Le Mas-d'Azil

The church dedicated to Saint Etienne and Saint Ferréol with its curious octagonal bulb tower, built in the eighteenth century on the remains of a powerful Benedictine abbey; The current temple inaugurated in 1821 would be the fifth that Le Mas-d'Azil experienced in its turbulent history.

In the village, a fountain dating from the time of Louis XIV and a very beautiful stone bridge of the fifteenth century.

At the south exit of the village, the gigantic cave of Mas-d'Azil is one of the most beautiful natural curiosities of the Pyrenees. Digged by the Arize under a link of the Plantaurel, this cave forms a tunnel 420 m long that crosses the road. In the village, the Prehistory Museum, housed in the old town hall, exhibits some of the Magdalenian furniture found in the cavities.

Other witnesses of prehistoric civilization are the numerous dolmens in the surroundings. The Great Loop Natura 2000 not only allows to discover the natural wealth of the quères, but also the dolmens of Cap del Pouech, Brillaud and Couminges.

The tour of the lake of Filheit is another beautiful hike and a formidable change of scenery.

A very lively weekly market with excellent local produce is held on Wednesday on the Champ de Mars.

In July and August, at the southern entrance of the cave, show 'The Tribe of Magda'. The life of a tribe 14,000 years ago, screenplay and staging by Yvan Chiffre. Come and share the daily life of Magda with your family and friends. Fishing, hunting, picking, fighting, birth... will delight everyone.

In the fantastic setting of the cave, the association 'Le Propulseur Azilien' organizes the European Championship of Prehistoric Weapons Shooting every year. During the second weekend of August, original prehistoric stands and animations are proposed on the cave's forecourt, fire and paint workshops, rocket-propelled shooting trials, prehistoric clothing, Stands for presentation of tools and weapons. A course of thirty targets also stretches on the heights of the cave, and the shooters, coming from all Europe, compete of technicality and precision.

The 'Festival of the Fig', colorful, takes place the first weekend of October. It is a fabulous craft market and gourmet. Varied entertainment with street shows, free concerts and aperitifs. Beneath the plane-trees of the Champ de Mars and the Bellone Field are scented fig-confiture, cooked in a cauldron. The fame of this friendly party has surpassed the borders of the department and attracts a large public.

The beautiful Romanesque church of Sabarat surrounded by centuries-old cypresses.

Visit of the village of Carla-Bayle, located on a rocky peak perched 400 m, overlooking the valleys of Lèze and Arize and offering a magnificent view of the Pyrenees.

Many marked hiking trails exist in the vicinity of Mas-d'Azil. The GR78, the Pyrenean footpath of the Way of St Jacques de Compostela, which connects Mirepoix to Castillon-en-Couserans, crosses the villages of Pailhès, Gabre and Le Mas-d'Azil before joining Saint-Lizier via Clermont, Lescure and Montjoie- en-Couserans.

In a wild setting, the lake Mondély is a place of relaxation with beach. Bathing is supervised in summer and a snack bar and a refreshment bar allow refueling. The site is also prized for bird watching especially in autumn.

The Bamboo Park of Lapenne; Not a conventional visit, but rather a path where one plunges into the massifs of bamboos. There are paths to cover the flower garden, the labyrinth of bamboos, the lakes, the benches in the shade. This bamboo plantation was created a hundred years ago in a green setting on the banks of a river.