Pyrenees

Pyrenees

 

The Pyrenees are situated in the southernmost part of France. It is an area for the true nature lover. The mountains forms a natural border with Spain and have 129 peaks with a height of more than 3000 meters. In comparison with the Alps, the Pyrenees are just a bit quieter, less touristy and a bit rougher. And honestly, that’s  unjustified, because the area has so many possibilities.

 

Cities

Besides a lot of beautiful nature, you can visit several authentic cities and villages in the region. These cities are not all located in the mountains themselves, but are part of the different departments in the Pyrenees. The most important city is Toulouse, also known as ‘La ville Rose’. This is a reference to the many buildings that are made of light red brick. Toulouse is a student city but also has a cool historic center with old mansions and impressive historic buildings. Definitely worth a visit! In addition to Toulouse, Lourdes is one of the bigger cities. This is mainly because it has become a famous spots for pilgrims. What you should see when visiting Lourdes is the castle of Lourdes and a 100-year-old cable car that takes you to a viewpoint at an altitude of 1000 meters. Finally, Cahors and Figeac are also nice historic towns to visit when you are on vacation in the area of the Pyrenees.

 

Nature

Of course you’ll visit the Pyrenees for it’s nature, the beautiful mountain lakes, high mountain peaks and flowery valleys are breathtaking. The Pic du Midi de Bigorre is a 2877 meter high mountain peak with an amazing view. And don’t forget about the the ‘cirques’: valleys that have been formed by erosion into a particularly horseshoe-shaped valley. You’ll also find different animal species in this area, like pigs, deer, foxes, goats, wild cats and wolves.And although the population is so small you’ll probably won’t encounter one: there are some brown bears that live in the Pyrenees!

 

Activities

Hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, caving, abseiling, and mountain climbing. All the possibilities are there. In this area you can also visit several caves where prehistoric rock drawings can be seen. Something else I would recommend is taking a touristic train in the mountains. There are several organized train tours that bring you to the most beautiful and magnificent viewpoints.