About Midi-Pyrénées
France's largest region (bigger than Switzerland!), Midi-Pyrénées (population 2.55 million) comprises Ariège (09), Aveyron (12), Haute-Garonne (31), Gers (32), Lot (46), Hautes-Pyrénées (65), Tarn (81) and Tarn-et-Garonne (82). The Midi-Pyrénées borders Spain in the south, Languedoc-Roussillon to the east and Aquitaine to the west, and encompasses the French Pyrenees with Toulouse, its capital, at the centre. The Midi-Pyrénées boasts a wide variety of stunning, unspoilt scenery ranging from the majestic snow-capped peaks of the Pyrenees in the south to the pastoral tranquillity of the Aveyron, Lot and Garonne valleys in the north. The region as a whole is 25 per cent woodland, 25 per cent grassland, 35 per cent arable land and 15 per cent other uses, including urban areas.
The department of Gers is widely regarded as the heart of the ancient province of Gascony (sometimes called 'Guyenne' by the French), which is often described as France's 'Tuscany' on account of its rolling green countryside and numerous pretty villages. Neighbouring Haute-Garonne is dominated by Toulouse but reaches right down to the Pyrenees, while Hautes-Pyrénées is a largely mountainous department boasting many ski resorts.
In the north-east of the region, Aveyron offers a variety of landscapes, including the wild, rocky area known as Les Causses, south of Millau, the town being regarded as the gateway to the Tarn Gorges - spectacular cuts through the lower Massif Central and a Mecca for hikers, canoeists, climbers and campers (the viewpoint at the top is appropriately called the Point Sublime!). The departments of Tarn and Tarn-et-Garonne in the east of the region have recently become extremely popular with foreign homebuyers, particularly the British (in many parts, you're almost certain to have British neighbours), and prices have risen accordingly.
In the south-east corner of Midi-Pyrénées, the department of Ariège has stunning scenery and is popular with a number of British and European notables, including Tony Blair, who has spent part of his summer holidays here for the past several years. (Perhaps he has been trying to strike it lucky: around 50kg (110 lb) of gold is panned every year from the department's rivers!) The decline of agriculture means that there are plenty of inexpensive properties to be found, and the department has the dual advantages of being near the Pyrenees and close to Toulouse. On the Spanish border is the principality of Andorra, which offers its own ski resorts as well as tax-free shopping (if you don't mind sitting in a traffic jam waiting to cross back into France afterwards!).
The Pyrenees are popular for year-round outdoor activities, including cycling, hiking and, of course, skiing. There are more than 30 ski resorts in the area, which are generally much less expensive than the Alpine resorts, although less challenging for advanced skiers. There are also numerous spa towns in the Midi-Pyrénées, owing to the region's many thermal springs. Lourdes, in Hautes-Pyrénées, is probably the most visited place in the region, millions of people flocking to the Roman Catholic holy shrine each year, many in search of miracle cures.
Named after its principal river, Lot (the 't' is pronounced) is geographically diverse, which contributes to its climatic variations. The altitude rises from west to east as you approach the Massif Central, and the highest point in the department is 780m (2,550ft) above sea level. Two major rivers cross the department: the Dordogne in the north and the Lot, with its many tributaries, in the south. The Dordogne basin is lush with small valleys, bubbling streams and tall cliffs (on which are perched many dramatic châteaux). In the southern half of the department are the causses, rocky plateaux and hills full of caves, and Quercy blanc ('White Quercy') - so called because of the white limestone used in the area's distinctive buildings. These plateaux are mainly hot and dry with little cultivation. In the extreme south hemmed in by cliffs, are the plains of the Lot valley, covered with the vines of Cahors.
The department is rich in history and boasts many ancient and picturesque towns, including Rocamadour, a town built into the cliffs and France's second-most visited place outside Paris (after the Mont Saint-Michel in Brittany) and Souillac, " where culture and history meet" (according to the tourist guides).
Like many other departments in central France, Lot is experiencing the decline of agriculture and ageing of the population, and parts of Lot are relatively poor, although in the area around Cahors, with its wine industry, the economy is booming. However, according to the last census in 1999, Lot's population has risen back to the level of 1936. This can in part be accounted for by the migration of both French and foreigners (mainly British) to the area. Tourism has contributed greatly to the economy of the department, as it has a lot to offer to both tourists and the many people who have second homes here (one in five houses is a second home). Surprisingly, a recent survey concluded that properties for sale in Lot were on average the second-most expensive in France outside Paris! The people of the Midi-Pyrénées have long regarded themselves as a breed apart - brave and freespirited, typified by the statue of D'Artagnan (famous as one of the 'Three Musketeers' in the novel of that name by Alexandre Dumas) in the shadow of the cathedral at Auch (32). In fact, D'Artagnan is reputed to have been modelled on Charles de Batz, Captain of the King's Musketeers and a native of Auch.
Examples of the earliest forms of human art, 30,000-year old cave paintings depicting deer, bison and other animals, can be found in the grottoes of the Ariège department, and the region also retains influences of the Celts, who settled here in pre-Christian times, Romans and Moors (Arabs), who occupied the area for some 800 years. The local culture and especially the cuisine have therefore developed from both Roman and Arab roots and are celebrated in the region's many festivals
Several classic French dishes originate in this region, including cassoulet, made from Toulouse sausage, magret de canard (duck cutlet) and that most politically incorrect (but most typically French) of foods, pâté de fois gras (goose-liver pâté). Roquefort cheese is made here (in the town of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon in Aveyron) and another famous Gascon product is armagnac, a grape brandy similar to (but subtly different from) cognac, which is made in neighbouring Poitou-Charentes. (Many connoisseurs rate armagnac above cognac, claiming that is has a richer flavour thanks to its single distillation and oak casking). Many armagnac producers also make a fine aperitif called Floc de Gascoigne, which is a blend of armagnac and wine, along with a number of armagnac-based liqueurs.
©Text by David Hampshire, from Survival Books' Buying a Home in France