The busy roads of the Gers !

• Castera Verduzan - Our nearest (5 min) village with a small supermarket, restaurants to suit all pockets, a bakery and two butchers. There is a lively morning market every Sunday. The thermal baths are very popular and there is also a Casino (with ATM), Horse Racing and an inland lake with beach.
• Domaine les Acacias - Taste the wine made from grapes grown in the vineyard at the end our drive.
• Auch - The two main things to see in Auch are the Cathedral of Saint Marie (with beautiful carved choir stalls) and the staircase to the river with the statue of d'Artagnan half way down. South of the cathedral is the old quartier, a jumble of tiny streets and interconnecting stairways, where Nostradamus lived for some time. There is a good market by the river on a Wednesday. Also Museums, Art Galleries, Shops and an 18 hole golf course just outside the town with a fabulous panoramic restaurant.
• Condom - The capital of the Tenareze district, Condom is a favourite town of ours with great shops and a market on Wednesday. It's name is of Roman origin from condate = confluence and dum = hill. The Cathedral is beautiful inside and the Armagnac museum is well worth a visit. For a special treat, try the restaurant "Les Trois Lys" in the centre of town (the foie gras starters are sensational). Condom is a port on the river Baise and boat trips are available daily in the season.
• La Romieu - An ancient ecclesiastical town with an imposing 14th century collegiale church. The main street has many hidden stone cats! Nearby, there is a famous arboretum.
• Vic Fezensac - The main village nearby (15 min) with plenty of shops, two supermarkets, several banks and lots of restaurants and cafes. The Tourist Office, just off the main square, is excellent.
• Market day is Friday and there are night markets in July and August
• Lavardens - Beautiful chateau set high on a hill, which has guided visits and frequent art exhibitions. There are night markets on Wednesdays during July and August.
• Larressingle - a 13th century fortified village, the smallest in France (the so-called Carcassonne of the Gers). The museum shows reconstructions of life in the Middle Ages and the Park Museum house medieval machines of war.
• Lectoure - Gallo-Roman city, famous for its melons, with many interesting buildings to see and several museums. On the St-Jacques-de-Compostelle footpath. Thermal fitness centre. There's a nice little pavement café in the high street, just past the Tourist Office, called Le Meur (great pain au raisins!) If you fancy a super meal, then try out either the Auberge des Bouviers or, for a real gourmet experience, however, go to lunch at the quaintly named Restaurant de Bastard !
• Fources - The only circular walled bastide town in the Gers with a lovely castle nearby.
• Mouchan - Lying between Condom and Eauze, this small village is said to have the most beautiful Romanesque church in the Gers. It is also on the St. Jacques de Compostelle route, so look out for the familiar shells on the outside of the church.
• Valence-sur-Baise - A 12th century bastide village and river port. Nearby is the Abbaye de Flaran, a magnificent 12th century Cistercian abbey. There are three beautiful chateaux quite nearby; Busca-Maniban, Cassaigne and Montluc, the last of which in St. Puy is famous as the home of the lethal local aperitif known as Pousse Rapiere. Another favourite restaurant of ours is the Ferme de Flaran, where you will be looked after in pleasant surroundings.
• Marciac - a 13th century Gascon bastide town, famous for its terrific International Jazz festival held here every August. Nearby are the fortified villages of Tillac and Monlezun. Plenty of restaurants, so a good place to stop for lunch.
• Bassoues - another pretty bastide village, with a 43metre high keep, a masterpiece of Gascon military art.
• Montesequiou - a fortified village on the Route de Bastides through the Gers.
• Mirande - a lovely square in this bastide town, which has a Country and Western festival each July. The cathedral is considered to be a Gothic masterpiece. There is also a museum of fine arts and decorative arts.
• Montreal (incl Seviac) - A 13th century gascon bastide village. There is a Gallo-Roman museum with guided visits. Nearby is Seviac, a 4th century Gallo-Roman villa, which has been extensively excavated during recent years.
• Saint Clar - unique bastide town with two 13th century squares with arches. Famous garlic market selling white garlic from Lomagne.

