PUBLISHED BY THE CONSEIL DÉPARTEMENTAL OF HAUTE-GARONNE 02 SUMMER 2018 HERITAGE & discovery Lake Saint Ferréol DESTINATION HAUTE- GARONNE PUBLISHED BY THE CONSEIL DÉPARTEMENTAL OF HAUTE-GARONNE ÉDITORIAL 1, boulevard de la Marquette BY GEORGES MÉRIC 31090 Toulouse Cedex 9 PRESIDENT OF THE CONSEIL DÉPARTEMENTAL Tel. +33(05 34 33 32 31 OF HAUTE-GARONNE HEAD OF THE PUBLICATION There are many reasons why you should spend this summer in Haute-Garonne. Georges Méric From its pastures to the middle valley of the Garonne and the high Pyrenean COORDINATION mountains, the Haute-Garonne is both stunning and surprising - with its landscapes François Boursier and villages and the multitude of activities on offer. In the heart of Occitania, it passionately cultivates history and is known worldwide for CHIEF EDITOR Julie Pontonnier its modernity. and Aurélie Renne Since the famous Venus of Lespugne, sculpted at the beginning of humanity, to the latest leaders in the aeronautic and space industries, the Haute-Garonne is an CONTRIBUTED TO THIS EDITION admirable showcase for curiosity and inventiveness, art and technology, expertise Pascal Alquier, Émilie Gilmer, and skill. Nicolas Héry, Élodie Pagès, Set off to explore all of its wonders and you will experience surprising nature, unique Isabelle Prunier heritage, and an art of living based on interaction, sharing and exchange. and Axelle Szczygiel The surprises will just keep coming ! PHOTOS The great Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges listed as a Unesco world heritage site ; Loïc Bel, Aurélien Ferreira, the Central Pyrenees, with the thermal town of Luchon, known quite rightly as Rémy Gabalda, Manuel Huynh, Florian Racaché, the “Queen of the Pyrenees”; Toulouse, the pink city or “ville rose” celebrated by Hélène Ressayres Nougaro ; the Fronton area and its vineyards, designated AOP and renowned for its and Romain Saada red and rosé wines; the château de Laréole, neighbouring the village of Cadours, GRAPHIC DESIGN capital of purple garlic, also designated AOP ; the hillsides and the traditional Studio Ogham bastides of Lauragais, Volvestre, Comminges ; the lac de Revel - Saint-Ferréol, a and Corinne Massa village by the lake at the foothills of the Montagne Noire, where you can find the PRINTED BY museum dedicated to Pierre-Paul Riquet, inventor and engineer of the canal du Imprimerie Delort Midi. Listed as a Unesco world heritage site, this waterway flows through our department and shapes our land. Along the canal, like the Garonne, green tourism is DATE OF PUBLICATION June 2018 developing and today there it is more popular than ever. Whether you are with your family or a group of friends, there is always something to ISSN 2556-5036 do, see or hear in Haute-Garonne. Reproduction in whole or in Come to the “31” and enjoy quality tourism on a local level where each person can, part of any of the documents published in this magazine according to their taste, discover the hidden treasures of art and heritage, practice is prohibited without prior their favourite sport in magnificent sites, admire the local artisanal crafts, enjoy permission culture and shopping in the city, or experience the “douceur de vivre” rooted in the 12,000 copies flavours of the “terroir” which we treat with the same attention and passion as