What to visit in Ariège? On holiday around ToulouseWithin Pyrenees ou in Occitanie, you want to make a tourist circuit around Foix ? Discover my road trip through Pyrenean landscapes, waterfalls, Cathar castles, classified sites major sites in France and some of the most beautiful villages in France !
Ce tourist circuit in Ariège, I did it as a 2 day road trip but it can inspire you for a longer road trip or for a week long vacation by doing day trips.
Where is Ariège located?
THEAriège is a department that is part of the Occitanie region in the South of France.
Bordering Haute-Garonne, Aude, Pyrénées-Orientales, theSpain and Andorra, a large part of its territory is located on the Pyrenees chain.
How to come to Ariège?
Coming from Paris, for example, the most practical airport to get to Ariège isToulouse-Blagnac airport. It will suffice to rent a car on site to make my tourist circuit in complete freedom!
For those who prefer to travel by train, the nearest towns of Ariège served by the train are: Foix, Tarascon and Pamiers.
Tourism in Ariège
There are many tourist sites in Ariège, each one as interesting as the next: small villages, hiking trails, spa towns, Cathar castles and mythical prehistoric caves!
Suddenly, due to the variety of its tourist sites, Ariège is a good plan to take advantage of a weekend of green and cultural tourism.
What to visit in Ariège - My essentials
In order to plan my itinerary of most beautiful tourist sites in Ariège, I have only selected the most beautiful villages and the largest natural and historical sites:
- Foix and its castle
- St. Lizier
- Village of Tourtouse
- Carla-Bayle village
- Val Larbont castle
- Mas d'Azil cave
- City of Mirepoix
- Camon village
- Monségur Castle
- Cascades d'Ars
What to visit in Ariège - Circuit map
Here are the steps of my 2-day road trip around Foix in Ariège :
Tourist circuit around Foix - Day 1
For the first day of discovery of Ariège, we take the road towards Foix through colorful landscapes!
In the middle of summer, Ariège offers landscapes from which painters could draw inspiration and not just mountain landscapes ...
Tourism in Ariège - Foix and its castle
The Chateau de Foix has origins dating back to the 10th century but it has been several times remodeled and well restored in the 19th century.
Perched above the town of Foix, the lords who reigned over the region had chosen this location to monitor and control access to the Ariège valley while protecting themselves behind impregnable walls.
This castle and its city succeeded in resisting the crusade against the Cathars. The county has even become one of the best refuges for persecuted Cathars in the area.
Tourism in Ariège - Saint-Lizier
45 kilometers from Foix, at the foot of the Couseran mountains, is the town of Saint-Lizier and its Palace of the Bishops.
As one of the great sites of Occitanie, Saint-Lizier is also included on the UNESCO World Heritage List!
Ancient Gallo-Roman city, Saint-Lizier became from the 6th century the seat of an important Bishopric. And it is during the Romanesque period that its two magnificent cathedrals were built:
- Notre-Dame de la Sède in the grounds of the Palais des Évêques
- The parish church and its cloister which is also called the Cathedral of Saint Lizier which houses its treasure (Crosse of Saint Lizier, reliquary bust of Saint Lizier…).
After visiting the Palais des Evêques, I recommend that you take the time to take a little tour of the historic center of Saint Lizier. Take a stroll through its pretty alleys bordered by old half-timbered houses.
Tourism in Ariège - Tourtouse
We now take the road for a quarter of an hour to reach Tourtouse.
In the heart of the Volvestre, in a hilly landscape, Tourtouse is a village that deserves a detours. You will be able to discover the ruins of a keep, loopholes and the old gate of the city of Tourtouse.
Tourism in Ariège - Carla-Bayle
35 kilometers from Tourtouse, my circuit continues with the pretty village of Carla Bayle. It is an old fortified citadel from the 14th century which is also the birthplace of the philosopher Pierre Bayle.
Tourism in Ariège - Grotte du Mas d'Azil
The Grotte du Mas d'Azil is one of the 25 largest sites inOccitania. By visiting this mythical cave, you will dive into the heart of Prehistory by discovering the life of the Cro-magnons.
Where to sleep in Ariège?
From the Grotte du Mas d'Azil, it will take you about 15 minutes to reach the Val Larbont castle. This is where I recommend you to spend the night.
In a simply magnificent setting, for 120 Euros per night (breakfasts included), you will sleep in a 50 m2 suite.
See this accommodation on Booking
Tourist circuit around Foix - Day 2
What to visit in Ariège - Cité de Mirepoix
After 1 hour on the road, you will arrive at my favorite stopover in Ariège: Mirepoix !
In fact, Mirepoix is a magnificent medieval bastide in the Cathar country. Its square in the center of the city is surrounded by half-timbered houses on wooden galleries.
In Mirepoix, you can:
- enjoy its pretty market (Monday morning),
- stroll through its alleys,
- admire the old facade of the Consuls' house decorated with wooden sculptures from the Middle Ages,
- visit its cathedral which has the widest nave in France.
What to visit in Ariège - Village de Camon
Ranked among most beautiful villages in France, the village of Camon is located in the Hers valley just 13 kilometers from Mirepoix.
The visit of this fortified village passes by its abbey castle and its alleys with flower-bedecked facades. Indeed, Camon is nicknamed the village of a hundred roses!
What to visit in Ariège - Monségur
With its houses side by side, all facing the sun, Montségur is the typical example of mountain villages built in soulane.
Its alleys are narrow punctuated by cantous which are kinds of wooden bridges built above the streets to link the houses together.
At the end of the village, I recommend that you go to the Carroulet viewpoint from where you overlook the Lasset Gorges.
Monségur Castle
But in Monségur, you can't go without taking a short hike to the ruins of the Château de Monségur. At the castle car park, a short 30-minute walk takes you to the castle by a footpath.
Restaurant in Monségur
After this little hike, I recommend a good little restaurant, simple, unpretentious but where you can enjoy local food: Smoked potatoes!
What to see in Ariège - Cascades d'Ars
To end my weekend in Ariège in style, it is a “nature” stopover that I am offering you for the afternoon. Direction Aulus les bains to see the Cascades d'Ars (2 hours drive from Monségur).
Over 30 m high, the Cascades d'Ars are famous because they produced a rare phenomenon in the Pyrenees: a tufa. It is indeed a natural geological curiosity. A tufa is a petrifying waterfall formed of tuff which is a white limestone.
The beautiful hike takes 3 hours round trip. So, plan to do it in the early afternoon, not too late ...
weekend ideas in France ?
here is my good weekend plan in Marseille,
un 2-day circuit to visit the Gorges du Tarn
a visit to the Gorges du Verdon
Thank you for these excellent details on our beautiful France. I am considering going out, following your experience. Thanks, keep going.
Thank you Jean-Marc,
I am delighted that my articles on our beautiful regions of France are of interest to Internet users. I wish you a great summer.