Portes de la Gascogne

Main towns and villages of the Portes de la Gascogne

The Portes de la Gascogne is a vast and diverse territory that extends over 3 departments : Gers, Tarn-et-Garonne and Haute Garonne. More than 2,000 km2 on the outskirts of 3 large cities: Agen, Auch and Toulouse. This territory, which represents 1/3 of the Gers, attracts city dwellers looking for a natural and relaxing destination for short stays...

However, the cultural tourist offer is such that you will have enough to fully occupy a week or a fortnight, exploring the riches of this welcoming land. Here, even more than elsewhere in the Gers, we respect the environment, because it is nature that has produced the link between heritage and gastronomy. The predominance of agriculture and livestock farming in this land of history, castles, bastides and castelnaux, adds a touch of gluttony. Between the melons of Lectoure, white garlic, fat markets and visits to farms, you will always find a tasty snack or a great restaurant to punctuate your visits, as it should be! The very symbol of the symbiosis between man and nature, this country is generous, a true celebration of the joy of living !

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Lectoure is labeled "Most beautiful detour of France", which is to say that its charms are numerous. We recommend that you make more than a detour to appreciate all its wonders! The city is built overlooking the surrounding countryside. It is an ancient oppidum, a fortified agglomeration, delimited by two valleys, including that of the Gers which flows at its feet. It is a city of Art and History rich in sumptuous private mansions.

There you will discover the Albinhac Tower, a beautiful fortified house and the Executioner's Tower, a vestige of the medieval wall. The Diane Fountain is listed as a Historic Monument and supplied the royal tannery. In the cellars of the Town Hall, visit one of the oldest museums in France, the Archaeological Museum of Lectoure, with a collection of bullfighting altars unique in France. It is a Roman cult that commemorates animal sacrifices in the name of a goddess. The Museum of Sacred Art is located at the foot of the tower of the beautiful Saint-Gervais Cathedral. Also discover the Carmelite Chapel and the paintings on its ceiling.

In the heart of Lomagne, Lectoure is also a spa town with a magnificent wellness center in one of the many private mansions in the city. In Lectoure, we see life in blue thanks to the Isatis Tinctoria, a plant whose work and oxidation produces a deep blue, which was used to dye the clothes of the soldiers of the Empire of the Napoleonic army. Visit the workshop and the shop!

The city hosts a prestigious art photography festival : the Lectoure Photographic Summer, which takes place in every street. Outside of the festival, visit the Lectoure Photography Center, where many exhibitions are held throughout the year.

The Romieu

Here we are in a city that will dazzle you with its architecture : La Romieu. The collegiate church of Saint-Pierre de La Romieu is a World Heritage Site and it is not for nothing! This gigantic complex is made up of two towers, a cloister and a church. La Romieu is a stopover town, located on the Via Podiensis for Santiago de Compostela. Also admire the Tour du Cardinal d'Aux, a vestige of the manor of the eponymous cardinal and the Château de Madirac from the 16th century.

On the central square, notice a curiosity: several sculptures of cats... They originate from the legend of Angéline, a resident who saved a pair of cats during a period of famine. A few years later, the famine is over, the fields feed the population again, but are ravaged by rats... Angéline frees her cats, who have become numerous, and who save the village from a new famine!

The legend of Angéline's cats in La Romieu

Saint-Clar-de-Lomagne

Need a powerful antiseptic? Head to Saint-Clar-de-Lomagne, the capital of white garlic ! This is, in fact, one of the virtues attributed to this bulbous herb. The clay-limestone nature of the soil, coupled with a mild climate, make Saint-Clarais the leading garlic-producing region in France.

Saint-Clar is a very dynamic city! In terms of heritage, you will discover the Sainte-Catherine church, host to many cultural events all year round. Stroll through the pretty little garden of the 4 seasons, near the neo-Gothic Saint-Clar church and pass by the pleasant square with two-covered arcades. A pretty little washhouse is hidden not far from there.

On the leisure side, the Public School Museum, in the grounds of the village's first school, will immerse you in the past and bring back good (or bad?!) memories : wooden desks, inkwells, notebooks, old photos and a dictation for the most studious! The Garlic House will teach you everything about this emblematic condiment of the city: history, cultivation, production, marketing and of course, purchase of Saint-Clar garlic braids.

