TOURS

Your tours overviewAre you looking for a different, an authentic and intimate guided/hosted tour experience?

You’ve come to the right place! Aveyron is France’s hidden gem, if you love food, wine, culture, and heritage,

you’ll be delighted; you’re about to experiencing France, not only seeing it!

What sets us apart from other tour organizations?

You’ll be hosted by your guide, a true Aveyron local, you won’t be travelling in large buses and hopping from • one hotel to another every night,

You won’t have to worry about learning French, your host/guide is fully bilingual, after living for 15 years in the • Canadian Rockies, TherearenootherorganizationsofferingasimilartouringexperienceinAveyron,•Every tour is customized to each group’s interests,•You’ll be with like-minded travellers, in tiny groups, 8 maximum,•Thisisasmallorganizationandassuch,flexibilityisourstrength.•Aveyron is one of the most unusual place in France, where food, wine and heritage are all part of today’s life!•

During your next experience, you’ll be delighted by the local cuisine and food specialties, delicate restaurants,

smallcafés,orlocalproducersfairs.You’lldiscovertheastoundingAveyron;heritage,scenery,culture,markets,

crafts,artisans,ormuseums.

Sauveterre-de-Rouergue

Your typical experience in Aveyron

Tour• through one of the most

scenically wonderful regions of France,

dominated by the lovely river valleys of the

Aveyron, Lot, Tarn and Dordogne;

Experience• Cathar cities and castles ambiance,

where you will learn about the extraordinary

Cathar ‘heresy’ and the Albigensian Crusade that

destroyed the Cathars;

Explore• some of the grandest pilgrim churches,

at Toulouse, and Conques built on the great

medieval pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela;

Learn• about the development of unique medieval

frontier towns, bastides, by visiting some of the

most interesting, splendid examples in France;

this region has by far the highest concentration of

France’s most beautiful and historic villages and

towns;

Amble• through local weekly markets, held in

market squares dominated by lovely old market halls;

Savour • the delights of local cooking in a number of

renowned local restaurants;

Visit • a number of châteaux that were once castles

defending French or Plantagenet territory during the

Hundred Years War but later became majestic palaces

surroundedbyfinegardens.

Belcastel

Philippe Teullierand his mother, vintners for generations, holding some of their Marcillac red, rosé andwhite bottles.

Your home for ten days

Theplaceyou’llbestayingatisveryspecialtoVéronique.AtthecrossroadsofthebestplacesofAveyronand

beyond,itisalsoaplaceshecherishes,asit’salmosthernativehouse.It’safamilyhouse,whereshespentalarge

partofherchildhoodandsome.

This three-story art-déco house, built in the early 1930s,

has just been entirely refurbished with top-of-the-line ma-

terials, thus the best in-class comfort but so cozy!

Each double-bed bedroom has its own private and

spaciousfullbathroom.

For your comfort, we’ve added

a separate two-people jacuzzi,

providing you more relaxing

opportunity, after a well-spend

daytouringAveyron’streasures.

Onthemainfloorisaverylarge

open space, with kitchen, dining,

and living room where you’ll be

able to chat, share your best

moments, have breakfasts, or

evenoneortwodinners.

This house will be your ‘base’ for

yourten-dayexperience.

Rougier de Camarès

Paris

Location of Aveyron in France

Véronique, your guide and host, chose surrounding areas

rich with beauty, heritage, and distinct culture, areas she

knowssowell.Mostofyourexplorations'focuswillbe

within a two-hour drive of your home village, Baraqueville,

locatedtwentykilometressouth-westofRodez.

She will carefully prepare a list of the places and

experiencestobeplannedforyourvisit.Wemightbe

adding more to your trip, depending on your

ownpreferences.

Laguiole knivesTypical Aveyron “charcuterie”

About Aveyron

Alandofinspiration,ofverdantscenery,rollinghillandrockycrags;alandunspoiltbymanandunaffectedbythechangingpatternsofmoderndayliving.

Authentic,originalandundiscovered,Aveyronistruly“laFranceprofonde”atitsmostenchanting.

