Top 3 things to do when it rains

It is raining ? Don't panic, Ariège is an extraordinary playground for long days of rain! This is the opportunity to experience moments you would never have thought of!
And I'm nice, I give you all my tips here!

Enter an UNDERGROUND cave or river

It seems logical: given the number of caves in Ariège, on bad weather days, a cave visit has rarely been missed. It is a huge part of the history of Ariège and the legacy left by our ancestors.

So yes, it is a compulsory passage, and in addition there is the choice:

• The recognized Cave of Niaux, and its famous "black salon", I loved it! (Reservations required online, however, places are limited!)
  

• La Mas d'Azil cave ! Impossible not to go for a walk ... by car! Yes, the cave is unique in Europe, because it is crossed all along by a road. Before parking to discover the museum and take a tour of the place where the Magdalenians lived, we took the luxury of riding where prehistoric men set foot thousands of years ago (eh yeah, that is not every day that we do that anyway!

• La Lombrives cave, it is the largest cave in Europe where you will evolve in the middle of stalactites, stalagmites and drops of water. (Imagine that it is part of the same underground network as the cave of Niaux, so they meet!) It is mystical, and impressive. This is one of my favorite visits.

Gourmet shopping

Notice to gourmets, and gourmets! Here you have an appointment with local products, ancestral know-how, good franquette, and quality. Farm visits, tasting of local products, strolls in the shops ... Let yourself be tempted!
Because it's you, I recommend a few cool places, go ...

• Biscuit factory in Sinsat : nestled in the heart of Haute Ariège, this old mill located at the foot of the Quié cliff, built in the 1950th century, operated until XNUMX. Carole makes cookies with authentic flavors, far from the additives and preservatives of mass distribution . A real taste of "come back".

• Blours delicacies : Pascale grows and processes a wide range of mountain fruits, plants and flowers. In her lab, she concocts delicious jams, jellies and tasty coulis, syrups, sorbets and fruit juices from strawberries, raspberries and other red fruits grown in organic farming in an exceptional environment. If that hasn't whetted your appetite, then yes!

• Farm visits of the "Welcome to the Farm Label" : real traditional mountain farms with great values ​​await you! You will be amazed by the diversity of the farms in our territory: Angora goat breeding, Gascon cows, bees… Visits to surprising farms and shops, and a pleasure for the taste buds.

• Moulis - mohair Pyrenees
• The cazalas farm
• The Lacube house
• The apiary of Montcalm

Dare to push the door of a museum

Did you know that Ariège is full of small traditional museums that decipher the know-how of the Ariège people?

• You will be amazed by the incredible Forges of Pyrene. Located in the heart of a shaded 5 hectare park, crossed by a river, nestles the unforgettable village ... A village of yesteryear alive and well where the trades and tools (6 tools saved from oblivion!) Come back to life under the amazed eyes of the curious little ones who take the time to discover them. My favorite ❤️
  
• [TEMPORARILY CLOSED] the Alzen Ecomuseum! Nestled in the heart of the Ariège Pyrenees Regional Natural Park, the Ecomusée offers an immersion into the life of a traditional farm, resolutely turned towards the future. It is through its farm and its preserved breeds, its garden and rare vegetables, its old farm buildings, its exhibitions, that the Ecomuseum invites you to touch the past, taste the present and feel the future. We love !

• If you are in the area of ​​Lavelanet, a stop at textile and horn comb museum is essential! Beyond the exhibited collection pieces, the museum strives to preserve the know-how of the former weavers. Since 2016, the museum has produced a line of textile products based on the old machines that are emblematic of the museum and of the local textile activity. This is the opportunity to see the machines in action as part of this production. For a complete immersion, we participated in a creative workshop (weaving) to learn all the secrets of the evolution of weaving. It was great !
  
• For history lovers, a little stop at the Saint-Lizier pharmacy will amaze you for sure. In a remarkable state of conservation, we find care equipment used in the XNUMXth century.
  

• And if you want something unusual and a bit of magic, head to the Pamiers Magic Museum ! Discover a unique collection in the world made up of objects, each more curious than the other, from the XNUMXth Century to the present day.
  
• The hawker's shop in Soueix is ​​a real nugget, an Alibaba cave, a one-way trip to the beginning of the XNUMXth Century. In the magnificent Maison Souquet you will discover the fascinating history of the peddlers but also the shop where they stocked up before leaving for the four corners of the world. Change of scenery guaranteed!
  
• The Pierre Bayle House is nestled in the beautiful village of Carla Bayle. You will discover the life and intellectual journey of this true "scout" of the Philosophers of the Enlightenment. An exciting outing!

So who said you can't do anything on rainy days in Ariège?