Foix Overview

The red-tiled roofs and cobblestone streets of Foix (fwah; pop. 9700) lie in a massive medieval château’s shadow. The counts who ruled from this magnificent fortress were not the only ones to leave their mark; nearby caves and grottoes hold paintings by the Ariège region’s prehistoric inhabitants. The city is now a base for hiking through the region’s thick forests and kayaking down its twisting rivers. Consider renting a car here to visit surrounding areas; public transport to the prehistoric caves and serene Ariège passes is inconvenient.

Trains: Av. Pierre Sémard (☎05 34 09 29 00), north of town off N20. Open M 5:40am-12:35pm and 2:15-9:10pm, Tu-F 6:55am-1:30pm and 2-9:10pm, Sa 9:55am-6:10pm, Su 2:25-10:20pm. To Toulouse (1-1½hr., 20 per day, €13).
Buses: Salt Autocars, 2 rue des Cheminots, Toulouse (☎05 61 48 61 51). Runs buses between Toulouse and Foix (2hr., 1 or 2 per day, €11).
Canoe and Kayak Rental: Base Nautique (☎05 61 65 44 19), down the street from Camping du Lac/Labarre (below). €12 per ½-day. Open July-Aug.

Practical Information

Tourist Office: 29 rue Théophile Delcassé (☎05 61 65 12 12; www.ot-foix.fr). Turn right out of the train station, follow the street to the main road (N20), and take it to the 1st bridge on the right. Once over the bridge, take the 2nd left onto rue Théophile Delcassé and walk to the end of the street, about 3 blocks (10min.). The office provides a free small map and tons of info on exploring the region. Open July-Aug. M-Sa 9am-7pm, Su 9:30am-12:30pm and 2-6pm; Sept.-June M-Sa 9am-noon and 2-6pm.
Youth Center: Bureau d’Information Jeunesse (BIJ), 3 rue Longue (☎05 61 02 86 10). Internet €5 per hr. Open M, W, F 10am-noon and 1-5pm, Tu and Th 1-5pm.
Laundromat: 22 rue de la Faurie. Wash €5. Open daily 8am-8:30pm.
Police: 2 rue Lakanal (☎05 61 05 43 00).
Hospital: (☎05 61 03 30 30), 5km away in St-Jean de Verges.
Post Office: Allées Villote (☎05 61 02 01 02). Currency exchange available. Open M-W and F 8:30am-6:30pm, Th 8:30am-noon and 2-6:30pm, Sa 8:30am-noon. Postal Code: 09000.

Accommodations And Camping

Foyer Léo Lagrange, 16 rue Peyrevidal (☎05 61 65 09 04; www.leolagrange-foix.com). From the tourist office, turn right onto cours Gabriel Fauré and right again onto rue Peyrevidal, passing under the pavilion of the Halle aux Grains; the hotel will be on your right. The best option for budget travelers. A cross between a hotel and a hostel, it offers privacy and sociability in 18 clean 1- to 4-bed rooms, each with sink, desk, and private shower. Toilets off the main hallway. Breakfast €5. Linen €3. Free Internet and Wi-Fi. Reception 8am-11pm; call ahead if arriving late. €18-20 per person. Cash only.
Hostellerie de la Barbacane du Château, 1 av. de Lérida (☎05 61 65 50 44; fax 02 74 33), 5min. from the tourist office. Just past the roundabout, to the right on cours Gabriel Fauré. Elegant mahogany beds and sparkling bathrooms. Call ahead for a room with a château view. Elevator. Breakfast €7. Reception Apr.-Dec. 7am-11pm. Singles and doubles €40, with bath €42, with château view €50, with bath and TV €45-72. MC/V.
Camping du Lac/Labarre (☎05 61 65 11 58; www.campingdulac.com), 3km up N20 toward Toulouse. A 3-star lakeside site. Buses from Toulouse stop at the camp. From the train station, go left along N20 until signs for the campground appear on the left. 2 people, car, tent, and electricity from mid-July to mid-Aug. €20; late Aug. and early July €18; Sept. and June €17; Oct.-Apr. €13.50; May €15.

Food

Ariège regional specialties include truite à l’ariègeoise (trout) and cassoulet (white-bean and duck stew). Moderately priced restaurants line rue de la Faurie and rue des Chapeliers. For the basics, try the Casino supermarket, rue Laffont. (Open M-Sa 8:30am-7:30pm, Su 8:30am-noon.) On Fridays and the last Monday of the month, open-air markets sprout up all over Foix, with meat and cheese at the Halle aux Grains, fruit and vegetables at place Saint Volusien, and clothing along the allées de Villote. (Food 9am-1pm; clothes 9am-4pm.)

