In Occitania / Pyrenees-Mediterranean you will find a remarkably well-preserved heritage, much of which dates from the Middle Ages and Renaissance, from the Cité of Carcassonne, the Cities of the Knights Templar and Hospitaller in the Larzac to Toulouse's fine 16th century town houses.
Crossed by the three main routes of St James's Way to Santiago de Compostela, the region is also marked by the crusade against the Cathars, still symbolised today by the Château de Montségur in Ariège and the castles of Peyrepertuse, Quéribus, Termes in Aude.
The many châteaux, medieval villages and walled 'bastide' towns, Gothic cathedrals and Romanesque churches all over the region are fascinating places to visit.
A host of festivals and museums
When it comes to culture and festivities, Occitania / Pyrenees-Mediterranean has a packed programme on offer, with nearly 300 festivals a year devoted to music, film, audiovisual entertainment, photography, astronomy, circus arts and more…
Festival Radio France in Montpellier, Visa pour l'Image in Perpignan, Jazz in Marciac, the Festival Pablo Casals, Tempo Latino in Vic-Fezensac, the Sylvanès Festival of Religious Music and the Rio Loco Festival in Toulouse are just a few examples of the region's world-famous festivals.
You can also visit any of the 300 museums that play a part in Occitanie'cultural reputation around the world.
Some of them, such as the Musée Toulouse-Lautrec in Albi, Musée Ingres in Montauban, Musée Fabre in Montpellier, Musée de la Cathédrale Saint-Just in Narbonne, Musée Soulages in Rodez and the Abattoirs centre for modern and contemporary art in Toulouse, are members of the prestigious club of 'Grands Musées de France'.