Exploring history on family holidays in France is a great tradition. But if you want living heritage you need to know more about the Sud-Ouest Authentique. Start here.
Château de Bonaguil © Lezbroz
Sud-Ouest Authentique is the area of South West France which straddles Occitanie and Nouvelle Aquitaine’ Regions. So you’ll find it awash with history from bastide towns to grand cities. Castles, abbeys and monasteries scatter across the countryside and if there’s a good vantage point, the chances are you’ll find a fascinating fortress, or at least an ancient tower, there too.
Although the best news has to be how accessible the South West makes even its most most prized monuments. So between creative workshops for kids and pretty château that invite you to stay, getting under the skin of the area’s long and colourful heritage couldn’t be easier.
Abbaye de Flaran, holidays in France © Thébault Patrice Collection Tourisme Gers
Abbaye de Flaran adds fun history to family holidays in France
You’ll find Abbaye de Flaran near Valence-Sur-Baïse in the Gers. And you should seek it out. Not only is it one of the best preserved medieval abbeys in South West France, it’s also remarkably beautiful, inside and out.
If that’s unlikely to mean a lot to your fun-hunting kids, Flaran has that covered with interactive games and puzzles designed to engage younger visitors with the history of the abbey. Historic dress-up makes this another Sud-Ouest experience for sharing on social, and there’s also an extraordinary art collection which spans the 16th to 20th century and includes works by Cézanne, Rodin, Rubens and Picasso.
Don’t miss Château de Bonaguil for awesome views and kids workshops
South West France isn’t short of dramatic castles, but even here, Château de Bonaguil in Lot-et-Garonne stands out. Prepare to be awed on first sight, not least because the castle is immense and set high above a lush, green valley towering over all it surveys, including several lovely medieval villages.
Come during summer for children’s craft workshops on Wednesday afternoons, as well as an extremely authentic escape game and themed family events in July and August. Although the excellent guided or self-guided tours of the castle are worth a visit all by themselves.
Musée de Fermat, Beaumont-de-Lomagne
Count on Musée de Fermat to fascinate your family
Getting children excited about maths is one of the missions to which the Musée de Fermat in Beaumont-de-Lomagne dedicates itself. The museum is named after French mathematician, Pierre Fermat, who was born here in the early 17th century – ironically, the precise date of his birth is uncertain.
Younger ones can look forward to seeing Fermat’s groundbreaking discoveries applied to fun puzzles in the creative part of the museum designed just for children. And even the least number-keen older kids will be amazed by what Fermat achieved in the pre-pre-pre-digital age. Although what might surprise you all, is how many other historic celebrities hail from South West France.
Exploring Auch © Arnaud Späni Collection Tourisme Gers
Where to get hands-on with heritage on holidays in France
Learning by doing is about as sticky as it gets with kids and Heritage Workshops in Auch this summer are the perfect example. Not only do young historians in the making find out about the beautiful capital of the Gers, its medieval history and the importance it has always played in the politics and culture of South West France, they get to skill build as well.
There are stained glass workshops, workshops in sculpting or stone carving and a heraldry workshop too. Specially created for 6 to 12 year olds and taught by local heritage experts, they balance fun with education. Parents can join in too, or alternatively you can take two free hours to explore the history of Auch on your own terms.
Penne de Agenais © Lezbroz
Join the discovery trail to find the secrets of Penne-d’Agenais
Download the free Tèrra Aventura app this summer and explore Penne-d’Agenais with your kids. It’s one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France® and the inventive app gives you clues to solve as you discover everything from its pretty, flower-filled streets and ancient church to a history that includes such notables as Richard the Lionheart as well as Italian connections and wars fought and won.
Also, like many lovely towns in South West France, this one is famous for its arts and crafts, charming shops and art workshops too.
Gramont Castle © Aurélien Desmiers
See a medieval castle transform before your eyes
Gramont is a medieval French château with a surprise in store for visitors: it’s really a remarkable Renaissance castle.
Explore the transformation from its birth in the middle ages to its rebirth in the 15th century on a fascinating self-guided tour. Look out for the intricate gargoyles twined around the stone archways; find out why no two windows are alike and learn about the marriages and alliances that created one of the most unusual château in South West France.
Le Taverne de dArtagnan, Lupiac ©Collection Tourisme Gers
Have lunch in the birthplace of D’Artagnan
If you need an excuse to visit the little town of Lupiac in the Gers, Le Taverne de d’Artagnan is a good one.
Set on the town square and named after the legendary musketeer and Lupiac’s most famous son, this charming family-run restaurant focuses on local produce integrated into traditional Gascon recipes.
La Stelsia, Saint-Sylvestre-du-Lot
Brighten up holidays in France with a colourful château stay
La Stelsia in Saint-Sylvestre-sur-Lot promises to be unlike any other five-star hotel you’ve experienced.
Painted in a deliciously bright colour palette outside, each of the individually decorated bedrooms reflect the same playful spirit indoors. The gardens are a riot of imaginative topiary, pretty pathways and even the largest mini-golf course in Europe. And if all that doesn’t entice you, La Stelsia also features a wonderful spa and its own gastro-pub.
Summer Aquapark, Camping Lomagnol
Find out why the French love camping in South West France
If you have ever wondered why the French are so besotted by camping, take a look at Camping Lomagnol. Not only does the campsite sit on a lake with its own beach, summer aquapark, water sports and carp fishing, it offers families the choice of gites, mobile homes and pitches, so how you stay is entirely up to you.
The large swimming pool comes complete with slides and kids have playgrounds to look forward to as well. Then, on top of bread and pastries delivered to you fresh every morning (just order the night before) the lovely town of Lomagnol is nearby for restaurants and cafés.
Now visit Sud-Ouest Authentique to plan your next holiday to France