Alandofcontrastslocatedinsouth-westFrance,itliesinthefoothillsoftheMassifCentral,influencedbytheMassifCentral,thesouthandthesouth-west.

Alandofheritageandauthenticitywhere’ssomuchtoseeanddo.

TheAbbayedeConqueshousesanexhibitionofmedievalgold,oneofthefinestcollectionsofthegoldsmith’sartintheworld.Conquesisoneofthe

ten villages in Aveyron to receive the élite award “Les plus beaux villages de France” —the most beautiful villages in France— as well as Najac, Belcastel,

Sauveterre-de-Rouergue,LaCouvertoirade,andEstaing,areamongothersofthisprestigiousgroup.

ButAveyronisnotonlyaruralmuseumofprettyvillagesandbeautifulscenery;itisavibrantdépartement,proudofitstraditionsandheritage.

“Last Judgment” tympanum (sculpted 1107-1125) — Conques

La Couvertoirade, an old Templar city

Inthesouthofthedépartement lies the unassuming village

of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon whose world-wide fame has been

madeby“thekingofcheeses”.

A land of tradition and modernity, close-by is the town of

Millau,renowncentreforglovemakingandsuppliertothe

haute-couturehousesofParis.

Laguiole, in the north Aubrac, is famous in for its cheese and

throughout the world for its Laguiole knife, a rural tradition,

sincerevived.

Laguiole has become a fashion icon thanks to designers such

asPhilippeStark,orSoniaRykiel.

A land of exceptional food and wine, Aveyron has a reputa-

tionofgastronomy,rusticbutrefined.Foiegras,charcuterie,

stockfisch(driedcod),aligot(apotatopurée,Laguiolecheese,

andahintofgarlic),gâteauàlabroche...andthelistgoeson

andon. Najac

Totopitup,AveyronboastssomeofthefinestMichelinstarsrestaurantsin

France,themostnotablebeingtheMichelBras’hotelrestaurantinLaguiole—

atruegastronomicexperience.

A land of nature as among ramblers, Aveyron is a favoured destination; with its

900 km of footpaths which form part of the national “Grande Randonnée”

network,theramblerisspoiltforchoice.

Aubrac plateau landscape

Millau Viaduct

Laguiole Cheese

RoquefortCheese

“Transhumance” at Saint-Côme d’Olt. See the unique twisted church steeple.

Note-Transhumance is the seasonal movement of people with their livestockbetweenfixedsummeramdwinterpastures.Inmontane regions it implies movement between higher pastures in summerandlowervalleysinwinter.Source: Wikipedia

Producers/farmers’ market degustation at Sauveterre-de-Rouergue

Conques and its Romanesque abbey, more than a thousand years old.

Experiencing Saint-Cirq Lapopie

Producers/farmers’ market degustation at Sauveterre-de-Rouergue

Villefranche-de-Rouergue market

Villefranche-de-Rouergue market

Valady market

Statues Menhirs, as displayed at the Fenaille Museum, at Rodez

Testimonials

Iwanttoexpressmydelightandcompletesatisfactionwitharecenttourin

the “province” of Aveyron, a relatively undiscovered jewel of France which

contains an abundance of cultural and aesthetic attractions to please the

seasonedtraveler.Forthosewithleisuretocombineacosmopolitanstopover

inPariswithbucolicserenityandMedievalwonders—orforthosewhohave

alreadyseenParis—Aveyronhasmuchtooffer.Thecombinationofsweeping

natural beauty, indescribably picturesque villages, and ancient architectural

treasureswillprovidealifetimeofhappymemoriesandoffersawelcome

changefrommore-touristeditineraries.Véronique,our“hostess”(toobubbly

andaffabletobecalledatour-guide),delightedtosharethehospitalityofher

cheerfully renovated home and squire us through the length and breadth of

Aveyron.Thepeoplearequitefriendlyandapproachable:Irecalloneproud

villager inviting us into his home to view his collection of antique motorcycles

(hemusthavehadmorethan50).

