Luxury property for sale in South West France - Midi-Pyrenees

Midi-Pyrénées is located in South West France lying between Aquitaine to the west and Languedoc-Roussillon to the east. It is the largest region in France with a size almost equivalent to that of Switzerland and Luxembourg put together. It has eight departments, each with its own strong character – Ariege, Hautes Pyrenees, Haute Garonne, Gers, Lot, Aveyron, Tarn, Tarn-et-Garonne. Magnificent mountain scenery can be found to the south of the region bounded by the Pyrenees. The north east encompasses part of the limestone Causses which is high plateau country. This is a land of plains dotted with hillocks, sandy stretches, moors and pine woods, desolate plateaux and valleys covered with impenetrable forests. The birds and small animals feed on the thyme and juniper growing wild in the chalky soil and throughout the region sangliers (wild boar) abound and are hunted to keep the numbers down. The villages and farmhouses of Aveyron, a majestically stark landscape of granite outcrops, steep ravines and woodland untouched for centuries, are built of local stone with slate rooves in stark contrast to the more southern départements.

The people of the Midi-Pyrénées are warm and easy-going and receptive to foreigners, as for centuries newcomers have sought exile here. During the Spanish Civil War for instance, thousands of Republican refugees flowed over the frontier to settle in Midi Pyrenees, instilling new blood and energy into the region.