our Free publication ancestors. Pour préserver l’environnement, ce Come and see us in Haute-Garonne and take the time to breathe. Take a break from magazine est imprimé sur un papier norm PEFC ; les papiers labellisés sont the fast pace of everyday life, re-energise yourself and experience some unique and issus de fibres vierges émanant de special moments. forêts gérées durablement. Welcome and have a good trip. PEFC/10-21-21 THE HAUTE-GARONNE AT A GLANCE an area of 6,309KM2 { mountain 18 PEAKS 10 GOLF 600KM courses of walking trails 40 PARKS & swimming 6 LAKES GARDENS + 50 MUSEUMS + 200 LISTED BUILDINGS + 100 festivals 4 SITES AS A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE: LISTED THE CANAL DU MIDI Michelin- and, under the roads of Saint-Jacques: 11 the Basilique Saint-Sernin, Hôtel-Dieu starred Saint-Jacques, in Toulouse, and basilique Saint-Just de Valcabrère. restaurants CONTENTS 24 TOULOUSE & 06 THE SURROUNDING TOURIST MAP AREA OF HAUTE-GARONNE 08 THE FAVOURITES PLACES OF... FRONTON12 & ITS SURROUNDING AREA PUBLISHED BY THE CONSEIL DÉPARTEMENTAL OF HAUTE-GARONNE 02 SUMMER 2018 IN COVER 34 Haute-Garonne view from the sky, THE LAURAGAIS lake Saint Ferréol. HERITAGE & Photo taken with a drone discovery 18 AROUND by Léo Mora. Lake Saint Ferréol CADOURS 4 / DESTINATION HAUTE-GARONNE CONTENTS 40THE VOLVESTRE 46 THE COMMINGES 58 66 SUSTAINABLE MADE IN TOURISM HAUTE- GARONNE 52THE PYRENEES 5 / 6831 NOTES D’ÉTÉ FESTIVAL DESTINATION HAUTE-GARONNE TOURIST MAP OF HAUTE-GARONNE TARN-ET-GARONNE FRONTON & ITS SURROUNDING AREA Montauban Bordeaux A 62 P. 12 Paris Villemur- sur-Tarn Fronton Albi Grenade A 68 Cadours Canal TARN des 2 mers Bonrepos Garonne -Riquet AROUND CADOURS P. 18 Verfeil GERS N 124 P. 24 TOULOUSE & ITS SURROUNDING AREA Auch Toulouse D 2 Castres A 61 Sorèze Revel St-Ferréol C Villefranche- Muret a N n de-Lauragais Rieumes a St-Félix l Avignonet Lauragais du e Canal de Saint-Martory M n Nailloux id L’Isle-en n i o Auterive -Dodon r Boulogne- a Mauressac G Cintegabelle sur-Gesse St-Élix- A 64 A 66 Carcassonne P. 34 HAUTES- le-Château Carbonne Montpellier PYRÉNÉES Ciadoux Barcelone Rieux- THE LAURAGAIS Aurignac Volvestre Montesquieu Cazères -Volvestre Foix St-Martory Andorre Tarbes Martres- AUDE Bayonne St-Gaudens Tolosane P. 40 THE VOLVESTRE Montréjeau Salies-du N 125 Barbazan -Salat Encausse Arbas ARIGE St-Bertrand-de Comminges Aspet Valcabrère St-Béat Tourist information points P. 46 THE COMMINGES Espagne Sources : CD 31 - DDET, CRT Midi-Pyrénées Fond : IGN 2009 - licence n 2008-CISO23-58 Luchon 0 10 20 km P. 52 THE PYRENEES HAUTE-GARONNE TOURISM CENTRE 14, rue Bayard - TOULOUSE (metro B, Jeanne d’Arc) Phone : 00 33 5 61 99 44 00 Monday to Friday from 9 am to 6 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm hautegaronnetourisme.com © CARTOGRAPHIE : CONSEIL DÉPARTEMENTAL DE LA HAUTE-GARONNE - DDET, JUILLET 2016 GREAT-BRITAIN LILLE TARN-ET-GARONNE Montauban PARIS Bordeaux STRASBOURG Paris A 62 Villemur- sur-Tarn Fronton Albi Grenade A 68 Cadours Canal TARN LYON des 2 mers Bonrepos Garonne -Riquet BORDEAUX Verfeil GERS TOULOUSE N 124 Auch HAUTE- GARONNE MARSEILLE Toulouse D 2 Castres A 61 Sorèze Revel SPAIN St-Ferréol C Villefranche- Muret a N n de-Lauragais Rieumes a St-Félix l Avignonet Lauragais du e Canal de Saint-Martory M n Nailloux id L’Isle-en