Le Grand Chalet, Aspet

Aspet


Aspet

 
The village of Aspet, France

The village of Aspet, France

Aspet is located in the department Haute Garonne in the Midi-Pyrenees at approximately 480m above sea level.  It is a thriving village with bustling bi-weekly markets (Wednesdays and Saturdays), cafés and restaurants, year-round sporting and musical activities and a number of interesting shops and services.  The village is only one and a quarter hours by car from Toulouse-Blagnac Airport and St Gaudens train station is 20 minutes away.

Aspet offers a wide variety of sports including over 300km of mountain bike trails for all levels and some 200km of hiking routes through stunning landscapes.  The area hosts several stages of the Tour de France each year and, as one would expect, the roads are very well maintained, offering great cycling and biking opportunities.  Skiing at Le Mourtis is only 30 minutes away and cross-country and snowshoeing are also popular pastimes.  The Felix Trombe, one of the largest caving networks in Europe, is on Aspet's doorstep and paragliding, climbing, fishing and horse riding are all available through experienced guides based in and around Aspet.  As if this wasn't enough, there's rugby too!  The sport is big in South West France and, during the season, Toulouse and Tarbes stadiums host several matches.

Sports are not the only draw to this part of the world.  We are very fortunate indeed to be within close proximity to the astonishing Gargas Caves, Saint Bertrand de Comminges, at one time the second largest Roman settlement in Europe, the beautiful 12th Century Basilica St Just de Valcabrere, the Gallo-Roman Villa of Montmaurin and the Abbey of Bonnefont, all worthy of a visit.

For those who have wellbeing on their must-do list, you will certainly enjoy Balnéa at Génos-Loudenvielle, the Thermal Spa and Vaporarium in Luchon (temporarily closed until summer 2023) and the Termas Baronia de Les just across the border in Spain.

The exceptional flora and fauna are abundant and programmes to reintroduce wolves and the Pyrenean brown bear are well underway.  Deer, ibex, marmot, red kite and boar are regularly seen in the area although to spot them an early rise is advised!  Aspet is close to the Spanish Aran Valley with the lovely towns of Les, Canejan and Bossost within an hour’s drive.  The dramatic mountains in this area are often referred to as 'The Land of the Three Valleys', having been carved by glaciers long since melted and replaced by the three rivers of the Arbas, the Ger and the Job.

For further information, the Aspet Tourist Office is very helpful - http://tourisme-aspet.com/en/http://tourisme-aspet.com/en/