THE HILLS ARE ALIVE (Ariege)

Member Name: thingywhatsit

Product:	Ariege
Date:	21/05/06 (166 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Wonderful step away from stresses of City living.

Disadvantages: Many do not take advantage of the easily accessed area which is the best in France.

I want to write about Ariege because it is a place I was introduced to by someone who knows the area very well. It is their home county and they were very proud of it, and it has become one of my favourite places in France. What is interesting here is that whilst many visitors go to Carcassone now that cheap flights have been introduced, many miss the opportunity to discover this region which is within an hours' drive of Carcassone, and well worth the car hire, because it opens up an area of France that merits a visit, and makes access to it simple.

Ariege is the one of the smallest counties in France, and lies in the mountains just south of Toulouse. The avenues that lead out to Ariege are lined with trees and it always makes me think of what pictures France conjured up in my head long before I ever came to France.

The countryside in this area is outstanding, and the historic interest that is alive today humbles a human being into knowing that events that took place in the past were huge events, and made a bigger impact on this earth than we will ever make. I say this because in this region, the Cathar strongholds date back centuries, and seeing the remains of these castles that dominate the skyline at the top of the hills as you approach Ariege is startling and provides photo opportunities for the visitor. The Cathars moved away from the Roman Catholic church and the remains of these vast Cathar can be enjoyed both from the road itself, or climbed up to by the hardy traveller on well worn tracks. I say this because I believe the region not only to be enjoyable by the fit traveller, but as most of the scenery is all around you as you travel, I believe that it suits the handicapped traveller as well as the able bodied one.

Ariege is one of the least populated areas of France, and the beauty of the mountains and valleys is astonishing. My breath was taken away by the views from hilltops, and the greenery of pastures that lay in little valleys. This is to me one of the most beautiful areas in the whole of France and lies near the Pyrenees, and you can catch a glipse of snow covered mountains in the distance and the altitude of this region means that even if you are unable to travel as far as the hills promise adventure, there really is the temptation to stop and picnic, and breathe the mountain air, which is fresh and invigorating, and simply enjoy the natural wonderment of what you see.

Throughout history, Ariege has had its role to play going right back to cave men, and the caves are still there for people to see and enjoy. During Cathar times, Ariege was a refuge for people whose belief was different from Rome, and even in recent history, Ariege sheltered pilots and then smuggled them over the border to Spain away from the eyes of the Nazis. It seems strange to me that you can feel so protected in a small community atmosphere, and yet have so much accessible to you as a tourist, without the commercial trappings that other tourist areas seem prone to.

This is not only an outstanding area from the point of view of what you find there. There are many attractions as simple as walking holidays, fishing, kayaking as well as Ariege having an ambiance of peace and calm in what is otherwise a life of storms. This little piece of Earth is outstandingly beautiful, and easily accessible to all. I actually find that I feel happy and unstressed in this area of France, where the people seem friendly and welcoming and do not fall into the trap that other touristic areas seem to of answering a British tourist struggling with French in English.


This is a place where what you see is a real and being a mountainous area, where the hot temperatures never seem stifling, and on the occasions I have been, even in the height of the Summer, the very nature of the open countryside means that the heat is a pleasant one, calmed by breezes.

There is a Bridge which is very famous here called the Devils Bridge and when you look from this bridge down through the valley at the river flowing off into the distance, it is magnificent. The stories about the devils bridge are numerous but it is said that a man disguised himself as a pig so that he could cross the bridge, because all men who tried to cross it were killed. Dressed in a pig's skin, he succeeded.

Eating out is a delightful experience and you can get all inclusive meals for as little as £5 a head which is the dish of the day plus wine plus coffee. As for general expenses in the area, I found that this area was no more expensive than other parts of France and that it is in fact cheaper to eat out than at home in Brittany. One word of warning though about eating out in Ariege is that unless the restaurant offers a “plat de jour” which is an all inclusive menu, be careful of the little amounts adding up, especially in the hotel restaurants that are prestigous and can prove to be expensive. Snacks are also very available at reasonable prices, and it really is worth thinking of doing a small supermarket trip before heading to Ariege, filling up with picnic type foods because there are many stopping off points that make the experience more enjoyable and less expensive, and therefore valuable as a visit to rich and poor alike.

Ariege is an all year round adventure. The roads are good and passable even in winter. The Summer months are busy ones, but the area is so widely spread out that you never feel stifled by other tourists. The Autumn is magnificent, and most of the trails are still open. In Winter, the ski stations open and once again, the tourist is offered the chance to view Ariege from a different angle, and even those that cannot ski can hire snowshoes and are encouraged to explore, even if they do not feel confident enough to ski. March until September is the fishing season, and the rivers are clear and unpolluted and yeild a good positive fishing experience. Even the children are catered for and there are adventure parks with fully qualified staff, although here advanced bookings are wise. Moulis and Orlu are easily accessible, and information is available at tourist offices.

Worthy of note in the region are the Festival of St Jean at the end of June (dates vary from village to village for their own individual celebrations, but are not unlike the British Bonfire Night, though with song and dance, and from Mid July until August, one of the most spectacular events tells the history of the region and displays how the lives of the peasants were in the late 1700's, in a region called Le Fossat. A visit to Pamiers is also well worth it as this town has a wonderfully colourful town centre with little street cafes and a superb market with the aromas of freshly cut flowers, and a variety of what the French are renowned for, i.e. Cheeses, fruits and vegetables and food in general, freshly displayed in an ambient environment.

For night life, it is better to stick to towns because there really is not a great deal of nightlife, but here you have the best of two worlds, because you can have the daylight in Ariege and breathe in the mountain air and views, and then drive to Toulouse for the evening, where the night life is alive and humming, or chill out in the many town restaurants which stay open until late at night.

This is a beautiful region. Breathe in the air and enjoy it.

Rachel

Summary: A fine holiday for everyone.