Midi-Pyrenees

Midi-Pyrénées (mee Dee peer rhay NAY) The beautiful mountain range that divides France and Spain is know as the Pyrénées. This creates a picturesque drive for the millions of visitors each year that flock to Lourdes. Pilgrims come to Lourdes to see the sacred springs and Grotto where the Virgin Mary appeared to a young peasant girl, Bernadette Soubirous.

Traveling northeast through the region brings you to Toulouse a charming city with it's rose colored bricks. Walk along the Canal du Midi that runs from Toulouse to the Mediterranean and take in a 17th century engineering wonder.

The tiny village of Rocamadour perched high on a cliff overlooking the River Alzou is the home to the Black Madonna that is believed to have miraculous powers. The village offers spectacular views and a stalactite cave with prehistoric paintings.