Ariège Aude Forum

Free guided visits of the vineyard every Thursday morning from the beginning of June until the end of September.

You can find out about the rebirth of the Ariège vineyards and about organic cultivation.

Phillipe and Francesco will let you share a moment in their life as wine growers in the valley of Douctouyre

You will be given an appointment to meet at 9.30 am Thursday morning in the church square wearing walking shoes.   The visit lasts about 2 hours.

Wine tasting in the cellar at the end of the visit.

Phone to make a reservation 05 61 68 68 68

Les propriétaires du vignoble vous propose la visite du Domaine d'Engraviès chaque jeudi matin de début juin à fin septembre.

Vous pourrez découvrir la rennaissance du vignoble Ariégeois, la spécificité de la culture biologique.
Philippe et Francesco vous feront partager un moment de leur vie du vignerons de la vallée du Douctouyre.
Nous vous donnons rendez-vous le jeudi matin à 9h30 sur lq place de l'église, bien chaussés pour partir à la découverte de ce vignoble. La visite dure environ 2 heures.

Enfin, "après l'effort, le réconfort !"...
Une dégustation vous est proposée à la cave pour conclure votre matinée.

La visite est gratuite

Renseignements et Résevations au 05 61 68 68 68
- Visites de juin à septembre

Domaine des Coteaux d’Engraviès
EARL d’EMBAYOURT
09120 Vira
Philippe BABIN
Tel: 05.61.68.68.68
Fax: 05.61.68.73.97
Email: earldembayourt@wanadoo.fr

http://www.coteauxdengravies.com

Situated in a valley between Foix and St Girons and dating from the 12th and 18th centuries, Combelongue Abbey is one of the rare Premonstratensian abbeys in Southern France.

Combelongue has an astonishing Mudhéjar-influenced romanesque architecture. It has been built of brick in an area of stone.

The gardens are also open for visiting and comprise a medieval garden, a renaissance garden, a French garden, an Italian style theatre and lawns.

Open July - September every day from 3.00 - 6.00

Location
On the D117
Foix 32 km
Saint Girons 12 km

http://www.abbayedecombelongue.fr/1_visites.html

The largest box hedge maze in Europe

Partir en expédition dans le plus grand Labyrinthe de buis d’Europe et jouer à se perdre dans les 6 kms d’allées et chemins secrets… Voilà une aventure palpitante à vivre pour petits et grands.

Aux portes de Toulouse, Le Labyrinthe de Merville propose de rejouer la découverte du monde et décrocher les diplômes des deux parcours.

Open 1 May until 1 November

A chaque saison, Le Labyrinthe de Merville s’habille d’un thème, pour le plaisir du jeu et de l’exploration.
Partez sur les traces des Grands Explorateurs du 1er mai au 1er novembre 2010

Ouvertures :

En mai, juin, septembre et octobre : les samedis, dimanches et jours fériés. Sur réservation, en semaine pour les groupes de plus de 20 personnes, sauf le lundi.
En juillet et en août : tous les jours.

De 10h30 à 19h30. Dernière entrée à 18h.

=> Le labyrinthe est entièrement ombragé. Prévoyez une demi-journée pour découvrir toutes les surprises du Labyrinthe, du Parc et du Château.

Tarifs d'entrée :

• Individuels : adultes et plus de 12 ans : 8,90 €, enfants de 4 -12 ans : 6,90 €. Gratuit pour les moins de 4 ans.

La Taverne du Château accueille les visiteurs le temps d’une pause-déjeuner, d’un petit goûter ou d’un moment de dégustation chocolatée. Une aire de pique-nique est également mise à leur disposition.

A 20 mn de Toulouse, 10 mn de l’aéroport de Blagnac, 25 mn de Montauban, 1h d’Albi et de Carcassonne.
Depuis Toulouse, prendre la direction de Blagnac, puis Grenade. 6 km après Seilh, direction Merville, et suivre "Le Labyrinthe de Merville" jusqu’au parking gratuit, en bas du parc.
Coordonnées GPS : 43°43'12.80" N1°18'14.48" E

Nos amis les chiens ne sont pas admis dans le parc.

Plus de renseignements

Tél : 05 61 85 32 34, Fax : 05 61 85 14 24
Contact mail
www.labyrinthedemerville.com

Open daily in the afternoons from 1 May until 15 October

Open all day during July and August

Découverte de la clairière et de ses habitants en compagnie d'un entomologiste (visite guidée)

Les après-midi de 14h à 18h30
Le matin sur réservation pour les groupes
Ouvert tous les week-end, mercredi et jours feriés
du 1er mai au 15 octobre
Ouvert tous les jours du 1er juillet au 31 août

Entry - More than 12 years old 6€

             4 - 12 years 4€

Located a Montbrun Bocage (31)

