Ariege: Cathar Castles, Prehistoric Caves, and the Central Pyrenees
Ariege occupies the central Pyrenees along the Spanish border. Foix, the prefecture, is a small town of about 10,000 dominated by a triple-towered castle that was the seat of the Counts of Foix, one of the most powerful medieval families in southern France. The department is one of the least populated, with about 155,000 residents.
The Grotte de Niaux contains Paleolithic paintings nearly as impressive as Lascaux, with bison and horses drawn some 14,000 years ago. The department's Cathar history is visible in the ruins of Montsegur, where the last major group of Cathars surrendered in 1244 after a ten-month siege. Ax-les-Thermes is a thermal spa and ski town. The Ariege river valley leads up to the Pyrenean border. Cross-border links with Andorra and Catalonia are part of daily life.
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Ariege occupies the central Pyrenees along the Spanish border. Foix, the prefecture, is a small town of about 10,000 dominated by a triple-towered castle that was the seat of the Counts of Foix, one of the most powerful medieval families in southern France. The department is one of the least populated, with about 155,000 residents.
The Grotte de Niaux contains Paleolithic paintings nearly as impressive as Lascaux, with bison and horses drawn some 14,000 years ago. The department's Cathar history is visible in the ruins of Montsegur, where the last major group of Cathars surrendered in 1244 after a ten-month siege. Ax-les-Thermes is a thermal spa and ski town. The Ariege river valley leads up to the Pyrenean border. Cross-border links with Andorra and Catalonia are part of daily life.
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