The Gers is an area of outstanding beauty. Set in south west France in the Mid Pyrenees region, half way between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean ,its gently rolling hills decked with historical bastide villages feel like you have stepped back in time. Known as the “Tuscany of France”, this peaceful unspoilt area has so much to offer. It is not only world famous for the production of Armagnac and foie gras but also for its music festivals, particularly the jazz festival held in Marciac in August.

It is an area steeped in history, gastronomy, culture, festivals and tranquillity.


The following gives a synopsis of some of the highlights:

Avezan

The nearest hamlet to our property is Avezan which has its own post-box and telephone box. The church is early Romanesque. The chateau is open on summer afternoons for guided tours, which are in French.

St. Clar
www.tourisme-saint-clar-gers.com
St. Clar is only 3km away. This delightful bastide village, with its golden-yellow architecture, has two 13th century squares. It is important for garlic production in the region. It even has its own garlic museum and garlic festival in the summer. The village has most things you might need for your holiday. There is a bank, well stocked supermarket, chemist, two excellent boulangeries, post office and tobacconist. Every Thursday a market selling local produce is held in the medieval market square. In the summer ‘Soirées Gourmandes’ are held there too. Food and drink prepared by the locals is available in the arcades around the square. Trestle tables are put up and a great evening can be had by all. The two closest towns of Fleurance and Lectoure are both equidistant from the property around 15 km away.

Fleurance
www.fleurance.fr
Fleurance is an ancient bastide town with a superb arcaded square and 17th century market hall. A very good market takes place on Tuesdays.

Lectoure
www.lectoure.fr
The charming town of Lectoure dates back to Gallo-Roman times. It is perched on the top of a chalk escarpment with magnificent views over the rolling countryside. The town has a beautiful cathedral, an archaeological museum and a thermal fitness centre. It is the centre of arts for the region and used to be the principal residence of the Counts of Armagnac. It is the home to a very sweet melon, the ‘Lectoure melon’ and ‘Lectoure blue’, a very pretty shade of blue. It is a distinctive colour which adorns many shutters in the region.

Auch
www.auch-tourisme.com
Auch is the departmental capital of the Gers and birthplace to D’Artagnan, one of the Three Musqueteers. Its impressive cathedral of St. Marie, with superb stained glass windows and carved choir stalls, is well worth a visit. Close by is the 14th century Tour d’Armagnac and the monumental stair with 370 steps. There is a charming cobbled quarter which is a delightful place to explore.

Condom
www.condom.org
Even though the name, Condom, is often a source of amusement to the English, it is a former Episcopal centre and is the capital of the Tenareze Armagnac region. Situated on the banks of the River Baise, from where boat trips can be made, it is well worth a visit. The16th century Cathedral of St. Pierre and Museum of Armagnac are just two of the highlights. The town has a good selection of restaurants.

Mirande and Marciac
www.mirandefr , www.marciac.fr
In the south of the department are the main towns of Mirande and Marciac. Both have strong international reputations for music festivals. The former for country and western, the latter for jazz in the month of August