From Toulouse by the A64 exit no 27 Carbonne then take the direction Montesquieu Volvestre (D627) then Daumazan (D628) then Montbrun Bocage (D19A)   The Clairière is 4 km from Montbrun going towards Merigon and is on the right.

http://www.oceanides-midipyrenees.fr/pages_html/accueil_clairiere.html

The late 13th century Gothic style church of Saint-Étienne at Trèbes is covered by a framework supported by 320 painted corbels,  These paintings present a vision of society in this period, with busts representing all the social categories: monks, peasants, bishops and abbots, knights, nobles, etc. Several artists contributed to this work, in a very linear Gothic style. The choice of motifs is traditional, although a later section, characterized by a red background, allows more room for new subjects (dogs, eagles, figures in profile which are sometimes fierce-looking). Marie-Laure FRONTON-WESSEL http://www.societes-savantes-toulouse.asso.fr/samf/memoires/t_63/resu63an.htm

The church also boasts a very fine belfry and is situated in a medieval village on the Canal du Midi.

The village also has an art gallery which shows international artists, and a good restaurant, Le Moulin de Trebes.

Vous trouverez une ferme avec plus de 250 animaux qui n'attendent que d'être câlinés ! Ici on caresse les lapins blancs.

Et pour les sportifs, le parc de loisirs en forêt semble tout à fait adapté. Au programme : jeu de piste, piste de VTT, tyroliennes, manèges ...

Des ateliers pédagogiques sont également organisés pour faire de vos enfants de véritables petits curieux de la nature !

Open April until October

Adults 8,50 Euros

Children aged over 2 years 8,00 Euros

http://www.animaparc.fr/index.html

In the first half of the 20th century, ESPERAZA, a charming little town in the south of France, was known all over the world for its hat industry. At that time, ESPERAZA was the second world centre for wool felt hats.
Our museum invites you to have a tour through the history of hat making. After watching a video produced in the only remaining factory in France, you will be able to see all the genuine machines used for the numerous and painful operations leading to well finished hats.
And maybe you will find a head-dress that suits you : there is a large choice in our boutique.

Day and hour opening

The entrance into the Hat Making Museum is free.

Our museum is located in the same building as the Dinosaur museum.

Telephone - Fax : 04 68 74 00 75
http://www.museedelachapellerie.fr
info@museedelachapellerie.fr

La fontaine de Fontestorbes

You can find this curiosity on the road between Belesta and Fougax-et-Barrineuf on the D5 leading from Belesta towards Montségur. La fontaine is on the left side of the road. There is a car park there and a café opposite which is open during the tourist season.

You could easily pass by here thinking it doesn’t look particularly interesting but in fact it is a rare phenomenon - a natural siphon. There are, apparently only about 30 known siphons in the world and this is one of the most important of them.

Between October and June  there doesn't seem to be anything unusual happening here because the flow of water is continuous, but during the period July to October (sometimes this might continue to January) the water rushes out of this cave every half an hour and almost completely dries up in between the rushes. The author of the article on the fountain on the site below – which also has some super photos -

http://www.lieux-insolites.fr/ariege/fontestorbes/fontestorbes.htm

tells us that “the cascade of water lasts for 36 minutes et 36 seconds, then stops for 32 minutes and 30 seconds. The amount of water which comes out of the cave is in the range of about 1600 litres a second and can be as much as 3000 litres a second after a storm”. If you have walked over the stepping stones into the cave just before the “fountain” starts you have to wait  half an hour until the flow eases off before you can come out of the cave again! It is clearly important to get your timing right or you could just watch from a safe distance at the barrier.    Don't worry too much though because my friend was caught at the wrong end of the stepping stones when the water flow restarted and all that happened was she got her shoes pretty wet.

The shots below were taken on 15 July 2010.

There have been many attempts over the years to explain how this phenomenon works. This site gives some very detailed explanations of the theories, unfortunately all in French but you might be interested to read it

http://www.pierre.benard.freesurf.fr/StBarth/Fontes/fontes.htm

This author says that the latest theory is explained by this diagram

Which appears in the Encyclopédie Bonneton, which is based on the work of Mangin. You will see that it suggests that the water comes in at the top right at q and collects in a reservoir. The siphon is between the letters A and B and the water flows out at Fontesforbes or Q. What is new about this research is the gap between A and C which allows a flow of air to enter the siphon. The latest research suggests that without this flow of air the fountain would not function as it does.

Animals from local Pyrenean breeds, orchards, gardens and crops.

Exhibitions, events and demonstrations.   Aerial rail through tree tops.

Email ecomusee.alzen@wanadoo.fr

http://ecomusee.alzen.free.fr/

Tel/Fax : 05.61.65.82.13
Email : La Ferme des Reptiles

1° février au 15 novembre
14h-18h tous les dimanches
jours fériés et vacances scolaires

15 juin au 15 septembre
10h - 12h et 14h - 19h tous les jours

http://www.lafermedesreptiles.com/