The Pyrenees

A chain of 3000 to 4000 metre mountains running east to west from the mediterranean sea to the Atlantic ocean. But these mountains differ from the Alps or other high mountainous regions in that they constitute a high almost homogenous wall between France and Spain which, once scaled, gives way quickly to the plateaux and plains on the other side. In other words, once you are on top you can see the lowlands on either side: the mountain range itself is no more than 20 to 50 kilometres wide. Another difference with the Alps is the fact that the valleys are narrow and deep, running mostly north-south. This means that one has easy access to the heart of the mountains. Finally, the natural vegetation is deciduous forest: miles after miles of (mainly) beech forests which makes a colourful alternative to the sombre pine-clad slopes of the Alps.

Any mountain range of nearly 4000 metres in the South of Europe must attract skiers, and the Pyrenees certainly do. For a while the micro-state of Andorra, perched atop the central stretch of the range, was the favoured destination ... and it's now making a comeback. Today's skiers prefer the more intimate atmosphere of real French villages where they can appreciate being in an authentic french environment - with bakeries, cafés, thermal centres and good restaurants - as well as getting some great skiing. Villages such as Ax-les-Thermes, St Lary, Bagnères and Font Romeu are not only thriving communities all year round but they are also no more than 60 minutes from local international airports.

The chemin de grande randonnée, the GR10, runs the length of the Pyrenean range from Banyuls on the Mediterranean coast to Hendaye on the Atlantic seaboard. Serious walkers need over 4 weeks to complete this demanding hike but most hikers will choose just a portion of the walk to do at their leisure. There is so much to see. More species of butterfly are to be found in one square kilometre of the Pyrenees than in the whole of the British Isles. There are brown bears, vultures, Pyrenean chamois - the Isards - and even a couple of grey wolves. Villages such as Mantet, in the Pyrenées Orientales, Eylie in the Ariège or Luz-Ardiden in the Hautes Pyrénées are perfect bases from which to hike the GR10.

 

Running off these high mountains, fed by the melting snows of winter, are a number of raging torrents which have carved deep gorges and canyons through the rock over the millenia. The three major river basins of South-West France have their source here - the Aude, Garonne and Adour. While these rivers irrigate the fertile plains below their course through the high mountains are a joy for canyoners and rafters alike.

As the high mountains give way to the plains there is a 50 kilometre or so Piedmont where ancient plateaux have been carved by water, frost and time to resemble a broken, changing landscapesomewhat reminiscent of spaghetti Western décor. This region is dominated by ancient hilltop castles - once the refuge of the dissident Christian sect, the Cathares, in the 13th and 14th century until they were hounded to their death by Simon de Montfort - or the fiefs of local warlords and princes who defied the French or Spanish thrones with their independance.

 

Hardy vines grow on the Mediterranean side of this region giving strong, pungent wines such as the Roussillon Villages, Fitou or Corbières: accessible from the fortified citadel of Carcassonne. In the central Pyrenees, a sheltered micro-climate around the city of Pau allows the production of sweet white wines and drier fragrant whites in the Jurançon vineyards. No matter where you go in the Pyrenees or its Piedmont you will come across great dishes and succulent foods: duck and lamb in all their forms, mountain cheeses made from ewe's and cow's milk, sweet fruits from the Roussillon and spicy dishes from the basque country. .

As the Pyrenean mountain range plunges into the ocean to the West and the Mediterranean to the East it creates a marvellous, broken coastline of creeks and beaches. Out of the small fishing villages which dot these coasts grew the Belle Epoque resort of Biarritz on the Atlantic and the artists' colony at Collioure on the Med. Both these watering places are well worth visiting as are the picturesque towns of St Jean-de-Luz and Bidart on the Atlantic side and Banyuls, Cerbère and the thriving fishing port of Port Vendres on the Mediterranean.