Pyrenees Tourism - The French Pyrenees

The Pyrenees mountains reach right across southern France from the Bay of Biscay on the Atlantic coast to the Mediterranean sea. Forming a natural border with Spain, the 250 mile-long range is home to a diversity of landscapes, climates and holiday opportunities unmatched elsewhere in Europe.

Bookended by sun-soaked beaches on each coast, the natural landscape in between rolls over lush meadows, snowcrusted peaks and deep canyons cut by glaciers. Adding to the scenery are Romanesque churches and monasteries, and villages, towns and settlements dating back to the Roman occupation.

The influence of nearby Spain is especially strong in the western Basque Country (Pays Basque). Here, people on both sides of the border share a language, Euskara, a sense of independent identity, and a unique sport - the handball game, pelota. In the eastern province of Roussillon, traditional fiestas and bullfights (corridas) are a reminder of the common heritage of the Catalan people. The Central Pyrenees offer some of the best walking in Europe, gentler and more accessible than the Alps, but with comparable scenery and pure air.

It is possible to walk the entire range on two trans-Pyrenean trails known as the GR10 and the HRP - the latter dips in and out of France and Spain - but most walkers choose to head off along the many shorter routes that connect towns and villages throughout the region. You don't need to be fantastically fit to tackle most of the marked walks in the Pyrenees, taking in the variously bleak and beautiful scenery, and perhaps even spotting some of the mountain wildlife such as golden eagles and marmots. Skiing is another popular holiday activity in the Pyrenees. While the pistes may not match the Alps in quality or quantity they are extremely good for beginner and intermediate skiers, making them a favourite with family groups or those keen on cross-country skiing. Some of the best resorts are to be found in and around the tiny principality of Andorra in the Eastern Pyrenees.

If the thought of high altitudes and healthy pursuits leaves you out of breath, there are always the western Pyrenean foothills (strictly speaking part of the Gascony region), which are scattered with pretty villages, and the vineyards of Bas-armagnac, whose grapes are used to make the celebrated brandy.