아우 최고의 워킹 & 하이킹 경로

Highest point between Lias, Puijaudran

Climbing this monumental staircase, both seen from above and below, I counted 231 steps.

Two big lakes just on the outskirts f town offer water based activities; swimming and a "water park" for kids.

Small town in Toulouse Gascony where you can discover the European Museum of Campanaire Art under the old grain market, the Claude Augé house, or the Saint-Martin collegiate church.

With this monument at the bottom of a monumental staircase that leads from the river to the cathedral, the city also pays tribute to a literary hero: the fictional character d'ARTAGNAN, created by the writer Alexandre DUMAS (1802 to 1870), along with Athos, Porthos and Aramis the Brave Heroes in "The Three Musketeers". He chose Charles de Batz, Comte d'Artagnan, whose childhood and youth he spent here, as his historical role model.

Saint Nicholas (Saint NICOLAS), bishop of Myra, to whom the church in Castelnau-Barbarens is dedicated, is – along with Saint Martin – one of the most popular saints of all. Almost every child in Germany - and far beyond - should know his commemoration day, December 6th. On the eve of this day, the children used to put their shoes or boots in front of the door – which of course had to be cleaned with great care – so that they could be filled with gifts by St. Nicholas during the night. In more agricultural areas, it was also customary for the children to provide a small amount of food for the donkey, St Nicholas' riding animal (according to another tradition, it was a white horse).

The castle is located between Valence-sur-Baïse and Auch (near the town of Jegun) in the Gers department in southwestern France. More information, for example about opening hours and current exhibitions, can be found on the Chateau Lavardens website:

A large part of the castle is open to visitors. In addition to many other rooms, the castle has a whisper room (echo room) with special acoustics. The high vaulted ceiling creates an echo that can be heard very well from one corner to the other. This room is rightly called the Salle d'Echo. There are also regular exhibitions of well-known painters, sculptors and other artists.