Toulouse
Toulouse's former abattoir is now a cutting-edge art gallery hosting temporary exhibits. It's open until 8pm on Thursdays outside school holidays; ask…
Must-see attractions in Southwest France
Limoges
The Maison de la Boucherie houses a small history museum, and nearby is the tiny Chapelle Saint-Aurélien, dedicated to the patron saint of butchers.
The Lot
The enormous 15th-century Collégiale Notre Dame has a never-completed bell tower and choir stalls, ornamented with a menagerie of comical and cheeky…
Lourdes
By evening or early morning (when the Porte St-Michel is closed), this is the most convenient access to the sanctuary.
The Dordogne
Of the 28 towers that formed Puy St-Front’s medieval fortifications, only the 15th-century Tour Mataguerre, a stout, cylindrical bastion, remains.
Limousin
Denizens at this 100-hectare safari park, 4km east of Solignac, include wolves, giraffes, wildebeest, snowy owls and a pair of breeding tigers.
Toulouse, Gers & Vallée du Tarn
The elegant, tiered bell tower of Beaumont's main church, dating to the 14th century, was closely modelled on Toulouse's Couvent des Jacobins.
La Rochelle
The gateway to the old city, Tour de la Grosse Horloge is a steadfast Gothic-style clock tower with a 12th-century base and 18th-century top.
Cahors
Displays include works by the Cahors-born pointillist painter Henri Martin (1893–1972). It is closed for renovation through at least 2019.
Biarritz
The neo-Gothic Église Ste-Eugénie was built in 1864 for – who else? – Empress Eugénie, and sits on a prominent spot in the old port.
The Dordogne
Ornate gardens and 15th-century moat and battlements surround this grandly furnished 16th-century château, 6km southwest of Montignac.
Toulouse
This 19th-century brick tower once pumped out fresh water, but since the 1970s it's been a venue for contemporary photography displays.
Biarritz
A long, exposed beach popular with surfers and walkers, said to be one of the first where boardriders hit the waves around Biarritz.
The Dordogne
Interactive displays trace the history and stories of Cro-Magnon people; there is a small rock shelter accessible above the site.
The Dordogne
Inside the 17th-century Maison Peyrarède, the displays span 3000 years of history and include a collection of ornate pipes.
Limoges
The moody late-Gothic Église St-Pierre du Queyroix is notable for its characteristic Limousin belfry and stained glass.
The Lot
The belfry and accompanying turret of this simple 16th-century church, dedicated to Saint Cyr, rise above the village.
Tarn
Feel stress melt away as you idle by frog-filled ponds and under shady palm trees in these sculpted flower gardens.
Biarritz
A good option for families due to its sheltered aspect, this tiny wedge of sand is just under the Musée de la Mer.
Limousin
Three crashing cascades are about a half-hour hike along riverside trails that begin at the foot of the village.
Arcachon
In a wooden shack opposite the casino, this aquarium has a small collection of Atlantic fish in floodlit tanks.
The Dordogne
Wonderfully musty displays of vintage winemaking equipment and scale models of local river boats.
The Dordogne
The best views of Périgueux' Cathédrale St-Front are from this bridge, just to the east.
Limousin
The slate roof of the ancient covered market shelters an equally ancient baker’s oven.
Lourdes
Connects the Basilique Supérieure with the Chemin de Croix (Way of the Cross).
The Lot
Natural cave with stalactites and 20,000-year-old cave art; in L’Hospitalet.
Basilique Notre-Dame-du-Rosaire
Lourdes
The lower of Lourdes' two basilicas has magnificent gilded mosaics.
Lugdunum Convenarum Archaeological Site
The Pyrenees
In an open field just outside the village centre, this small archaeological site has a few ruins from the town's glory days as Lugdunum Convenarum, a key…
The Dordogne
A warren of meandering lanes leads up to La Roque’s dramatic fort, where a series of defensive positions constructed by medieval engineers were carved out…
St-Émilion
Defensive city walls were built around St-Émilion by the English in the 13th century. Several surviving sections of the medieval walls and gates can be…