n i o Auterive -Dodon r Boulogne- a Mauressac G Cintegabelle sur-Gesse St-Élix- A 64 A 66 Carcassonne HAUTES- le-Château Carbonne Montpellier PYRÉNÉES Ciadoux Barcelone BY CAR BY TRAIN Aurignac Rieux- Volvestre Paris – Toulouse: 680km Nearest TGV stations: Montesquieu Highways A10 / A71 / A20 Toulouse, Montpellier, Marseille, Bordeaux Cazères -Volvestre Foix St-Martory Andorre Tarbes Martres- Paris – Bagnères-de-Luchon: 815km Corresponding SNCF stations: Auterive, AUDE Bayonne St-Gaudens Tolosane Highways A10 / A71 / A20 / A 64 Carbonne, Colomiers, Escalquens, Nantes – Toulouse: 570km Fenouillet-Saint-Alban, Labège, Martres-Tolosane, Montastruc-la-Conseillère, Montrabé, Muret, Pibrac, Montréjeau Highways A83 / A10 / A61 Salies-du Portet-sur-Garonne, Saint-Jory, Saint-Gaudens, Marseille – Toulouse: 400km N 125 Barbazan -Salat Villefranche-de-Lauragais, etc. Encausse Highways A7 / A9 / A61 Arbas ARIGE St-Bertrand-de Comminges Aspet Valcabrère St-Béat 7 / Espagne Sources : CD 31 - DDET, CRT Midi-Pyrénées Fond : IGN 2009 - licence n 2008-CISO23-58 Luchon 0 10 20 km BY PLANE BY BUS Toulouse-Blagnac International Airport Bus terminal Toulouse-Pierre Sémard Cities of departure: Ajaccio, Bastia, Brest, Caen, Lots of bus compagnies operate in Toulouse. Calvi, Figari, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Metz-Nancy, Cars from the réseau Arc-en-ciel Mulhouse, Nantes, Nice, Paris, Rennes, Strasbourg. travel all around Haute-Garonne, with low prices. For more info: transports.haute-garonne.fr DESTINATION HAUTE-GARONNE THE FAVOURITES PLACES OF... THE FAVOURITES ou tard © Tôt PLACES OF... NINA GOERN MICHEL SARRAN They are singers, journalists, writers, SINGER FROM CATS ON TREES MICHELIN-STARRED CHEF IN TOULOUSE athletes... but they are all from A place A place Haute-Garonne! They share a selection “Without hesitation, for walking enthusiasts “There are areas of Toulouse that I love of places, rides and restaurants they I would recommend the idyllic, Lord of the like the area of Saint-Étienne, I like to really like. Rings like walks in the valleys around the wander through the streets of the old town Oô Lake in the Pyrenees. Some summer of Toulouse. I also like to be in the Place mornings, mist covers the paths and du Capitole at certain times of the day, go Par Pascal Alquier, Julie Pontonnier resembles a scene from Tolkein. When my to the Canal de Brienne or the banks of et Axelle Szczygiel father passed away over 10 years ago, my the Garonne. I love water for its soothing mother and I needed a place where we properties and Toulouse is a city full of could get away from it all and meditate. water.” This walk was an opportunity for us to find ourselves...” A trip “I like to ride around on my motorbike, I go A trip to the Lauragais and as I have my pilot’s “Along the Canal du Midi, by bike! The more licence, I enjoy taking short plane trips, intrepid can keep going until they reach flying above the region; it’s wonderful! On Carcassonne. I’ve never gone that far but foot, I like to walk or run along the Canal du on one occasion this bike ride gave me and Midi, it’s like having part of the countryside Yohan (her band mate from Cats on Trees, in the city and it’s lovely to go for a stroll editor’s note) a chance to make up after an when the weather is good.” argument.