Gascony offers rolling countryside, ideal for cycling and walking straight from your door. There is a succession of wooded river valleys, vineyards, fields of sunflowers or maize, and quiet villages and market towns.  

There are some world-class restaurants within an hour's drive, and other excellent places to eat even nearer.  The Bordeaux vineyards are within an easy drive, while more locally you can visit producteurs of Madiran, Pacherenc and Cotes de Gascogne, and of course Armagnac. 

The peaceful abbey at Flarans is worth a visit, there are fortified castles at Rochtaillade, and Pau; a delightful fortified village at Larresingle, and various local chateaux. There are other special museums to visit including the delightful EcoMusee at Sabres, which is a ‘living’ museum with real animals and displays of local crafts, showing how life was on Landais farms in the last century and which you reach on a narrow-gauge railway – no cars are allowed.  

There are remains of a Roman villa with fine mosaics at Seviac, and concerts and other events. The world-famous jazz festival at Marciac takes place in the first two weeks of August, and throughout the season you can visit local ‘fetes’ which often include displays of ‘Course landaise’ where ‘sauteurs’ jump over and dodge fast-running cows.