Southwest France at a Glance
Southwest France sprawls outwards from Toulouse,
the region's largest city, towards the Massif
Central and the Pyrenees.
At the foot of the Pyrenean range is the Roman Catholic pilgrimage of Lourdes,
a site of apparent miraculous healings since 1858, when the Virgin Mary appeared
to a young girl. Celebrated artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was raised in Albi,
where the Toulouse-Lautrec
Museum is filled with his work. For a very different artistic experience,
the Dordogne
in the north of the region is home to a number of caves containing prehistoric
wall paintings by early man. The caves of Lascaux
and Rouffignac
are among the best.
Close to Lourdes, Pau
is home to the 16th-century Pau
Castle (Chateau de Pau), the birthplace of King Henry IV. The town
has been a tourist hotspot since holidaying Brits happened across it's mineral
springs in the middle of the 19th century, bringing with them the game of Rugby
Union which continues to be extremely popular; Pau,
Toulouse
and Castres
all boast successful Rugby teams.
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