Departments for the Midi Pyrenees , France

L'Ariège
The landmark of the Cathar resistance movement. At Foix, not to be missed are the dungeon of Gaston Phoebus, at Mirepoix, the cathedral (with its ribbed nave, the largest of France), the castle (11th and 15th centuries);
the Cathar castle at Roquefixade (12th century), the Camon fortified villages (12th century), Lagarede (1129), Lordat (13th century).

L'Aveyron
Sites you should visit : Conques (12th century Abbey, a treasure of the Romanesque architecture), the Romanesque church of Sainte-Foy ; Roquefort ; the valley of the River Lot (Saint-Geniez-d'Olt, Espalion, Calmont, Entraygues, Estaing) ; the valley of Rivers Tarn and Dourbie (gorges and castles) ; Villefranche-de-Rouergue (15th century Carthusian monastery and cloister) ; the fortified villages (La Couvertoirade, Sainte-Eulalie-de-Cernon, la Cavalerie, Saint-Jean-d'Alcas) ; the spa of Cransac ; the Rouergue museum (at Salles-la-Source, Aubin, Salmiech and Roquefort


La Haute-Garonne
Toulouse :
Also named the pink city because of its brick buildings, Toulouse has many site to visit : the Saint-Sernin basilica with its typical and original architecture style (11th - 12th centuries), the Jacobins convent (14th century), the Capitole (actual town hall), the Assézat mansion (middle of the 16th century - actually "Jeux Floraux" academy ; it continues to award poetry prizes) ; the Compans Cafarelli district and its japanese garden ; the royal garden ; and of course the Saint-Etienne cathedrale (11th -17th centuries), the Augustins museum (in the ancient Augustins convent), the Saint-Raymond museum and the Garonne riversides with the channel of Midi. Toulouse is also the French center of aeronautics.
You should not miss the pre-historic vestiges of Saint-Gaudens ; the Gallo-Roman vestiges of Montmaurin and Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges ; the romanesque sites of Valcabrère, Saint-Plancard, Saint-Gaudens ; the gothic churches of Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, Boulogne-sur-Gesse, Aurignac.


Le Gers
Auch:
The cathedrale of Auch (15th - 17th centuries) has the most beautiful woodcarved choir of the 16th century. You ought to discover the Armagnac Tower (of the 14th century) and a statue of d'Artagnan (famous figure of the city) ; Do not miss at Condom, its gothic cathedrale, its mansions of the 12th and 16th centuries, and the Armagnac museum ; at Isle Jourdain, its tower of the 12th century ; at Lectoure, the lapidary museum.
See also the Roman vestiges of Séviac at Montréal; the Romanesque and gothic churches, strongholds, castles, abbeys of Flaran; the collegiale of La Romieu; the spa of Barbotan-les-Thermes.


Le Lot
It is a vineyard area, with its sunny wines. Here you should visit Cahors and its Roman ruins, the Valentré bridge (remarkable fortified construction of the 14th century), the Saint-Etienne cathedrale (fortified church of the 11th century) and its cloister ; also see the king Henri IV’s house at Figeac and its Money Mansion, its "soleilhos" (typical houses) and the medieval houses ; going by Souillac or Gourdon, in the occasion of promenades, you could discover the hole of Padirac, Cabrerets (and the ruins of the famous "château du Diable" of the 15th century) or Lacave (Prehistorical museum), the villages of Rocamadour (and its castle), Saint-Cirq-Lapopie (built up on a huge rock), Carennac, Martel, the castles of Cenevières, Castelnau-Bretenoux, Montal, Assier or the valleys of Celé, Alzou du Vers, Dordogne rivers.


Les Hautes-Pyrénées
As hill country, this department presents a unique landscape with the Gavarnie circus, the plateau of Lannemezan and the valley of the River Adour; from there we draw a full-bodied wine, the Madiran.
It's also here a famous pilgrimage place with Lourdes, one of the more visited cities of France (the 3d after Paris and Nice).
The region is notorious for its spas: Argelès-Gazost, Bagnères, Barèges, Capver


Le Tarn
Do not miss at Albi the birth house of the famous painter Toulouse-Lautrec, the ancient Episcopal palace with its dungeon of the 13th century (also named the Berbie, built up for the great inquisitor of Languedoc, Hrh Bernard of Castanet), the Saint-Salvy church (13th century), the Sainte-Cécile basilica (end of 13th century) and its old bridges over the Tarn River (the old bridge date from the XIth century) ; at Castres, the Goya museum exhibits this painter greatest work : "the Junta of Philippines", and the city is also notorious for drapery ; At Mazamet or Cordes, a medieval city (the Great Fauconnier’s house, 14th century), you ought to visit the Protestantism museum at Ferrière, the castle of Penne (13th century), the ramparts of Puycelsi, the Square Tower of Castelnau-de-Lévis, Castelnau-de-Montmirail.


Le Tarn-et-Garonne
Montauban :
In Montauban, you should visit Ingres museum
(works of Ingres and Bourdelle) and the cloister.
Do not miss at Castelsarrasin to sample its famous Cassoulet, and at Caussade Foie gras, truffles.
Sites you should discover: at Moissac (Roman abbey and cloister), the castle of Gramont (Renaissance), the medieval villages of Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val, Caylus, and the valley of River Aveyron.