Welcome to Midi-Pyrénées - Official site of the Regional Tourism Committee

THE CATHAR PYRENEES

The Cathar Pyrenees - right at the heart of a living fresco

In the east of the Ariège, next to the Aude, the Cathar Pyrenees 'Land of Art and History' stretches from the Bastide town of Mirepoix to Montségur castle, through the town of Lavelanet. Between mountains and foothills, this land offers beautiful landscapes that hold the keys to understanding what Catharism was all about.

MIREPOIX - Ariège (09)

The River Hers unrolls across the Cathar Pyrenees like a green ribbon. This 'Land of Art and History' is arranged into tiered pleats, combining altitude and plains, right where Mediterranean and Atlantic influences meet.

The magical forms of the Pyrenees Mountains provide a backdrop drawing out a majestic line across the full horizon. Closer up, the Plantaurel peaks entangle in their overlapping Pre-Pyrenees foothills. From here, you can see the rocky outcrop of Montsegur and Saint-Barthélémy, overlooking Lavelanet from an altitude of 2,348m. In the foreground, the soft undulations of the foothills around Mirepoix and Camon alternate ridges and hills planted with crops, apple and fig trees.

Catharism - a medieval form of Christianity - founded one of its main bases right at the heart of these unchanging landscapes. Its followers saw themselves as representatives of the real Church of Christ and considered the Roman Church as one that had lost pure faith. They were qualified as heretics, Cathars or Perfects by those who pursued them relentlessly during the crusade launched by Pope Innocent III in 1209.

Mirepoix, one of the gems of the Cathar Pyrenees 'Land of Art and History' and one of the strongholds of the Cathar ideal, before its reconstruction in the 13th century modelled on the bastide town form. Mirepoix is midway between Foix and Carcassonne and is most appealing with its authentic medieval architecture and friendly atmosphere. At the time of the Crusades, the Lords of Mirepoix and the Lords of Péreille, Dun and Lavelanet, participated in all the battles. This was the case until the siege of Montségur, the "capital" of the Cathar Church and now one of the Great Sites of Midi-Pyrénées which lies like a ship made of stone aground the first steps to the heavens.

While this Land of Art and History is, as its name indicates, steeped in Cathar history, there are many other fantastic sites to be discovered such as the Merovingian necropolis of Tabariane, the exceptional frescoes adorning the amazing twelfth century Church de Vals built into the rock and the ravishing fortified village of Camon, coiled around its Benedictine priory.

Local specialities are to be found, such as combs made of horn or boxwood and textiles around the Lavelanet area. Note that this small town is a paradise for outdoor activities, starting with a beautiful hike towards the Pog de Montségur via the Chemin des Tisserands...

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