Haute-Ariège

Land of history

A little history!

Haute-Ariège, a land of history, has been home to people since the dawn of time. Among them, the best known are the ” Cathars ” or ” Bonshommes, the good men”.

These men and women who lived in Haute-Ariège from the 11th to the 13th centuries left their mark on the region.

They left a legacy of their presence that is gradually revealing its secrets, as historical research and discovery continue.

Castles and spoulgas are the most remarkable visual evidence of their presence, even if none of them was the object of a major siege during the war waged by the troops of the King of France in agreement with Rome and its church.

Getting there

On the road

to the castles

Papy and Mamie had decided to take us to Haute-Ariège for a day full of stories… And surprises!

They told us about the ” Bonshommes “… We didn’t know who they were…

Papy said the day was going to be full of surprises…

We set off from Auzat towards Montréal-de-Sos above Vicdessos.

There are the remains of a castle, and to get there you have to go through a tunnel. It’s a bit like a treasure hunt, and the view from up there is superb.

Then we headed back to Tarascon-sur-Ariège.

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Lordat Castle

The Cathars' refuge

Along the road past Ornolac, Mamie shows us the Spoulgas in which the Cathars used to hide: it’s hard to make out the entrances; how well they were hidden!

Arriving in Luzenac, where we’ll have to come back to see Talcanaéo and the Talc quarry, we head for the Château de Lordat.

Grandpa told us not to hang around, but we didn’t understand why. With its 2 enclosures, it’s one of the largest of its time, and it dominates the valley it could watch over.

When we got up there, we were surprised to see a falconry show at 11.30 a.m.. The birds were magnificent, and the falconers were very friendly. They make the birds play with the updrafts: it’s magical!

After the show, a short tour of the château and off to Ax les Thermes.

Magnificent views

to 2001 m

Grandma said we were going to buy a picnic and go up to the Port de Pailhères at 2001m to see the marmots…

They’re close to the road, but as Grandpa said, we mustn’t shout or make any sudden movements, and above all, we must keep a close eye on the scree slopes and the entrances to the burrows in the lawns.

Hey, little sister, did you hear that whistle? What’s that?

Grandpa said it was a marmot that gave the alert: look, they’re running across the meadow, it’s so cute! And how beautiful the view is from up there.

Then it’s downhill to the Château d’Usson, which we soon see from the road: there are lots of horses and cows…

Breathtaking

Our eyes were filled with this magnificent 360° view of the peaks, including the Pic du Tarbésou.

Usson castle

and its museum

Château d’Usson housed the Cathar treasure when the 4 “Perfect Ones” fled Montségur before its surrender in 1244.

We park at the parking lot below: to get to all these castles, you always have to climb up, but it’s true that this way, they were easier to defend from the top of their spurs.

Grandma says there’s a lovely museum in the castle’s old stables.

When we arrived at the castle’s lower courtyard (not the lower courtyard, there are no chickens!), Daniel, the guide, was waiting for us: he took us on a treasure hunt throughout the castle, which was brilliant! And we ended up at the top of the spur tower, which towers over the museum from a height of over 25 m. Impressive!

Ax-les-Thermes

and its thermal waters

And to finish off this great day, we headed back to Ax-les-Thermes. We stopped off at the tourist office, where the tourist advisor gave us an itinerary for exploring the town. We soaked our feet in the thermal pools. Grandpa also treated us to an ice cream; we had a great day!!!!

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