Tarn, aveyron & GARONNE - South west FRANCE

GUIDED WALKING HOLIDAYS

Historic villages & valleys of the Tarn

15 - 22 September 2012

7 nights - £795, Single-centre based, day walks

A guided week's walking that explores medieval hilltop towns and the river valleys that cut through the landscape giving it a distinctive character of deep rocky gorges, steep wooded valleys and high sunny plateaux.

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Full list of guided walking holidays

Exploring the Pays d'Oc

Tailor-made guided walking holiday for private groups

7 nights - twin-centre based holiday staying in pretty villages, day walks - price dependent on number in group

A tailor-made guided walking holiday that explores a variety of landscpes in south west France including medieval hilltop towns, deep rocky gorges, wooded valleys, vine covered slopes and high sunny plateaux.

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SELF CATERING INDEPENDENT WALKING HOLIDAY

Le Claouzet: April - October

7 nights - from £140 p/p, Single-centre based, day walks

Beautifully restored farmshouse in rural location in South West France, which sleeps up to 8. Walking holiday with maximum fexibility where you do as much or as little as you want. Ideal location for groups and families

Tarn & Aveyron

The region which you'll be exploring if you choose one of our independent or guided walking holidays in south west France is an area known collectively as the Midi-Pyrénées. Both of the guided holidays spend some time in the beautiful unspoiled Pays des Bastides area of Tarn.

Hundreds of medieval towns known as Bastides are scattered throughout the Midi-Pyrenees.  From high on rocky hilltops, villages such as Puycelsi, Penne and Cordes have kept watch over the surrounding countryside for centuries.  Our walking holidays will allow you to explore several of these towns as well as discover the three rivers, the Tarn, Aveyron and Viaur that cut through the countryside giving it a distinctive character of deep rocky gorges, steep wooded valleys and high sunny plateaux. 

The walking is mixed allowing walkers of moderate ability to enjoy the ever changing views and landscapes and see the beautiful array of wildlife and flowers, the area is particularly well known for it beautiful spring orchids thanks to the limestone and chalky nature of the land.  The Autumn brings the deer to the forest at Gresigne as well as wild boar and a fantastic array of birds of prey.

Some of the other features of our guided or independent walking holidays in the midi-pyrenees of France are:

There are a large number of historic towns and villages in north west Tarn. Albi is a beautiful town with most of the buildings constructed in red brick. It sits on the banks of the River Tarn and has many elegant shops and eating establishments. There are many places of interest in Albi, which include the huge cathedral and the world famous Toulouse-Lautrec museum, which holds 600 of the artists paintings.

Cordes-sur-Ciel is one of the most beautiful villages in the Midi-Pyrenees region of south west France. Founded in 1222, jewel of the Bastides Albigeoises - the New Towns of the Middle Ages . It is perched on the top of the mountain and offers the most breathtaking views.

The Gaillac vineyard is situated 50 kms east of Toulouse, in the direction of Albi, in the Tarn department. The vineyard stretches over both sides of the Tarn River and to the north up to the medieval town of Cordes-sur-Ciel.

The Gaillac Appellation area covers 2.500 hectares spread over 73 communes, for an AOC production of over 165.000 hectolitres. Today, the appellation comprises one hundred independent producers and 3 co-operative cellars.

Many of the grapes used in Gaillac wines are among the most ancient in Europe. They give Gaillac wine a very different taste to the wines of its neighbours, Burgundy to the north-east and Languedoc to the east and south. The wines are fruitier, softer, and deliciously easy to drink. The Whites go eminently well with seafood, bouibaise, chicken, pheasant, quail, turkey and cheeses. The reds are excellent with the spicier dishes of the south of France

Whatever food or drink you like, you will never be hungry or thirsty in the Tarn. Tarn specialities are wide-ranging and full of flavour. Why not try specialities such as Truffles, Cepes, Wild Boar, Veal, Pink Garlic, Echaudés Biscuits, Jambon de Lacaune, Pumpkin Pancakes, Cheeses which can all be accompanied by wines from Gaillac.