To the north of the Ariège, on the border with the Haute-Garonne and the Aude, Mazères is located about thirty minutes from Toulouse. Historical and exotic, this charming destination is sure to win over the hearts of travellers looking for peace and quiet and a stay in the countryside.
Bastide with thick pink walls, Mazères has everything of the perfect little Occitan village. Dating back to the 13th century, this city is a quiet place, ideal for rest, hiking and gastronomic discoveries. If most of its rich heritage was destroyed during the Wars of Religion (its castle, its beautiful residences...), there are still today beautiful witnesses of the apogee of Mazères. To learn more about the history of the town, head for the Hôtel Pastelier d'Ardouin: built in 1580 in the heart of a Renaissance garden on the banks of the Hers, this Historic Monument houses the Mazères Museum. In addition to its important cultural capital, this splendid site offers an unobstructed view of the sunny slopes of the neighbouring villages and the Pyrenees.
Mazères is a bastide where it is good to live and stroll. Take the time to visit it on foot or by bike, to contemplate its every nook and cranny. The rue du Temple and its "Regent Ladies" (high residences where young girls from 18th century Protestant families were held prisoner), the Martimor Tower at 36 on the same street, the rue du Pont-Vieux, the mansions on rue Gaston-de-Foix, but also the Dominican Convent on Place des Tourelles and the remains of the ramparts, La Castellane (the town hall) and its mullioned windows, the arch of the old bridge spanning the right bank of the river Hers and its washhouse, the hall or even the rue Martimor and its half-timbered houses are worth a visit. The hall in particular is one of the most beautiful sites in Mazères: leaning against the church, it is also listed in the additional inventory of Historic Monuments. With its beautiful pink arches, the "halle aux grains", also known as the "halle aux grains", comes to life on Thursdays during the city's traditional market, an essential stopover to discover the fruits of local production.
After having criss-crossed the town and its bridges, direction the Domaine des Oiseaux, two kilometres south of the bastide. You will have the opportunity to observe many species of birds, 238 in all, such as ducks, white spatulas, storks, stilts, kingfishers... Enough to make the happiness of bird watching fans. A little further on the heights of the town, two orientation tables deserve that you stop for a moment: from these, the panoramas on the bastide, the Pyrenees chain and the Pic du Canigou (2784 meters high) are breathtaking!
Finally, as we pass through Mazères, how can we not take advantage of this opportunity to visit all the most beautiful things in Ariège and its neighbouring departments? Less than an hour away, many visits await you: Foix and its imposing 10th century county castle, Mirepoix the old fortified bastide, Montségur the high place of the Cathar resistance, the Cave of Niaux and that of Mas d'Azil, Pamiers and its rich heritage... But also Revel at the gates of the Montagne Noire, Carcassonne and its city listed as a World Heritage Site, or Toulouse and its Canal du Midi are to add to your list of visits.
