Travel guide Ariège

Ariège is not stuck in its past. Although historically rich, it is invested in the present and the future. The road network is continually being improved and maintained, mobility is being reinforced between towns and villages, and above all, fiber optics is destined to be everywhere thanks to Ariège Très Haut Débit.

There aren't any! Never have been, never will be. Ceps? Chanterelles? Rouzillous? Pichagots? Morels? We tell you there aren't any! Don't insist! Surely in neighboring departments, but not here! You can discuss anything with the people of the Ariege, but not this passionate subject. How about the bear?

"Fébus aban!", "Rally to my white plume!" They have some famous phrases, our counts of Foix. Ah, you didn't know? But Henri IV was the last of the counts of Foix, very distant ancestor of Gaston Fébus (the blond with a black shoe). The counts have always made Foix a resistant, protective and combative city.

But your castles are all broken! Oh no, not that of Foix, which is superbly preserved. The Ariège has a remarkable medieval heritage. Cathar citadels in ruins, perched on their rocky spur, ancestral bastides, thousand-year-old Romanesque churches, knights, troubadours, Cathars, Catholics, Protestants... : centuries of history.

"A close friend of Napoleon Bonaparte described the Ariege in this way and congratulated the courage of those who extracted the precious mineral from the bottom of the mines. Textile was a manna but we must not forget paper, wood, horn combs... Tourism and advanced metallurgical industries have replaced these former activities.

"The Ariège goes up and down, it is never flat. Peaks, passes... 3 143 m for the Pique d'Estats, 3 077 m for the Montcalm. Without going to the extremes, the Plantaurel is hilly and only the Basse Ariège seems to live in flatness. It is a paradise for climbers on bikes or roped up. But the Ariegeans also have very good descents!

No need to look, it's everywhere. A regional nature park, lakes, rivers and streams that criss-cross mountains and plains, forests as far as the eye can see, a rich and preserved fauna (grouse, bear, wild boar, deer, trout). Some species are protected, while others are the delight of hunters and anglers.

Man has lived in Ariège since the dawn of time and has used its reliefs and caves to protect himself. Charcoal drawings of animals using the curves of the wall, hands, hunting scenes ... Art, beliefs? Researchers are looking for and knowledge is advancing. Children have left footprints somewhere in a gallery of Niaux.

The air we breathe here is so good. It's pure, full of oxygen, energizing. The four elements are galvanized by a kind of alchemy. The omnipresent earth in its relief, the fire heating those sulfurous waters that do so much good. Ariège is a haven of peace for those who wish to isolate themselves or meditate in contact with a rich and healthy natural environment.

There really is something for everyone here. Whether you like to explore the thousands of trails on foot or mountain bike, climb walls worthy of great walls, jump out of a plane, take off in a paraglider, hurtle down ski slopes or tumultuous rivers in a canoe, climb mountain passes on a bike... there's bound to be something for you in Ariège!

Terroir isn't just a sunny, rocky accent, it's above all authentic products made with respect for consumers and traditions. Cheeses from the Couserans, wines and beers from the plains, dry cured meats, sausages and hams, pâtés, terrines and even foie gras. We're good at making everything good!

This expression sums up the Ariège. You have already said it or you will do it soon if it is the first time you discover the breathtaking beauty of the department. Grandiose panoramas, various and varied sensations on the roads, the tracks, the rivers, in the air... Authentic products and especially warm-blooded people with a big heart.