The Midi-Pyrénées and Languedoc-Roussillon

Like the most celebrated dish of this area, cassoulet, the southwestern region of France is a feast of diverse ingredients. Just as it would be a gross oversimplification to refer to cassoulet merely as a dish of baked beans, southwestern France is much more than just Toulouse, the peaks of the Pyrénées, and the fairy-tale ramparts of Carcassonne. Rolling, sunbaked plains and rock- and shrub-covered hills dotted with ruins of ancient civilizations parallel the burning coastline; the fortifications and cathedrals of once-great cities like Béziers and Narbonne rise like ghosts from the Mediterranean haze; and Collioure and the famed Côte Vermeille, immortalized by Matisse and Derain, nestle colorfully just north of the border with Spain. Nevertheless, the city of Toulouse remains the cultural and human hub of this rich corner of France. Serving as gateway to the region, alive with music, sculpture, and architectural gems, and vibrant with students, Toulouse is all that more famous regional capitals would like to have remained, or to become. Sinuously spread along the romantic banks of the Garonne as it meanders north and west from the Catalan Pyrénées on its way to the Atlantic, "La Ville Rose"—so called for its redbrick buildings—has a Spanish sensuality unique in all Gaul, a feast for eyes and ears alike. Toulouse was the ancient capital of the province called Languedoc, so christened when it became royal property in 1270, meaning the country where oc—instead of the oil or oui of northeastern France—meant yes. Outside Toulouse, the terrain of the Midi-Pyrénées and Languedoc-Roussillon is studded with museums, like so many raisins sweetening up a spicy stew. Albi, with its Toulouse-Lautrec legacy, is a star attraction, while Céret's Musée d'Art Moderne remains packed with Picassos, Braques, and Chagalls. More »