Places of Interest in Midi-Pyrénées South

Information and links to sites to visit while on vacation in south west France and Gascony...

Ski Resorts

The Pyrenees mountain range runs along the border between France and Spain, with the small country of Andorra nestling in the middle. The mountain range is 400 Km long and 70 Km wide stretching from the Atlantic in the west to the Mediterranean in the East. There are lots of ski resorts on both sides of the border and the Midi-Pyrénées has 38 ski stations offering over 1,000 Km of pisted skiing!

Food and Drink

South Western France is famous for its diverse cuisine. The Basque country produces a local chilli called Piment d'Espelette (Ezpeletako Biperra) or which is used to spice up local dishes that have a distinctly Spanish influence. Toulouse is famous for its thick pork sausages, which are a key ingredient for a cassoulet stew of white beans, sausages, and goose or duck fat and local meat. Goats' cheese is another product of the region as well as the blue Roquefort cheese. Truffles and various wild mushrooms grow in the wild in the forests of the Midi-Pyrénées. Above all, the area is famous for fois gras, a pâté made from enlarged goose or duck liver. The area is also famous for fine wines and cognac.


Toulouse is the capital of the Midi-Pyrénées region and one of the fastest growing cities in Europe. Originally built over the Garonne River, the Canal du Midi was subsequently constructed beside the city. It is the fourth largest city in France with aerospace and high-tech industries creating most of the economic activity. Toulouse is a major cultural centre and is packed with museums, galleries and interesting architecture and sights as well as a world famous university.

It is known as the Ville Rose, the pink city, because of the distinctive stone which was used to build the old town. Toulouse is also home to the famous football (TFC) and rugby clubs (Stade Toulousian).