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Sunflowers & AbbeysThe quiet side of south-west France
Nights: 6 Starting point: Les Thermes (2*), Castéra-Verduzan. Named after the 19th-century spa baths located opposite, this is a simple but comfortable hotel run by the friendly Madame Soubiron, who welcomes you warmly to Gascony. In summer, the dinners of delicious country cooking are served on the terrace.
Day 1: leaving Castéra-Verduzan, you follow the GR long-distance path northwards through the rolling, open countryside of the Baïse Valley, across which are scattered sleepy hamlets, vineyards, orchards, small woods and remote farms. (15km, 4hrs) Accommodation: Ferme de Flaran (2*), Valence-sur-Baïse. As its name suggests, this friendly auberge has been converted from an old farmhouse. It has an outdoor pool, but the best features are the excellent food and the attentive service from hosts Nathalie and Pascal. Day 2: we recommend you start your day with a visit to the Cistercian Abbaye de Flaran. Founded in 1151, it is one of the best-preserved abbeys in south-west France and boasts superb cloisters, a vaulted chapter hall and a well-preserved monks' dormitory. From the abbey, you once again follow the GR northwards, crossing attractive farmland and the River Gèle to reach Condom. (13.5km, 3.5hrs) Accommodation: Logis des Cordeliers (2*), Condom. This simple hotel, complete with a small outdoor pool, is well located to explore Condom. Your stay is on a bed and breakfast basis, leaving you free to take your pick of the town's various restaurants. Upgrade option: Les Trois Lys (3*), Condom. For a spot of luxury – particularly worthwhile if you plan to spend an extra night in this charming town – this elegant 3-star hotel is a great choice. It has been converted from an 18th-century mansion and comprises ten individually decorated bedrooms, public rooms furnished with antiques, an outdoor pool and a lovely candlelit terrace for dining alfresco (dinner included). Day 3: today is free to explore Condom, its handsome old streets, impressive cathedral and fascinating Armagnac museum. If you have time, we also suggest a circular walk along lanes and grassy tracks to the fortified 13th-century village of Larressingle, described by some as a miniature Carcassonne – it is guarded by a medieval castle and also has a beautiful Romanesque church. Another route explores the area to the north of Condom, passing vineyards and several châteaux, restored water mills and charming hamlets. A third option leads south from Condom. (12km, 3hrs or 17.5km, 4.5hrs or 13km, 3hrs) Accommodation: Logis des Cordeliers, as above. Day 4: the walk – the best of the holiday – begins with a short transfer to the ornately decorated collegiate church of La Romieu, a Unesco World Heritage Site. Stroll through the wonderful cloisters, admire the neighbouring tower (all that remains of the cardinal's palace), and visit the arboretum on the other side of the village (pay locally in both cases). You then follow the GR65, the route taken by pilgrims (albeit in the opposite direction) to Santiago de Compostela in the Middle Ages. This keeps to the higher ground and therefore affords wide-open views as well as passing several wayside chapels. Your destination is Lectoure, which you can see perched on top of its ridge as you approach. Choose our alternative route if you prefer a shorter day. (19km, 5hrs or 15km, 4hrs) Accommodation: Hotel le Bastard (2*), Lectoure. Do not be put off by the unfortunate name: this is a smart, high-quality 2-star hotel run very professionally by owners Monsieur and Madame Arnaud. We include breakfast only in our arrangements so that you are free to dine where you wish, though it is well worth sampling the hotel's own restaurant on at least one night (please tell us when you book if you wish to dine here). Day 5: spend your last day exploring Lectoure, which is even prettier than Condom and was once an important Roman town. From its ridge, it looks over rolling farmland that stretches for miles, and is renowned for its melons. Admire the well-preserved medieval houses, the imposing tower of the cathedral, the Renaissance town hall and the small archaeological museum housed in the town hall's cellars. If you would like a final walk, a short circular route explores the countryside to the north of the town. (11km, 2.5hrs) Accommodation: Hotel le Bastard, as above. Walking chart: the chart gives the distance and an approximation of the ascents and descents involved each day. If comparing holidays, please note the scale of each chart as this can differ.
Recommendations for extra nights: by adding an extra night at the elegant Les Trois Lys (3*) Condom, you can have a full day to explore and relax, and another day to enjoy one of our suggested circular walks. Extension: If you are flying viaToulouse, consider a stay at the lovely 3* Manoir St Jean hotel at St Paul d'Epis, converted from a 19th century manor house, to explore the ancient towns of the region. Other information: if you would like to see the brochure page, you can download this (and the pages for any other holidays you are interested in) by using our brochure creation system. Similar holidays: From the Tarn to the Aveyron (grade 1-2), Villages of the Dordogne (grade 1-2), Paths to Rocamadour (grade 1-2), To the Pont du Gard (grade 1-2), Châteaux & Vineyards (grade 1), Meanders of the Lot (grade 1-2), Spain's Secret Sierra (grade 1-2), Hill-Top Towns of Tuscany (grade 1-2), A Stroll through History (grade 1-2) Prices & travel 2008:
Recommended destination airports: Bordeaux & Toulouse Extra night prices:
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Alluring landscapes, gentle yet scenic walking routes, plenty of time for cultural visits, a regional cuisine often featuring truffles and duck, welcoming small hotels, a benevolent climate…here you have all the ingredients for a wonderful, and very relaxing, walking holiday. Indeed, given the leisurely nature of the walking, the easy access from Toulouse and the warm hospitality of the hoteliers, this makes an ideal first walk, rewarding you with a real sense of fulfilment at having explored one of France’s last remaining ‘secrets’. Discover a landscape of varying hues of green and yellow – from the golden cornfields and expanses of sunflowers whose heads bob gently in the warm breeze, to rolling pastureland punctuated with small copses – as well as cultural treasures such as the delightful towns of Condom and Lectoure, the abbey at Flaran and the collegial church at La Romieu.
Vineyards & pretty churches 