As for events and celebrations : at the beginning of August, it's the Festiv'ail and its producers' market, its gourmet evening and its BIG dictation... Get your pens ready! At this summer time, there is also a very funny and original event : the Chemin des Épouvantails. Several towns (Saint-Clar, Avezan and Mauroux) take part. The inhabitants make colorful, costumed and themed scarecrows that they scatter everywhere. A perfect opportunity to stroll all day long at the whim of these dozens of amusing straw characters!

Sarrant

Sarrant is a pretty fortified town whose houses are lovingly wrapped around its Saint-Vincent church. It is one of the most beautiful villages in France. Its pleasant circular streets, formed of half-timbered houses with colorful mud bricks, were protected by a solid fortified wall as evidenced by the Porte de la Ville and its 14th century Square Tower. Right next door, a medieval garden presents old vegetable varieties and forgotten vegetables.

In the summer, the Estivales de l'illustration host conferences, debates, exhibitions, concerts and cartoonists/illustrators who share their passion for their profession with visitors. In the heart of the village, the Des livres et vous bookstore is an institution not to be missed. 20,000 references of books of all kinds, meetings with authors, concerts and family entertainment around a refreshment or a good hot chocolate.

Mauvezin

Its name should not scare you: a powerful fortress installed on a hillside between two rivers, Mauvezin (which means "bad neighbor" in Occitan) is feared in the surrounding area...

Today, it is an active and welcoming city, perfect for family tourism. Start with a good coffee near the 14th century market hall, on the large Place de la Libération and its architectural ensemble, formerly called the Trépadé. The imposing Saint-Michel church, and its Gothic bell tower on the upper town, echoes the Jeanne-Albret tower on the lower town. Take a tour of the small museum of the friends of Archaeology and History to see collections of old tools, coins and historical documents. The castle walk is a pleasant nature break offering sumptuous landscapes and extending onto the terraces of the castle, an educational trail that links the upper and lower towns.

Gimont

When you love foie gras and duck products, you have to go to Gimont, a mecca for foie gras in the Gers ! Ducks and geese have been raised here since the 16th century. The people of Gimont know what they're talking about... The very large Gimont foie gras market takes place all year round on Wednesday mornings and also on Sunday mornings from November to March (the Grasse matinée ...).

As for visits, the church of Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption faces the landscape with its very high brick bell tower. The Petit Musée de l'Oie et du Canard des Ducs de Gascogne will tell you everything about the history of force-feeding, the production and marketing of foie gras. Little extra: the visit is free. At the exit of the city 1km away, discover the Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Cahuzac, a very old place of pilgrimage in Gascony.

L'Isle-Jourdain

L'Isle-Jourdain, located in the far east of Gers, is a pleasant town in the Save and an important economic hub. For holidaymakers, it combines many advantages and pleasures. You will be interested to visit the Saint-Martin collegiate church and its 14th century tower. With its beautiful appearance, as if straight out of a fairy tale, the private Château de Panat faces the Parc public de la Marquise, the promise of a calm and shaded stopover. The European Museum of Bell Art of L'Isle-Jourdain, housed in the old market halls, offers a unique and astonishing collection of sound and clockwork objects : bells, sleigh bells, chimes... The Claude Augé private mansion, creator and father of the Petit Larousse Illustré will dazzle you with its stained glass windows, including that of La Semeuse, emblem of Larousse editions.

Atypical and anecdotal, the Isle-Jourdain greenway leads straight to the A380 assembly plant! You can follow its route from the cycle path, opposite the Tourist Office for 32 km. The large leisure center will keep your children and the more athletic occupied with tennis, mini-golf and fishing on the 25 ha lake of the Lac de l'Isle-Jourdain. The lake is not authorized for swimming, but the communal swimming pool, a few meters away, is covered, heated and open from Easter to All Saints' Day.

On the demonstration side, the Games Festival, Lislenjeux mid-February and the Craft Fair on Saint-Martin mid-November. The weekly market is on Saturday, around the market hall.

Samatan

Samatan is the "Capital of pink gold", the "Mecca of foie gras". It is not so much for its production as for its incomparable foie gras market, organized in a whole part of the city from October to April, on Mondays. It is one of the largest and most beautiful markets in France. It is more like a large, lively and animated fair than a classic market. It is an experience not to be missed for its folklore and its incredible hustle and bustle.

The village's Saint-Jean-Baptiste church is home to beautiful painted frescoes. In the town centre there is a museum of foie gras and popular traditions. For a nature getaway or a good picnic, head to the leisure centre and its lake.

At the end of July, you can attend the Summer Theatre Festival. At the beginning of September, Africa comes to Samatan with the Sam'africa festival. In September, it's the gastronomy festival and of course, foie gras is king!