Le Jeu de l’Oie, 17 rue de la Faurie (☎05 61 02 69 39). Dinner draws local in this neighborhood favorite. For a taste of Ariège cuisine at unbeatable prices, try the generous plat du jour (€6.90). A 2-course menu that includes a glass of wine (€8.60) is a bargain. Salads €3.50-8.50. Plats €7.30-14. Open July-Aug. Tu-Sa noon-3pm and 7-11pm; Sept.-June Tu-F noon-2:30pm and 7-10:30pm, Sa 7-10:30pm. MC/V.
La Sainte Marthe, 21 rue Peyrevidal (☎05 61 02 87 87). Plats range from the smoked duck, walnut, and fried onion salad (€7) to the decadent magret de canard (duck breast) with foie gras and truffle sauce (€21). Sumptuous profiteroles (€6). House cassoulet €16. Open daily noon-2:30pm and 7:30-10pm. AmEx/MC/V.

Sights

Château De Foix. Perched on a pedestal of jagged rock high above the city, the château is worth visiting even if you don’t plan to go inside; walk up the path around the château for a view of Foix and the Pyrenean foothills. The château has three stunning towers, each built in a different century; the 15th-century round tower is the tallest and a particularly impressive fortress. Inside the well-preserved castle, the regional Musée de l’Ariège displays a collection of armor, stone carvings, and artifacts from the Roman Empire to the Middle Ages. Don’t miss a small novelty collection of ornate carved medieval keys. After its glory days, the castle was used as a garrison and a prison: inside the round tower are graffiti written by desperate prisoners. After the tour, visitors haul themselves up the castle towers for an even better view. (From the tourist office, turn right on cours Gabriel Fauré, then right again just past the Mairie, on rue St-Jammes. Continue as the road becomes rue Lazema and rue des Chapeliers. Take a left uphill onto rue du Rocher. ☎05 34 09 83 83. Open July-Aug. daily 9:45am-6:30pm; Sept. and June daily 9:45am-noon and 2-6pm; Oct. daily 10:30am-noon and 2-5:30pm; Nov.-Apr. M and W-Su 10:30am-noon and 2-5:30pm; May daily 9:45am-noon and 2-5:30pm. Free tours in French every hr., in English July-Aug. daily 1pm. €4.30, students €3.20.)

Abbaye Saint-Volusien. Down the hill at pl. St-Volusien, the 14th-century abbey occupies the site of an ancient Roman church and still includes part of the Roman structure. Simple but imposing vaulted ceilings bridge the intricate rose- and beige-colored stone walls in this fine example of Gothic architecture. (Open daily 8am-8pm. Guided visits M-F 11am and 4-6pm, Sa 11am and 2-4pm.)

Festivals

Résistances Festival (☎05 61 65 44 23), 1st weekend of July. Brings upward of 75 art films—many of which premiere at Cannes—to Foix. Call the tourist office for more info.
Trad’estiu (☎05 61 65 12 12; www.tradestiu.com), around the 3rd weekend of July. “Traditional summer” arrives in Foix. This festival of traditional music and dance features popular—and free—outdoor performances.
Jazz Festival (☎05 61 01 18 30; www.jazzfoix.com), the weekend after Trad’estiu. Concerts nightly at 9pm and jazz playing from speakers around town. €25 per night, students €20, under 25 €10; week pass €130/80/40.
L’Ariège au Fil du Temps, early Aug. Tu and Th-F at 10pm. An extravagant medieval festival enlivens the area around Foix’s château. Villagers come for a sound and light show of Ariège history that includes reenacted battles and more fireworks than some cities use on Bastille Day. For info and tickets, call Théâtre de l’Espinet (☎05 61 02 88 26). €8-23, under 18 €5-12.

Daytrips From Foix

Grotte De Niaux . Lanterns illuminate prehistoric wall drawings of bison, horses, and ibex from around 12,000 BC. Reservations are required to enter the cave. Twenty kilometers south of Foix, the grotto is accessible only by car. Be sure to bring a warm jacket and appropriate footwear. (☎05 61 05 88 37 in summer, 05 10 10 the rest of the year. Open Apr.-Oct. daily; Nov.-Mar. Tu-Su. €9.40, under 18 €7.)

Rivière Souterraine De Labouiche . An hour-long boat ride floats down the longest navigable underground river in Europe. Six kilometers from town, the small metal boat cruises through galleries of stalactites and stalagmites, lead by clever Anglophone guides. There is no public transportation to this site; a taxi from Foix costs €12 each way (☎05 61 65 12 69). In summer, arrive as early as possible and at least before 3:30pm to avoid crowds. (☎05 61 65 04 11. Open July-Aug. daily 9:30am-5:15pm; Sept. and Apr.-June daily 10-11:15am and 2-5:15pm; from Oct. to mid-Nov. Sa-Su 10-11:15am and 2-4:30pm. €8.50, students €7.50, under 12 €6.50.)