Small Boutique hotels in MIDI-PYRÉNÉES

Anchored on the Pyrenees and flanked by mountains, this is the largest region in France. The capital Toulouse is known as the Pink City because of the color of the exposed brick facades. Its almost two hundred Renaissance mansions are another wonder.

The episcopal city of Albi and the medieval village of Cordes-sur-ciel, with steep lanes on a hill, are two excellent destinations to delve into the history of the crusade against the Cathars. The sanctuary of Lourdes has been a legendary pilgrimage point for a century and a half. Nearby are the vestiges of the Early Christian church of Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges.

In this region, the medieval stone villages, entrenched in the mountains, invite you to fabulate and stretch your imagination. Enjoy Saint-Cirq-Lapopie on top of a cliff and the beautiful and touristed Rocamadour at the foot of a cliff. Najac and its castle is another pearl.

The Larzac circuit includes some of the best preserved Templar enclaves in Europe such as Sainte-Eulalie de Cernon and La Cavalerie. To the south, in the Regional Natural Park of the Grandes Causses, discover a quintessential cheese town: Roquefort, with deep natural cellars in the rock where the cheese has been refined for centuries. Spectacular mansions and chateaux host charming hotels.