The Pyrenees France

The Pyrenees France

The second great mountains of France are the Pyrenees. Straddling the border between France and Spain, and including the small country of Andorra, the Pyrenees are much smaller than the Alps but spectacular in their own right. From the plains around Toulouse and down to the Spanish border, this area is one of the oldest known inhabited areas in the world. It is full of many charming villages and crumbling medieval ruins and is a wonderful place to spend time.

Starting at Toulouse, the Pyrenees rise up and form a natural border with Spain. The Basque country and Atlantic Ocean are at the western end, and the mountains come down to the Mediterranean Sea on the east. Outside of Toulouse, which is a high tech city, the region is focused on tourism to a large degree. Despite that, it is an area that feels much less visited than many of the more well known parts of France.

Toulouse is largest city in the Midi-Pyrenees region and has a metro area population of 1.1 million residents. It is the home of the French aerospace industry and is one of the centers of Europe’s aerospace industry. Airbus is headquartered in the city, as are several other aeronautical and aerospace companies and it is the location for the Toulouse Space Center.

Toulouse has benefited from a lack of major heavy industries, so becoming a high-tech center did not require a shift away from an existing industrial base and the assorted environmental problems. With its location in the south of France and reasonably warm climate, the city is a beneficiary of population movement from northern European regions to warmer ones. Toulouse is also a large university city with one of the oldest schools in Europe, the University of Toulouse. There are over 120,000 students attending university in and around the city.

Southward from the city rise the peaks of the Pyrenees. This is not only a different landscape, but it seems as if it is a different world altogether. The next largest towns are Tarbes and Pau, each with a metro population of just over 100,000. These cities lie in the foothills of the mountains. South of them is the city of Lourdes, which draws millions of visitors each year who trek to see the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes.

Beyond these larger towns lie mostly small villages and towns, nestled into the mountains and valleys. There are many ski areas in the mountains which draw winter visitors and have spurred some development of resorts and lodging. Outside of winter and mid July, the area is very quiet and is a great place to enjoy the air and views. The Tour de France rolls through the mountains annually, in the second or third week of July, drawing fans from all over the world. The narrow roads and switchbacks up the passes are lined with thousands of cycling fans, cheering on their favorites.

Toulouse Blagnac International Airport (TLS) is just outside the city and serves over six million passengers each year. There are direct flights to most major European cities throughout the year, including multiple UK destinations. There is a TGV line from Bordeaux to the Mediterranean which stops in Toulouse, and a southern line from the Atlantic coast to Pau and Tarbes. There is also a network of regional trains serving the larger towns and linking them with the coastal areas and larger cities to the north.

This region has much to offer the international property investor, from unspoiled property and building lots to resort apartments to magnificent castles. There is quite a bit of land for sale here, much of which is ready to be built on. In the mountains and near the ski areas are several resorts that have apartments for holiday vacations. Nearer to the cities are plenty of options, from flats to townhomes to villas. There are even some old chateaux that are available for the interested buyer who wants to live the life of country nobility.

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