The area and attractions

Ariège: Manses is situated in the Département of Ariège, within view of the Pyrenees, and not far from Spain and Andorra. It is bounded by the Départements of Haute-Garonne to the west and north, Aude on the northeast and Pyrénées-Orientales to the southeast. Ariège was formed in 1790 from the ancient countship of Foix together with parts of the old provinces of Gascony and Languedoc. It is situated in the highest and widest area of the Pyrénées where there are passes as high as 6000 feet with peaks rising above 9000.

Mirepoix is the nearest town to Manses. It is a magnificient medieval town which is dominated by a 12th century covered square and market area, its ancient buildings featuring gargoyles and carvings. The Cathedral dates to the 15th century, and hold traditional services and choirs. A thriving town with around 3,000 inhabitants, Mirepoix offers shopping, cafes and restaurants, local amenities, as well as an Arts Hall showing works by local artists. Monday mornings is Market Day, all kinds of goods, including regional specialities, hand-made pottery and other crafts, leather goods, clothes, textiles and rugs, plants and herbs, and much more. Thursday mornings is Farmer's market, offering regional foods and wines, cheeses, olives, herbs, as well as organic meat, fruit and vegetables.

In Mirepoix you will find: a tourist information office open all year round, a very good supermarket ('Super-U'), post office, several banks and ATMs, cafes, bars and excellent restaurants, book stores, particularly strong on local and Cathar history, clothing boutiques, crafts and pottery stores, a hardware store. Call the Mirepoix Tourist Office on 05 61 68 83 76, or write to Office de Tourisme de Mirepoix, Hôtel-de-Ville, Place Maréchal Leclerc, 09500 Mirepoix. Open all year round Monday to Saturday.

Montbel: The nearest swimming resort is at Lac de Montbel, a beautiful, large man-made lake about a half hour's drive from Manses. It has a small beach area, with swimming, boats for hire, and a cafe. Even in August, it is never as crowded as France's seaside resorts, and instead is ideal for relaxing, sunbathing and picnics.