Midi-Pyrénées

Southwestern France presents a great many different terroirs, ranging from the gentle slopes of Gascony to the rugged peaks of the Ariège and the Pyrenees. A harmonious combination of colours and fragrances characterises the main cities: "Toulouse la rose", famed for its pink rooftops, and "Albi la rouge" can be spotted from afar because of its red sandstone rock.
Although humidity and lush greenery dominate the north, the south is marked by a series of steep, arid valleys. In between, you will encounter causses, the limestone plateaux where herds of sheep are brought to graze, and hillsides covered in vines. On your journey, you will witness the changes in rural housing - slate gives way to clay tiles and stonework is gradually replaced by several colours of brick. From Conques to Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, you will notice the strong presence of Romanesque art and the many fortified cities clustered around Armagnac and Le Rouergue, in particular Mirepoix, a splendid example of medieval architecture. It is no surprise that the River Garonne took so many twists and turns before finally opting for the Atlantic. It was on this site that Toulouse was to settle and later prosper as the capital of Occitan civilisation.
The outstanding popularity of the Midi-Pyrénées with tourists can be attributed to its natural beauty and to its man-made achievements. Some visitors will be attracted by the Larzac causses, the firns of the Cirque de Gavarnie, the underground tunnels of the Padirac Grotto or boat trips along the River Labouiche. Others will prefer to explore the prehistoric dwellings along the Ariège Valley or the Célé Valley near Figeac.

Get more tourist information: http://www.tourism.midi-pyrenees.org/