Atypicaldaymightbeginwithalightbreakfast(orayummyhomemade

quiche)followedbyadrivetooneofthemanygloriouslyquaintancient

villagesortownswithamplefreetimeforindividualexploration.Weather

permitting, lunch might consist of a group picnic on a scenic overlook where

lively conversation and local wine enhance the relaxed atmosphere and group

bonding.

Afternoons would be spent exploring other remarkable sites with dinner at

around7or8pm.Particularlyalluringtomewasthemultitudeofancient

churches, castles and village architecture which recalled both the simplicity

anddangersofMedievaltimes.Andwhilewesawabouta

dozen of these incomparable villages, there was ample

varietyandanassortmentofotherattractions.Museums,

dinner at local farmers’ market, wine tastings,

a comprehensive visit to a working farm and &mdash my

personal favorite &mdash a tour of the Roquefort cheese

caves are just a few of the treats in store for the Aveyron

adventurer.Myfinalthoughts:wearcomfortableshoes,

enjoythelocalwinesandtrythealigot…thisisatripIwill

rememberwithpleasure.”

~ Tom Mockler, New York, U.S.A.

Testimonials

Quelle belle visite en Aveyron!

MyhusbandandIloveinternationaltravel,and

Véronique has found an ideal niche for people like

us.Experience(my)Francegaveustheopportunity

to explore the back roads of an unsung region of

France with someone who knows the area

intimatelyandcouldtakeusoffthebeatenpath—

in true French style!

Véronique,ashost,wasterrific.Shenotonly

knows the towns and countryside, but also many

interesting people, like vintners and other local

producers.She’sevenrelatedtooneofthem!

Itmadesuchadifferencetohaveherasourguide,

translatorandfellowtraveller.Sheopeneddoors

for us in a way we could never have experienced

otherwise.

The towns we visited were incredibly picturesque,

and often situated in beautiful or dramatic

landscapes.FromourbaseinBaraqueville

(handilylocatedinthecentreofAveyron),

we were able to take day trips to every part of the

region.Wewerestruckbyhowvariedthe

landscapewasfromonecornertotheother.

Every day was a new and aesthetically rich treat

whether we were exploring medieval villages,

ancient sites, artisans’ studios or natural wonders

liketheRoquefortcaves.

And every day we ate and drank the best that the

regionhadtooffer.Mostafternoonswestoppedin

a scenic place for a delightful picnic of local wines

andcheeses,sausagesandpâtés.Intheevenings

wewoulddineatadifferentrestaurant,or

occasionally gather with locals at a weekly

producers’marketinavillagesquare.Thefoodwas

delicious,withmanyregionalspecialties.Wemade

itourpersonalmissiontotryeverything.

We have never been drawn to large organized

group tours, so the idea of travelling with a

maximumofsixpeoplewasveryappealing.It

allowedforsomeflexibilityanddown-timeinthe

itinerary,whichwasgreat.Andoneoftheamazing

things about this trip was how few other tourists

we saw—and no tour buses!

We loved our visit to Aveyron, and we would

whole-heartedly recommend it to any other

independent-mindedtravellers.”

~ Heather Walter and Patrick McCloskey, Canmore,

Alberta, Canada.

Albi and the cathedral Sainte-Cécile

Belcastel

Peyrusse-le-Roc, now a small village,counted during the Middle-Ages

more inhabitants than Paris!

Testimonials

MytourofAveyron.

Ispent10lovelydayswithVéronique,exploringtheAveyron.Aveyronhas

10oftheofficial“mostbeautifulvillagesofFrance”andwevisited9of

them—andseveralothervillagesthatwereatleastaspretty.Oldcastleson

the hilltops with stone houses clustered at the base, winding old streets,

flowerpotsandhangingbaskets,oldbridgesoversmallorlargerivers,

large and small churches…the Aveyron has lots of them!

Itwasinterestingtocrossthepilgrim’spathfromtimetotime—wesaw

walkers with their sticks in the towns on the route from Puy to the Spanish

Camino.SometownslikeConqueshavereliedontourists[calledpilgrims!]

forcenturies.Apartfromthepilgrimsandanoccasionalbusload,there

werefewothertouristsonourtrack.Therewereplentyofpeoplearound,

though,atthemarkets,anartfair,sittinginsquaresorstreetcorners.

