Great Tourist Sites in Midi-Pyrenees Your Holiday Destination Midi-Pyrénées, it rhymes with hurray! Great Tourist Sites in Midi-Pyrenees Holidays don’t just happen; they’re planned with the heart! Midi-Pyrénées has a simple goal: making you happy! Some places are so exceptional that people talk about them on the other side of the world. Their names evoke images that stir travellers’ emotions: Conques, Rocamadour, From Toulouse ‘the pink city’ to the banks of the Canal du Midi; from the amazing sight of the Cirque de Gavarnie to the Lourdes, Marciac, the Millau Viaduct, the Cirque de Gavarnie, the Canal du Midi…. Millau Viaduct; from authentic villages of character like Saint-Cirq-Lapopie to exuberant festivals like Jazz in Marciac; you These great sites create our region’s identity and are part of its infl uence, which extends can explore the many facets of a region whose joie de vivre is contagious! well beyond its borders. Step into the culture of Midi-Pyrénées and discover its accent, fl avours, laughter and generosity! Half-measures, regrets and To discover them, you need to expand your outlook and let yourself be guided by your restraint are not allowed. Enjoy your stay to the full, with a real passion. You’ll go home a different person! tastes and desires. Follow the Route des Bastides through fortifi ed towns or the Way of St James, criss-crossing through towns of art and history. Or revel in the freedom and Long live freedom, long live passion, long live Midi-Pyrénées! fresh air of the Pyrenean peaks. For those of you who enjoy constantly broadening your horizons, Midi-Pyrénées offers unlimited opportunities! Open to a wide variety of infl uences, our region has developed a generous and sincere character that is far from ordinary. It has always promoted strong values based on beauty, truth and authenticity. It has also developed a distinct fondness for calm, and Discover the great sites of Midi-Pyrénées... constantly strives for quality. These are just some of the features that characterise the art of living that is so unique p.38-41 Explore, learn, be thrilled to Midi-Pyrénées. They can be found everywhere: in the harmony of its landscapes p.6-15 Great wonders and the unspoiled nature of its untamed, open spaces; in the peaceful atmosphere of its towns and villages; in the ancient, perfectly preserved architecture; in its colourful p.16-19 Move, breathe, be amazed p.42-53 The arts markets; in the peaceful beauty of its heritage where stone meets brick; in the Gothic fl amboyance of the Cathedral of Sainte Cécile d’Albi; in the cave art of the Grottes de p.20-25 Natural splendours p.54 Directions, practical information Niaux and in the ruggedness of its Cathar strongholds. And, of course, in its gastronomic traditions. It is the French region with the largest p.26-29 number of certifi ed products with authenticated labels … products of character that Taste, share, enjoy p.55 Map mean a great deal to us such as foie gras, cassoulet, farm-raised lamb, Roquefort, the Chasselas grape and our wines. p.30-37 Beautiful towns Welcome to Midi-Pyrénées Martin Malvy Former Minister President of Midi-Pyrénées 02 CRT / D. Viet sauf Sylvanès p.7, E. Teissèdre ; Château fort p.11 : Lourdes OT Lourdes / G. Noël ; p.19 : Balnéa Loudenvielle ; Aristide Bruant p.33 : Musée Toulouse-Lautrec, Albi ; Montauban p.39 : CDT Tarn et Garonne. Création - Réalisation : 03 THE MIDI-PYRÉNÉES REGION PRESENTS Great Tourist Sites in Midi-Pyrenees A fi lm of epic proportions available at www.greatsites-midipyrenees.co.uk Project co-financed by the European Union. Millau Viaduct Europe is investing in Midi-Pyrénées through the European Regional Development Fund. 04 05 Sylvanès Roquefort Great is in the middle of the Grands Causses Regional Natural Park. With TTouristourist SSitesites the Causse Rouge to its north and the famous Causses du Larzac to inin Midi-PyreneesMidi-Pyyreneeess its south, the Millau Viaduct can be seen from far and wide. A few kilometres away, the Roquefort cellars with their extraordinary architecture produce the king of cheeses. Close to the Tarn gorges, Great wonders the Hospitaller and Templar towns of the Larzac, such as La Couvertoirade and Sainte Eulalie de Cernon, stand proudly and peacefully, reminding visitors of the history of these places. Further south, the Abbaye Cistercienne de Sylvanès (Cistercian Abbey, Sylvanès) hosts the Festival International de Musique Sacrée (International Festival of Holy Music) every year. Its training sessions and opera singing classes attract talent from around the world. Finally, Millau, whose heritage goes back to ancient Rome, is now renowned for its glove-making industry. The town welcomes numerous visitors who are keen to enjoy all of the tourist attractions available