LOCATION
and splashing around in the mountain rivers and lakes. For little ones who can’t walk too far, there is the option to borrow a donkey for a few hours to take the strain. Those who are looking for adventure, can try their hand at kayaking or canyoning, or even hiking over the Pyrénées mountains and into Spain – either on foot or on horseback. If all that sounds far too
active, there is nothing nicer than sitting on one of the café terraces dotted around the towns and villages here, admiring the mountains from afar – winter or summer. So, if you are looking for
St-Lary is a traditional Pyrénéan village
or extinct in most other parts of Europe. This includes the brown bear, which has been re- naturalised (not without some objection on the part of local farmers) and the lynx. The pastures in the valleys
and higher up in the mountains are full of wildflowers. This is a testament to the tradition of organic farming in the area. Here spraying chemicals on crops has never been adopted by farmers as it has in many other parts of the world, so the wildflowers have been able to flourish. All the major walking routes
(and many of the minor ones) have been marked throughout the Pyrénées and the
First reorts
BARÈGES, LA MONGIE AND GRAND TOURMALET The largest ski domain in the Pyrénées is Barèges, which links into the neighbouring (less pretty) resort of La Mongie. Barèges was one of the original ski resorts of the Pyrénées, although it’s probably better known for being on the route of the Tour de France, the Col du Tourmalet being one of the most gruelling stages. Barèges is a 14th- century French village nestled in dramatic mountain scenery. It has a large ski area on its doorstep, linking into the pistes of La Mongie, its higher, purpose-built neighbour, to give 100km of skiing. It’s also a spa resort and many skiers swear by the restorative waters aſter a hard day’s skiing. Napoleon apparently sent his wounded soldiers here to benefit from the curative properties of the thermal spring water. The crowning glory of the Barèges/La Mongie area is the Pic du
Midi observatory at 2,877m. A cable car takes you to the very top where there is a viewing platform, museum and observatory as well as a good restaurant (of course). This high, mountain-top base offers incredible views over the surrounding peaks by day, and unparalleled views of the stars by night. There is a hotel up here, open most of the year for keen stargazers, who get to look at the sky through the
70 FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: March/April 2025
mountains are criss-crossed with footpaths used by the local inhabitants for centuries. The best-known long-distance walking trail in the Pyrénées – and arguably the best long walk in Europe – is the GR10 (Grande Randonnée), which runs the whole length of the Pyrénéan chain from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. It combines farm tracks, ancient pilgrimage trails, village lanes and steep ledges. It is marked along its entire 500-mile course by red and white painted horizontal bars, in a precise size and style specified by the French equivalent of the Ramblers’ Association. In winter, there are also many snow-shoe tracks
to follow and cross-country ski trails, if you’re fit enough!
HAPPY GUESTS When you have a house in southwest France, it tends to fill up in the holidays with lots of friends and relatives, which is why it can be useful to live close to the entertainment offered by the Pyrénées. It means that guests, whatever their ages or inclinations, are spoiled for choice when it comes to deciding how to spend their days. They can head into the mountains for skiing, snowboarding or snowshoeing in winter; and in summer they can go walking or biking, or simply picnicking
a property with easy access to skiing in winter and other activities in summer, with a great climate, and reachable from airports, but at an affordable price, then southwest France is worth considering. Just do your research to find the right place for you (there are some pointers on ski resorts in the boxouts). You can definitely have
the best of both worlds in the foothills. If we didn’t already live here, this is where we’d choose to spend our holidays. ■
Nadia Jordan runs the
frenchpropertyfinders.com, a network of property finders covering the most sought- aſter regions of France, and
foothillsoffrance.com, a property search agency in southwest France
telescopes at night when the day visitors have leſt. In summer, the air is always cool and the views seem to span the whole length of the Pyrénées from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. Plus, in winter, there is the added advantage that you can be one of the first to ski the fresh snow 1,700m back to the resort in the morning.
ST-LARY The town of St-Lary is a traditional, 19th-century Pyrénéan village, which just happens to have an excellent ski resort attached to it. It has lots of character, a great choice of restaurants and a huge selection of year-round activities with a relaxed, friendly vibe. The ski resort has around 100km of pistes and is known for being particularly good for families. All of this combined with up-to-date mountain facilities and excellent infrastructure make it a firm favourite in winter and summer. Visitors include many French families who have been coming for
generations from all over France. The Aure valley in which the town sits is unspoiled, green and lush in summer. It’s popular with walkers for being on the pilgrimage route of St-Jacques de Compostelle, with lots of other walking and cycling trails, as well as rivers, lakes and waterfalls. Plus, you won’t go hungry here as the Vallee d’Aure is known for its gastronomic heritage and local delicacies.
© GREG TERRA PHOTO
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