If you are wondering what to visit in the Gers, so here is my tourist circuit around most beautiful villages of the Gers. On vacation in Occitanie, within Pyreneesin Toulouse or to Bordeaux , take the opportunity to visit the Gers in 2 days.
Discover my road trip through a territory where there are more ducks than men, where the soil and the good food have all their meaning and where the wine and the Armagnac are king!
My 2-day tour in the land of D'Artagnan, allows you to get away from it all in magnificent nature, discovering châteaux, wine estates, lakes, bastides and pretty little hilltop villages!
How to come to the Gers?
In the country of Gascony, the department of Gers part of the Occitanie region in the South West of France.
- For those who travel by plane, the most practical airport to get to the Gers is Toulouse-Blagnac airport. Of course, you will need to rent a car on arrival to reach the Gers (1h30 drive) and do my tourist tour. Otherwise, here are the other airports closest to Gers: Pau Pyrénées Airport, Tarbes-Lourdes Airport or Agen La Garenne Airport.
- For those who prefer to travel by train, the stations closest to the Gers are those of Auch, Agen, Toulouse and Tarbes.
What to visit in the Gers?
For visit the Gers in 2 days, I did not choose to visit neither the museums nor the many churches. I preferred to select only the most beautiful bastides, the most beautiful hilltop villages and the most beautiful tourist sites in the Gers. Then, I organized them in circuit to optimize the time and to be able to visit everything in 2 days.
The most beautiful villages of the Gers - Itinerary
Here are the stages of my tourist circuit around the most beautiful villages of the Gers:
- Monluc castle
- Condom
- Medieval city of Larressingle
- Cassaigne castle
- Flaran Abbey
- Valence-sur-Baise
- Château and estate Tariquet
- Caillavet village
- Bazian village
- Saint-Arailles village
- Lavardens village and castle
The most beautiful villages of the Gers - Map of the circuit
To switch to GPS mode, click inside the map on "More options".
Discover now in more detail the stages of my 2-day road trip in the Gers:
The most beautiful villages of the Gers - DAY 1 program
For the 1st day of visiting the Gers, Toulouse (my hometown) we take the road in direction of Saint Puy (1h30 drive) crossing beautiful landscapes of our beautiful French countryside!
What to visit in the Gers - Château de Monluc
The Château de Monluc, located on the heights of Saint-Puy, is the 1st stop on my tourist circuit in the Gers. Built on the remains of a 13th century castle, this building can be visited (by reservation at 05.62.28.53.51) for its cellars. Indeed, the Château de Monluc today represents a beautiful wine estate which produces Pousse-Rapière, wines, liqueurs and Armagnac.
Personally, I recommend that you book the (free) visit which lasts about 1 hour and which is very interesting. Of course you can buy a few bottles on site.
What to visit in the Gers - Condom
15 km from the Château de Monluc, I suggest a small stopover in Condom. You will visit Saint Peter's Cathedral but also a work by Georgian Zurab Tsereteli which represents the 4 Musketeers. Indeed, these statues are located in front of the Cathedral on the Place Saint-Pierre de Condom.
What to visit in the Gers - Larressingle
After a 10-minute drive, we are in the heart of a medieval city: A Larressingle.
Among the prettiest of the smallest fortified villages in France, Larressingle is notable for its perimeter walls, towers, superb entrance gate, 13th century castle and fortified church.
What to visit in the Gers - Château de Cassaigne
Only 6 kilometers from Larressingle, my itinerary takes us to visit the Château de Cassaigne and its vineyard.
This pretty 15th century chateau was owned by the Bishops of Condom. It is its production of Armagnac that made its reputation even if today the vineyard has diversified (Colombard, Ugni blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah).
During the visit, we discover some rooms of the castle but especially the techniques used for the production of wines and Armagnac. Explanations given in the old weapons room, are the aging cellars of Armagnac. Finally, the visit ends of course with a tasting!
What to visit in the Gers - Flaran Abbey
4 kilometers further south is the Abbey of Flaran for the last cultural visit of the day.
This 13th century Cistercian Abbey is one of the best preserved abbeys in southwestern France.
Listed historical monument, you can visit the Abbey of Flaran and in particular the collection of Mickaël Somonov (art lover passionate about the Gers) with a hundred paintings by great artists (Monet, Ronda, Courbet, Renoir, Matisse, etc ... ).
What to do in the Gers - Cruise on the Baïse
At the end of the afternoon, go to Valence sur Baïse right next to the Abbey (1,5 km). There, you can take a short stroll along the waves by renting an electric boat for 1 or 2 hours to navigate the Baïse river. Reservations by the Occitanie Tourist Office website.
Which hotel in the Gers?
Rather than a hotel, I recommend the Les Bruhasses Guest House right next to Valence sur Baïse. Located on a 3 hectare estate surrounded by vineyards, you will stay in an exceptional setting for around 105 Euros per night (breakfast included).
See this guest house on Booking
The most beautiful villages of the Gers - DAY 2 program
This second day of discovery of the Gers is more devoted to the pretty little Gascon villages. But it will be after a short visit to the castle of Tariquet.
What to visit in the Gers - Château et domaine Tariquet
In the land of the Côtes de Gascogne and the great Armagnacs, there is an address that I did not want to miss: Le Domain Tariquet.
Indeed, I knew this much appreciated white wine, a little soft that we take at home in the South-West as an aperitif or in the evenings.
The most beautiful villages of the Gers - Caillavet
After about thirty kilometers, we arrive at Caillavet. It is a pretty little village which dominates the valley of the Osse. Its visit is done quickly in a few tens of minutes.
The most beautiful villages of the Gers - Bazian
Continuing my route for 7 km, you will arrive at Bazian. This village is the typical example of Castelnaux du Gers with its ramparts, its castle, its old half-timbered houses.
From the center of the village, you can take a short hike:
- 6 km (2h) hike "little tour of Bazian" following the yellow markings PR2 from the Monument aux Morts;
- Or the 13 km (3h30) hike "grand tour de Bazian" by following the yellow markings PR1 from the Monument aux Morts.
The most beautiful villages of the Gers - Saint-Arailles
By continuing for 7 km my circuit of the most beautiful villages of the Gers, we arrive at Saint-Arailles. It is a small fortified village from the 13th century where you can take a pleasant stroll.
Around the village of Saint-Arailles, you can also discover the Gallo-Roman pile of the Turraque du Merlieu, the chapel of Brétous and its fountain that is said to be miraculous.
The most beautiful villages of Gers - Lavardens
My circuit of the most beautiful villages of the Gers ends in the village of Lavardens 35 km from Saint-Arailles. Ranked among most beautiful villages in France, Lavardens was built around its feudal castle and the Saint-Michel church.
Where to stay in the Gers?
For a holiday or a small relaxing weekend in the Gers, I recommend a cottage in Vic Fezensac. Ideally located for visiting the Gers, this cottage is very well equipped with an outdoor swimming pool, barbecue ...
The rooms have a terrace overlooking the garden and some have a kitchenette. In short, it is the ideal place to spend a good holiday with your family or as a couple in the Gers.
Need more weekend ideas in France ?
here is my cheap weekend in Marseille,
un 2-day tour in the Gorges du Tarn