Gascony is awash with places to see before you even consider heading just a short distance to the Landes forest, to the Lot or Dordogne valleys, to Lourdes and the Pyrenees, to the rose city of Toulouse or the vineyards and culture of Bordeaux.
Gascony is a rural area which has a rich history, from the prehistoric through the comparatively recent Hundred Years War and the medieval fortified villages and towns.
Perhaps the best-known cultural relic is the Route de Compostelle, the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostella which passes by just outside the village. Most pilgrims opt to divert off the official route to pass through Larressingle.
Places to See
- Pont d'Artigue perfectly preserved Romanesque bridge (15 minutes by foot)
- Séviac (15km) remains of 4th century Gallo-Roman villa, with remarkably well-preserved floor mosaics and a general exhibition offering an insight into life in a luxury country villa in Roman times
- Condom Cathedral, dominating the town centre. Also the Armagnac Museum, and daily boat trips on the River Baise.
- Fourcès, unusual round bastide town, the only one in the Gers, with beautiful shady "square", good restaurants and bars. It was one of the English fortifications during the Hundred Years War.
- Montréal du Gers, ancient hill-top bastide village. Gallo-Roman museum with guided visits. It was the French position standing not far from the English at Fourcès.
- La Romieu, imposing 14th century hill-top collegiate with quiet streets around, and a couple of nice bars to savour the surroundings.
- Flaran, abbey buildings and gardens (Abbaye de Flaran) with guided visits of this 12th century Cistercian monastery. It is also the HQ of the cultural heritage department of the Gers and has excellent temporary exhibitions.
- Lectoure, Gallo-Roman city with lots of atmosphere and plenty of shops and bars. It has a superb annual photographic exhibition each summer.
There is an Office de Tourisme within the castle at Larressingle, as well as a Syndicat d'Initiative (a local information booth, run by volunteers) just at the end of our lane.
The Office de Tourisme in Condom (located just behind the Cathedral) offers a wider range of information about the area, as well as special cultural events held throughout the summer.
Swimming / recreation
There are many bases de loisirs (leisure parks) in the area. The nearest at Montréal du Gers (10km) is a natural lake, with water slides and a sandy beach. At Gondrin (15km) is a huge man-made outdoor pool, with bumpy slides and corkscrew slides. There are separate swimming areas for young children, the slides, and an enormous area with a raft where you can also sail inflatables, as well as a large playground. Further bases de loisirs are at Lislebonne (near Mézin, 10km), Barbotan les Thermes (20km) which also has an open-air splash pool, Lectoure (Lac des Trois Vallées 25km) and more. All are good places for a game of boules, badminton, beach volleyball etc.
At Condom there is an outdoor public swimming pool, with a full set of diving boards and a grassy area for sunbathing.
Sports
- Horse-riding is available at any of a large number of stables located nearby. In Condom you might try L'Etrier Condomois, while Les Ecuries d'Armagnac at Valence sur Baise (15km) offer guided hacks (in English) out into the hills.
- Tennis courts available at Condom, Eauze and Gondrin.
- Golf de Guinlet (18 holes) at Eauze (15km), beautiful, wooded course - said to be the best in the area.
- Mountain biking: various routes around the area, bike hire at Mézin and other places
- Karting, quad bikes, light aircraft all available at Caudecoste (50km)
- Quad bikes and paint-balling in Auch at Quad Concept.
Further afield
- "Parc Walibi", part of the Six Flags empire is at Roquefort near Agen (30km), smaller than many theme parks, but perfect for a family day out, and tickets are good value for money. This will not appeal so much to older teenagers as most of the rides are aimed at those under the age of 14 really.
- Bordeaux and the Bordeaux vineyards, including St Emilion and Chateau d'Yqem about 90 minutes drive, a great opportunity to stock your wine cellar.
- Toulouse, the main city in this part of France, also home of the French Space Programme and the Airbus factories.
- Carcassonne, renowned medieval walled city and home of the Templars (about 2 hours drive)
Shopping
Full-size supermarkets are located at Condom (Intermarché 5km) and at Eauze (new, modern Leclerc 15km), both with long opening hours for convenient shopping. A small grocery store is located at Montreal du Gers about 10km away. Condom of course, has the full range of bakers, butchers, grocers and greengrocers as well as clothes shops, toy shops, etc in the city centre, and banks with ATM's.
Market days - Condom (Wednesdays), Eauze (Thursdays - one of the best around). Night markets during July and August.
Both Le Tilleul and Le Figuier have folders with a wide range of brochures and leaflets.