Insometownstherewerequirkydecorationsdescribedas“Landart”.

BeinginFrance,ofcourseweatewell.

Véronique’shouseiscomfortable.Baraquevilleitselfisaratherordinary

town,butexcellentlyplacedfortravelalloverAveyron.Andonmarketday,

themarketcomesrightuptothefrontdoorofVéronique’shouse.

Véronique grew up in the area and has explored it further, so her

knowledgeofplacesisamazing.Sheisagooddriverandhasanamazing

abilitytofindherwayalongthetwistingroads.shealsoseemstoknow

themostinterestingstreetcornersineverytown.Thetourwasaltogether

agreatexperience...

~ Effie Best, Adelaide, Australia

What’s included in the 10-day tour price?

Pick-upatRodezairportorRodeztrainstation.•

The accommodation in Véronique’s art-déco house for the 10 days/9 nights in Baraqueville, •

20minawayfromRodez,convenientlylocatedatacrossroadstoexperiencethemostofthearea.

Hand-pickedbyVéroniqueregionalwinesand/orotherbeveragesduringmeals.•

Privatetourswhereplanned,andaccordingtoyourneedandwants.•

Food(allbreakfasts,lunches,anddinners)and/orwinetastingswhereplanned.•

Entryfeestomuseums,castles,exhibitions,aswellasallotherplannedexperiences.•

Servicesofyourbilinguallocalguide/hostandpersonaldriver.•

Transportation during the tour in a comfortable air-condtioned van or •

equivalentdependingonthesizeofthegroup.

What’s the best way to arrive in Rodez?

Ittakesapproximately8hoursbytrainfromParisAusterlitz.Therearedailymultipletrains,including

overnightones.

Byplane,wheninFrance,there’sadailyone-hourflightfromParisOrly(AirFranceoperatedbyBritAir),

andanotherone-hourflightfromLyon(operatedbyHexair).

FromUK,therearetwodaily“cheap”flights,onefromLondonStansted,andonefromDublin(Ryanair).

Rodezisaverysmallairport,sawonly140.000passengersin2010,wedefinitelyrecommend.

How large are the groups?

ThegroupsizeonanExperience(my)Franceguidedandhostedtouris8guestsmaxi-

mumforeach10-daytour.Enrolmentiscappedat8guestsperexperiencetoensure

ourguestsreceiveapersonalbespokeexperiencefromourhostingguideVéronique.

Good to know, there’s no minimum required; the tour will run even with one person

registered.

When do you run tours?

ItypicallyruntoursfromJunetoSeptember

inclusive.HoweverImayruna10-daytour

justforyouandonspecialrequest(witha

minimumof4guests)atanotherperiodof

theyear.

AveyronisgorgeousinApril,May,and

Octoberaswell.

Will someone meet me at the Rodez airport or train station?Are transfers included?

Yes! Even though our guests participants from dif-

ferentcountriesondifferentflights,orthroughdif-

ferent means, some might be touring before and/

or after being in Aveyron, Véronique will meet and

greet you at one these two meeting points; either

RodezAirportofRodeztrainstation.Youwon’t

have to worry about any logistics for the 10 days of

yournextexperience.

Saint-Cirq Lapopie

Rodez Cathedral

Rodez Cathedral

Off-the-beaten path as no other organization offers a tour in Aveyron, France’s south-west hidden gem.

Rodez, home of contemporary artist Pierre Soulages,who just turn 94. The largest worldwide museum displaying hisartwork is slated to open in 2014, at Rodez.

Live like a local. Aveyron is where food, wine,culture and heritage are all part of the day-to-day.

Valady organic producers’ market

“Trou de Bozouls”

Share your experience with your friends and family.You’ll be with like-minded travellers, in groups of 8, often less.

Chateau du Bosc, childhood home of painter Toulouse-Lautrec

Designed to your desires, each tour is all-inclusive and customized to your interests.

Cordes-sur-Ciel

TOURSMore information, photos, questions/answers, videos, stories

can be found on:

www.ExperienceMyFrance.com