between 1871 and 1910: town hall, covered market, school, washhouses, public lighting and improvements to the road network. A suspension bridge over the Adour, built in 1930, was destroyed during the war. It was renovated in 2001. The town is famous for its wines and sturgeon farming on the Adour. Riscle is the smallest commune whose rugby club, JS Riscle, played in the first division of rugby in 1988-89. Several top players (Roger Ferrien, Ludovic Courtade and David Bortolussi) started out at Riscle.

MADIRAN (POP: 430)

The village is world-famous for its red wine, celebrated every 15 August with a major wine festival. The commune is part of the Madiran, Pacherenc-du-Vic-Bilh and Béarn Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) zones, as well as the Bigorre IGP. Winegrowing has been going on for almost a thousand years. It was the Benedictine monks who introduced and spread it. The AOC was not obtained until 1948. The grape varieties used are Cabernet and Sauvignon, as well as those specific to Madiran: Tannat, Pacherenc and Palissé. The village dates back to Roman times. The village appears in history in 1030-1088 with a reference to the foundation of the priory of Madiran found in the archives of the Jesuit fathers of Toulouse.  

Madiran wine

Madiran is a French red wine produced in the departments of Gers, Hautes-Pyrénées and Pyrénées-Atlantiques. The 1,300-hectare vineyard, planted on sedimentary soils, produces very powerful, full-bodied red wines. They go well with regional gastronomy, duck and meats in sauce or grilled. The vineyards are very old, dating back to Gallo-Roman times. The real structuring of the vineyard began with the foundation of the Madiran monastery in 1030. The reputation of Madiran was assured by the pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela, who passed through Saint-Mont and Madiran. Legend has it that the occupation of Bearn by the Black Prince, who became Prince of Aquitaine in 1360, enabled the English to discover Madiran. Phylloxera decimated the vineyards in the 19th century, but the winegrowers rallied and obtained an AOC in 1948. The appellation decree established tannat as the main grape variety and cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and iron as secondary grape varieties. Tannat produces a very dark, full-bodied, acidic wine that takes a long time to drink. It is a wine for laying down that will improve over a decade or so.

LEMBEYE (POP: 770)

The former capital of the Vic Bilh region, this fortified town dates back to the 11th century and was under the command of the viscount. It was later joined by a lay abbot, the Baron de Samsons. In the 17th century, Lembeye was the 6th largest town in Béarn. The town suffered from invasions, but it was the religious troubles that devastated it. A Protestant town, Lembeye was ravaged in 1569 by the troops of Terride, Catherine de’ Medici's captain, at the head of the French Catholic army, which led to the town's decline. Lembeye still has a listed town gate and church, as well as a number of fine 17th and 19th century houses. For cycling fans, Lembeye is above all the birthplace of Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle, who was born here in 1954.  

Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle

Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle is a man who loves the South-West of France, yet he has written the finest pages of his career on the cobbles of the North. Revealed by his victory in the 1980 Paris-Nice, won in dreadful weather conditions, he revealed himself as a hard-bitten baroudeur and already shone in the Flanders classics, finishing second in Paris-Roubaix behind Francesco Moser. Faithful to the Peugeot team, 'Gibus' continued to add to his list of honours (Grand Prix de Plouay 1981 and 1987, Bordeaux-Paris 1983, Grand-Prix du Midi Libre 1991) before finally making his mark in the Queen of the Classics, where he had already finished second twice and in the top six four times. At almost 38, he made his mark on the cobbles and won solo in 1992, before repeating the feat the following year, beating Italian Franco Ballerini by a hair's breadth in the sprint. Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle took part in the Tour de France thirteen times, winning the red jersey for intermediate sprints in 1987. 

AGEN

Inmersa en el rico tapiz rural de Lot-et-Garonne, Agen cautiva con su patrimonio histórico y sus tesoros gastronómicos. Paseando por las calles medievales, las casas con entramado de madera y las acogedoras plazas se hacen eco de siglos de historia.   Los animados mercados de la ciudad son el mejor lugar para acercarse a los productos de la región, incluidas sus internacionalmente conocidas ciruelas pasas. La cocina tradicional gascona se puede degustar en sus muchos cafés y bistrós. Entre los lugares de interés cultural destacan la catedral y el Museo de Bellas Artes.  

Al caer la tarde, la explanada del Gravier, que bordea el río Garona, es el lugar perfecto para pasear antes de cenar. Histórica, acogedora y repleta de lugares fascinantes por descubrir, Agen es una ciudad que no dejará indiferente a nadie.

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