Things to Do in Midi-Pyrénées

Situated inside the Palais de la Berbie, the astounding Toulouse-Lautrec Museum (Musée Toulouse-Lautrec, showcases hundreds of works by artist Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa, who was born in the area. Here you'll find over 1,000 artworks credited to the Albi artist along with a temporary exhibition space and an auditorium.

Flowing down from the Spanish Pyrenees all the way to France’s Atlantic coast, the Garonne is the most important river of southwestern France. Passing through two major cities—Toulouse and Bordeaux—the Garonne also runs into the Gironde estuary, the largest of its kind in Europe.

Situated in a rural part of southern France near the border with Spain, Espace Ludopia is an outdoor experience park that focuses on engaging the five senses. Visitors of all ages will enjoy exploring a series of interactive installations built from upcycled materials.

The Space City (Cite de l'Espace) lets you realize your dreams of visiting space without having to undergo years of astronaut training. Here, you can explore inside a space station or space rocket; try on a space suit; and experience the sensation of walking on the moon.

The neoclassical facade and pediments of the Basilique Notre-Dame de la Daurade are an impressive sight on the riverfront promenade in Toulouse. There’s been a church on this site for over 1,500 years, and there’s plenty of history and intrigue to explore here.

Les Abattoirs is Toulouse’s Museum of Contemporary Art. Housed in a former slaughterhouse, it’s a must visit for fans of contemporary art. The museum collection is made up of 4,000 works including pieces by Picasso and Dali and temporary exhibitions featuring contemporary artists such as Franz Gertsch, Dado, and Daniel Spoerri.

Join the untold number of travelers who have passed through the Lombrives Cave (Grotte de Lombrives), used by humans as far back as the Neolithic era. The cave system, located near the Spanish border in the Pyrenees, is among the largest in Western Europe and is known for its caverns, rock formations, and crystals.

Dating back to the 13th century, the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Cecilia (aka the Albi Cathedral, was built after the Church vanquished the Cathars, whose desire to make a new church was considered heretical. It's filled with interior frescos and houses the Great Moucherel Organ, one of the most beautiful organs in France.

Part of the Haut-Languedoc regional park and the southwestern tip of Massif Central, the Black Mountain (Montagne Noire) is a mountain range that overlaps four French departments: Tarn, Hérault, Haute-Garonne and Aude. The area is called "Montagne Noire" because of the dense forest that covers its entire northern slope, an extreme contrast with its typically Mediterranean southern slope, capped in scrubland and olive trees.

Montagne Noire culminates at 3,969 feet (1,210 meters) high with Pic de Nore, from which visitors can admire the splendid panorama that extends all the way to the Mediterranean Sea and the Pyrenees on clear days.

The mountains are to several sites of archaeological interest, starting with Grotte de Limousis, the most impressive developed cave in the department. The cave is made up of eight chambers (one of which contains an exceptional formation of aragonite crystal in the shape of a 13-foot-high (4-meter-high) chandelier) and a series of five stalagmite barriers. This cave has been in use since the Prehistoric Age, while close by is the Gouffre de Cabrespine, one of the largest natural caves in the world open to the public. Lastly, the Oppidum de Berniquaut is an archaeological site with history that goes back 30,000 years. A trekking site allows visitors to explore the remains and learn more about life as it was from the Neolithic era to the 13th century.

Situated between Sarlat and Les Eyzies, the imposing Château de Puymartin features a blend of architectural styles spanning centuries. The interiors are full of paintings and stately furniture—you’ll even find a room decorated entirely with grayscale scenes from Greco-Roman mythology.

While not the most famous nor the most popular wine appellation in southern France, Cabardès is not one to be overlooked either. Huddled in the arid rolling hills surrounding the medieval fortress of Carcassonne, Cabardès has a surprisingly large array of flavors depending on the climate, as the 1,360-acre (550-hectare) appellation is positioned on the cusp between the Languedoc-Roussillon and Sud-Ouest regions. This duplicity in flavors, aromas, climates and landscapes can easily be perceived in the Cabardès wines, with a noticeable Bordeaux grasp, yet a typically Languedoc depth.

Wine production remained relatively local here until the completion of the Canal du Midi in 1681, which completely revolutionized the winemaking methods in the region, instantaneously making exportation an important part of the game.

But despite Cabardès’ medieval origins, the appellation is one of the youngest in France, having only become official in 1999 – a newborn by oenology standards. The wines are the only ones to mix a minimum of 40 percent Atlantic varieties (like merlot and cabernets) and 40 percent Mediterranean varieties (like syrah and grenache), with the remaining 20 percent consisting of côt and/or fer servadou, a unique composition heightened by the dominant winds of this mountainous region. To this day, there are over 300 winemakers in Cabardès, most of which have wineries and vineyards open to the public.

If wine forms the body of France, the Fronton wine region is surely the country’s soul. Thought to be one of the oldest wine-growing areas in the country, the region’s first vines were planted by the Romans. Famous largely for its red wines, but with a 12 percent rosé production, Fronton sees 2,000-odd hours of annual sunshine per year—perfect for growing grapes.

A popular spot for team-building activities, Happy Forest is an outdoor entertainment center that offers a variety of activities, from zorbing to ropes courses. There's an escape room, as well as a variety of farmyard animals, and pony rides are available for younger visitors.

With its network of underground caverns dotted with dramatic stalactites, stalagmites and draperies, the Pech Merle Cave is a remarkable feat of nature, but the natural wonder is most famous for its prehistoric rock art. Dating back to around 25,000BC, the cave’s fascinating artworks include drawings, paintings and etchings depicting humans, horses, mammoths, bulls and bears.

The impressively preserved images include a red hand stencil, a large red fish and a striking horse’s head, and archeologists estimate that the oldest date from the Gravettian era, while others date from the later Magdalenian culture (around 16,000BC). The cave is one of few of its kind in France open to the public and visitors can learn about the caves at the adjoining museum, before following a 2km long trail to explore the underground galleries.