at the foot of this majestic structure. In this new centre of French heritage, tradition and modernity coexist in a very natural way, as demonstrated by the amazing symbiosis between the viaduct and its environment. Keys to discovery 13 years of research and 36 months of site work were needed to construct the Millau Viaduct. Its steel deck stands 270 metres high. It has 7 piers, each topped by an 87-metre high tower. The Millau Viaduct holds the world record with its P2 pier, as it Aveyron reaches a height of 345 metres. As the gateway to the Tarn gorges and at the foot of the Templar and Hospitaller villages of the Larzac, Millau is one Millau Viaduct, from tradition to modernity of those rare French towns to be located in a regional natural park: the Grands Causses Regional Natural Park. Opened in December 2004, the Millau Viaduct was devised a work of art to be admired. Every year, more than a million visitors gather at The leather from sheep bred in Larzac has given Millau’s gloves by the French engineer Michel Virlogeux and designed by the the Viaduct lookout point. This unique and popular rest area is the only offi cial, their reputation. AOC Roquefort cheese also comes from the English architect Lord Norman Foster. This 2,460-metre long secure lookout point created for the general public. As well as being a lookout milk of this ancient breed. structure spans the Tarn and holds the world record for the point and a tourist information centre, it is also a great place to eat. It offers light highest pylon, which towers 343 m above the valley. refreshments with a gourmet fl air to people passing through or visiting, representing the best of what Aveyron has to offer. Thanks to the Millau Viaduct, the “Méridienne” (A75 motorway) has become The Millau Viaduct is to Aveyron what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris, and people Offi ce de Tourisme de Millau : the shortest, most economical and least congested route between Paris and the come from around the world to admire it. 1, place du Beffroi - BP 331 - 12103 Millau Cedex Mediterranean. Tel. 00 33 (0)5 65 60 02 42 Light, sleek and slender, the Millau Viaduct is very much at home in the landscape. www.ot-millau.fr This unique motorway structure, which resembles a sailing ship, has become It is also a point of reference between two worlds. This contemporary work of art 06 07 La Couvertoirade Great TouTouristrist Sites inin Midi-PyreneesMidi-Pyyreeneees It all started with a weather observatory at the end of the 19th century. Since then, the Pic du Midi has been part of an incredible epic, attracting the passionate, the erudite and the curious, as well Great wonders as porters, builders and scholars, eager to better understand the universe. The exceptional qualities of the site allow observations to be made and measurements to be taken to understand how the earth is evolving. Today, this continuing human adventure is presented in Hautes-Pyrénées Europe’s highest museum space. The site’s magic continues into the night. All year round, during night-time events, the Pic du Midi is open for “Starry Nights”, with Pic du Midi, a programme of activities on the theme of astronomy. Even more magical, the Pic du Midi also holds “Nights at the Summit”. By booking ahead, 19 lucky people can sleep on this symbolic summit vessel of the stars and share unforgettable moments under the stars. Keys to discovery The Pic du Midi is an exceptional site to discover: The Pic du Midi de Bigorre, one of the most majestic summits in the Hautes-Pyrénées, rises to a height of In the morning: take full advantage of the cable car ride up to 2,877 metres. Accessible to the general public, the Pic the highest point at 2,877 metres and the amazing view, as du Midi is renowned for the beauty of its landscape, the mountain weather is often better early in the day. as well as for its astronomical observatory. In winter: the seasons work their magic on the landscape and To reach the summit of the Pic du Midi, a magnifi cent ascent awaits constantly change the view. The winter ascent to the peak is a you. All year round, summer and winter alike, head for La Mongie, fusion of whiteness and hushed silence. Simply breathtaking! the Domaine du Tourmalet ski resort. You will climb 1,000 metres in 15 minutes in the cable car; just enough time to give you a taster At night: the Pic du Midi organises year-round Starry Nights before you reach the 2,877-metre high peak and Nights at the Summit. Original, varied programmes, where the magic of the site takes on a whole new dimension: Up there, the purity and transparency of the air and the light are the sunset over the Pyrenees, and observations and activities on secret of this area, which was reserved for scientists for many years.