Hautes Pyrénées, 2,877 metres altitude: the legendary
Pic du Midi Observatory opened to the public in 2000 with a museum that combines tourism and research in an unprecedented new adventure.
High on a mountain top
Not only can you take in the
amazing panorama of the Pyrenees Mountains, if feels as if you become part of the world of the scientists who regularly come to work at the top of the Pic du Midi. Astrophysics, atmospheric physics, high-altitude medicine: enjoy a fun and inspiring look at day-to-day life in this sanctuary, the home for more than a hundred years of
great advances in world astronomy.
At the Cité de l’Espace
While the Pic du Midi points its telescopes at the sun (its speciality), the
Cité de l’Espace in
Toulouse goes the extra light year to amaze you.
Europe's largest theme park on the theme of space was created, unsurprisingly, in the city where the Ariane space rocket was designed in the mid-1980s.
Covering a vast area of 3.5 hectares, the Cité de l’Espace and its huge grounds are a lively and happing place. Whatever your interest in the subject, you will love the experience of exploring this vast playground. Exhibitions, events, workshops, celebrations and plenty more take place here, where you come face to face with the latest space industry developments, experiences and news. Create your own discoveries and become a citizen of the universe at the Cité de l'Espace.
In the undulating Gers countryside
Start your retrorockets and land in the Gers département on a new adventure. You are in Fleurance, a pretty bastide village that has become a mecca for astronomy. Passionate stargazers with famous astrophysicist Hubert Reeves as their patron and perfect conditions for observing the night sky have made Fleurance famous for all things astronomy.
The Fleurance Festival of Astronomy in August attracts people from all over the world. But in Gers you can travel to distant galaxies all year round by staying at holiday destinations with amazing facilities such as the Ferme des Etoiles and the Hameau des Etoiles.
Observatory evenings
Lastly,
several observatories such as the Jolimont Observatory in Toulouse, the Montredon-Labessonnié Observatory in Tarn, the Sabarat Observatory in Ariège and the Observatoire des Pléiades in Haute Garonne hold planetarium sessions, star-gazing evenings and other events that allow you to experience the wonderfully friendly
'Community of the Stars' in Midi-Pyrénées too.