A Short Tour of the Pyrenees Oriental

2. Ax-les-Thermes to Bagneres-de-Luchon

Mountain towns are often at their best in the morning: the early sunshine burning off the cloud in the thin air has a freshness not found at sea level. Ax was no different and we hobbled (we did say that we were using the Caranca Gorge trip to gauge our fitness) to  sit and enjoy this atmosphere outside a wonderful old high ceilinged 1920's road side bar, replete with long wooden counter and enamel signs. With coffee and croissants to hand we watched a steady stream of motorcycles pass through, presumably on the road to Andorra.  The 1909 Baedeker shows the road only went as far as Soldeu from where it was possible to follow a bridlepath to Andorra la Vella - which suggests a road with a lot of bends: not for the last time on this trip, I wished I had my motorbike with me! 

Ax is an odd town, built on the confluence of the Ariege, Oriege and Lauze rivers and with a profusion of thermal springs it is not surprising that it has a history of settlement as far back as the Romans but owing apparently to a succession of disastrous fires no historical monuments remain. Nevertheless it does have a likable mountain charm.

Before leaving England we had made a conscious decision to avoid Andorra as we think there is more to life than tax free shopping and a 12 month hunting season - so we decided to take it easy for a day with a leisurely drive west to Bagneres-de-Luchon (hereinafter referred to as Luchon). Passing through Tarascon, we joined the D618 and ascended to the Auberge on the Col de Port where we stopped for a late morning drink. Sitting on the verandah in the warm sunshine we could see a path winding up the unnamed peak to the South - and feeling that we should keep our muscles turning over we decided to climb it. Some 45 minutes later we reached the summit and were rewarded with a panorama of snow capped peaks which extended south, east and west. To the north was the valley we had just climbed from, and beyond: the rolling hills of the Ariege-Pyrenees. The view gave us a real sense of being right on the northern edge of the Pyrenees.

Back in the car we continued on into the Ariege region, the road descending alongside the river Salat. Occasionally the gorge was so narrow that the road was forced through a succession of crude tunnels - the first of which caused some alarm, as with little warning we plunged from dazzling sunlight into a narrow dark rocky cave: during an unpleasant moment we screeched to a halt in the middle of the road whilst I tried to find the lights - the prescription sunglasses I was wearing didn't seem to help much. 

Just beyond Saint-Girons we arrived in the ancient town of Saint-Lizier, its high walls hiding an eleventh century church and some expensively restored half timbered houses set amongst tiny alleyways and arcades - the Pyrenees visible to the South. At the time we visited the streets were virtually empty (and the Restaurant was closed!) and despite the odd ramshackle building we got the feeling that this is an exclusive place to live.

We were beginning to realise how important the rivers of the Pyrenees were in driving transport into the mountains - since leaving Perpignan heading west the river valleys had become more and more vast. Joining the Garonne at Saint-Gaudens, the valley was big enough to hold a motorway, not that the we needed one as we swept in Luchon on the perfectly adequate D125.  We found a hotel and after wandering up and down the tree lined Allee d'Etigny we treated ourselves to a splendid three course meal (I had rabbit with a mustard sauce!) washed down with a pleasant bottle of Cotes de Roussillon.

next: 3. Around Bagneres-de-Luchon