• 
  Toulouse - Main town of the Midi-Pyrenees with Cathedrals, Shops, Museums etc.
• Bordeaux - If you love wine, make at least one trip to this area whilst you're here !
• Pau - A lovely city in the foothills of the Pyrenees. Nice chateau and beautiful gardens.
• Albi - The birthplace of Toulouse Lautrec with a fascinating museum.
• The Pyrenees - Why not try a day's walking amongst breathtaking scenery at either Gavarnie or Pont' d'Espagne, or take the cable car to the Pic du Midi. Each area is about 2 ½ hrs by car.
  

• Agen and the Southern Lot - Nerac is less than an hour's drive. The old town is well worth a visit.
• Carcassonne and Mirepoix - Two fabulous bastide towns in the Aude and Ariege regions
• Aquitaine and the Atlantic Coast - About 2 and a half hours away, if you fancy a day by the sea.

• EATING & DRINKING: There is a wealth of restaurants and bars in the area catering for all tastes, occasions and budgets. See above town and village descriptions for some of our favourites.
• GOLF: There is a beautiful, wooded 18 hole course at Eauze, which is the best in the area. There is also a lovely 9 hole course at Fleurance and another (hilly) 18 hole course at Auch (superb restaurant), Masseube is another 9 hole course, 15 minutes from Auch. Further afield (about 1 hrs drive) is Mont de Marsan - a fabulous course and not expensive during the week and Pallanne -  a 9 hole course in rolling countryside with the Pyrenees as a backdrop.
• TENNIS: Courts are available at Bezolles, Gondrin, Eauze, Condom, Valence and Castera Verduzan.
• LEISURE LAKES: Various inland lakes with many leisure facilities, the nearest is at Castera Verduzan, a 7 hectare lake, in rolling countryside with a sandy beach, canoe-kayak, windsurfing, sailing, supervised swimming, water toboggan, pedalos, dinghies, tennis, surf-bike, archery and volleyball.
• CYCLING: The Gers is ideal cycling country with many of the places listed being easily accessible by bicycle. Bike hire avaialble in Castera-Verduzan (5minutes away).
• WALKING: More than 600 kms of signposted routes for hikers to discover
• FISHING: Over 40 rivers to discover, the majority being category 2 fishing - carnivorous including pike, pavie and perch and a couple of category 1rivers which include the Salmon Family.
• HORSE RIDING: Les Écuries D'Armangac near Valance-sur-Baïse offer riding lessons or hacks with an English guide, trips into the mountains, gastronomic excursions and much more.
• SKIING: Resorts in the Pyrenees are within 2 hours drive.
• SURFING: World class surf breaks within 2 hours drive at Biarritz and Hossegor.
• CANOEING & KAYAKING: At Beaucaire on the river Baïse you can take an escorted trip down to Valance and be returned by minibus. There are canoe/kayak clubs situated in Condom and Mirande
• BOAT TRIPS: From Condom, you can travel to Valence each afternoon, with a special lunch excursion on Sundays in the season.
• WINE TASTING: Many of the local producers welcome visitors and will both show you around and provide you with tastings of their products. Some recommended domaines nearby are Les Acacias (Bezolles), D'Entras (nr Castera Verduzan), Millet (Eauze), De Bile (Bassoues), D'Embouderiere (Rejaumont) and Plaimont (Plaisance). Sample great wines from some of the best known local wine-growing areas (Tariquet, Buzet, Madiran, St. Mont and Monluc)
• CATHEDRAL, MUSEUMS AND ART GALLERIES: Auch and Condom provide the setting for most of the sites within the immediate area. Further afield are Toulouse, Agen and Lourdes.
• ABBAYE DE FLARAN: Flaran is famous within France for its architecture. Art Exhibitions are often held there.
• JAZZ AT MARCIAC: During August the Jazz festival takes place, one of the best of its kind in the world with many internationally acclaimed artists (eg: Oscar Peterson, Winton Marsalis) appearing regularly.
• MOTOR RACING AT NOGARO: There are several meetings at the circuit every season. The Formula 3 events at Easter and in September are the highlights.

• Auch - Saturday and Thursday morning
• Castera-Verduzan - Sunday morning
• Condom - Wednesday
• Eauze - Thursday (one of the best around)
• Fleurance - Tuesday
• Valence-sur-Baise - Wednesday morning (quite small)
• Vic-Fezensac - Friday morning

In July and August, you will find night-time markets in several areas, the closest one is in Vic-Fezensac