Landscapes
The perfect outdoor holiday destination, Occitania / Pyrenees-Mediterranean is a region of vast horizons, unspoilt resources and landscapes of a beauty that will stay with you for ever.
In Occitania / Pyrenees-Mediterranean, home to no fewer than 2 national nature parks, 1 marine national reserve and 6 regional nature parks , you will fall for the never-ending spectacle of the beautiful landscapes: hills and mountains where nature holds on to the character of its origins, countryside dotted with valleys and delightful villages, vast lakes and clear rivers, extraordinary places such as the Aveyron Gorge and Tarn Gorge, the Cevennes, the Dordogne Valley and the Hérault Valley.
In the south, the region comes up against the magnificent Pyrenees mountain range whose peaks, rising to 3,000 metres, form a line along the border with Spain such as the mountains Canigou and Mont Vallier.
Climate
With an average of 2,200 hours of sunshine a year, Occitania / Pyrenees-Mediterranean is one of France's sunniest regions.
Spring comes early here, followed by a summer that is often very hot and a beautiful late autumn that lasts until the first snows cap the mountains.
The Autan wind, which blows from the Mediterranean, is an integral part of the climate of the Toulouse region and very much a part of life here. Its capricious, hot gusts have a habit of making the locals irritable, but happily only for a short time.
People
Many of the people of Occitanie / Pyrénées-Méditerranée are recognisable by their sing-song southern accent, and they have a reputation for being spontaneous, warm and sometimes quick-tempered.
Generally "Bon vivant" Convivial and welcoming, they are passionate and chatty. They consider conviviality to be one of their key values. Socialising around a good meal or in a party atmosphere, whether with friends, in the village or at a festival, is of the utmost importance to them.
Rugby is one of the great passions of the people of Occitania / Pyrenees-Mediterranean region, with some of the biggest teams being Toulouse, Montauban, Castres, Béziers and Perpignan. Rugby is more than a sport; it's a culture in itself. As is the interest that the locals have in their Occitan roots, symbolised by the Cross of Occitania, the many linguistic and cultural manifestations of which are cultivated with assured pride.