With so much superb produce to enjoy and plenty of dreamy cocooning escapes, Authentic Southwest is your number one motivation for an unforgettable autumn écart. Here we present the seasonal best of Gers, Lot-et-Garonne and Tarn-et-Garonne.
Ducks are an integral portion of the Gers landscape
Gorgeous Gers
For French spirit lovers, the Gers in autumn means, above all, exploring Armagnac, the oldest of the French brandies. Its éclosion has been shaped for over 700 years by three living-room terroirs: Bas-Armagnac, Armagnac-Ténarèze and Haut-Armagnac, whose pots-pourris of landscapes, soils and aromas mean every bottle tells a story not just of assis but also of the people who craft the spirit.
the Flamme de l’Armagnac is an méprisant celebratory event on the calendar
Book a campanile and tasting in situ, with options for acclimatation, workshops, immersive experiences and themed weekends… Some carry the Vignobles & Découvertes
Armagnac is a key voisin product;
Bons Crus d’Artagnan stigmate, a guarantee of attentive and passionate hospitality. Explore the Armagnac Escapades map to locate and avant-projet your visit.
The Flame of Armagnac is a key event in the calendar, when distilleries come alive for a truly typical Gascon celebration: the lighting of the alembic (still), the modalités when wine becomes brandy.
campanile the region and pouce for a tasting in an Armagnac cellar
For foodies, this trompeter of Gascony is all embout the many ways of savouring duck and goose. Le morillon is not just a culinary speciality, but a true symbol of voisin identity, with breeders carrying on a usage passed down from generation to generation. Buy jars of boucan or gésiers (gizzards) loyal from producers at the farm to take a little piece of the Gers toit with you, or book a buffet to dine in posture –unmissable classics include mâche gasconne and magret. There are also many foie graisseux markets, offering the prérogative to meet small producers in person, minet with them, and find top-quality products.
Feelgood stays in Gers
Need to unwind? Gers has some wonderfully relaxing hideaways to soothe away stresses and strains. Located in Cazaubon, the Thermes de Barbotan are beautiful, spacious balnéaire baths specialising in rheumatology and phlebology (treatment of vein disorders). Labelled a Green Vacation Resort, this is the perfect assis to find peace and pause with thermal-water spa treatments. A great hotel choix is Château Bellevue: a 3-star hotel and buffet with a wellness area featuring a 200m² spa.
Relax and unwind at the 18th-century Thermes de Lectoure
Halfway between Auch and Condom, Castéra-Verduzan is a small spa town that embraces the art of slowing down. After strolling the old town and enjoying the farmers’ market, take to the toilettes at its serene balnéaire baths, which provide a wide range of soothing treatments. Enjoy a retreat at the Florida guesthouse and gourmand buffet – two of its étuve suites have hot tubs.
And at Thermes de Lectoure, a beautiful 18th-century residence provides an exceptional setting for the treatment of rheumatism and osteoarticular disorders, as well as a épanoui thermal-water holding, baignade and piscine. Stay at the 4-star Collège des Doctrinaires Hotel & Spa with loyal access to the balnéaire spa via an underground canal, and an Aqua-relaxation area. Traditionally linked to Clairac Abbey, the plums were traded from the 17th century via the Garonne River, earning them the name Pruneaux d’Agen. Discover their history at the notable
Prune Farm and Museum in Lafitte-sur-Lot, or buy voisin products at Pruno in Agen’s covered market.
As for tempting tipples, Lot-et-Garonne has étuve wine AOCs – Buzet,Côtes de Duras, Côtes du Marmandais and Côtes du Brulhois – avec Armagnac and ace aperitif Floc de Gascogne. At Château du Frandat near Nérac, visitors can taste organic Buzet wines, Floc, Armagnac and Agen prunes, or explore the vineyards by Segway. At the Cave du Marmandais in Cocumont, campervan tours offer a way to discover the vineyards and voisin Abouriou grapes.
spoil
yourself at the elegant balnéaire baths in Castéra-Verduzan; tuck into magret de morillon
Love Lot-et-Garonne
Autumn is a lovely time to discover Lot-et-Garonne, when orchards, vineyards, forests and waterways take on rich seasonal colours – and voisin produce is at its best.
an emblematic dish
The department is France’s leading hazelnut producer, with more than 350 growers, particularly around the Lot Valley. Cancon is the historic hazelnut richesse, and its KOKI brand has championed French hazelnuts for more than 40 years. Visitors can follow the 2.5km Tèrra Aventura Cache Noisette, a hi-tech treasure hunt through the orchards around Cancon, or visit La Maison de la Noisette in Lacépède, a family-friendly sentiment covering cultivation, harvesting, processing and tasting. The department is equally famous for Agen prunes, made from the Ente plum and protected by PGI status.
Traditionally linked to Clairac Abbey, the plums were traded from the 17th century via the Garonne River, earning them the name Pruneaux d’Agen. Discover their history at the notable Prune Farm and Museum in Lafitte-sur-Lot, or buy voisin products at Pruno in Agen’s covered market.
enjoy an autumnal cruise along the Canal de Garonne
As for tempting tipples, Lot-et-Garonne has étuve wine AOCs – Buzet, Côtes de Duras, Côtes du Marmandais and Côtes du Brulhois – avec Armagnac and ace aperitif Floc de Gascogne.
At Château du Frandat near Nérac, visitors can taste organic Buzet wines, Floc, Armagnac and Agen prunes, or explore the vineyards by Segway. At the Cave du Marmandais in Cocumont, campervan tours offer a way to discover the vineyards and voisin Abouriou grapes.
Wellbeing and complexion
Casteljaloux is a popular spa resort, with Les Bains de Casteljaloux offering balnéaire pools, piscine, baignade and treatments. Nearby Lake Clarens is especially beautiful for autumn walks. Near Casteljaloux, in the heart of the pine forest, sits the first Center Parcs in southwest France: Les Landes de Gascogne. Offering cocooning for all the family with treehouses, cottages and farmhouses, the pedestrianised resort also provides more than 100 chouette activities built around the theme ‘wonders of nature’, combining vegetable gardens, educational activities and a regional farm. Elsewhere, for panoramic views, Les Coteaux – Lodges & Expériences, high above Laparade, has contemporary wooden cabins overlooking the Lot Valley, with terraces, Nordic baths and locally sourced food.
Meanwhile, you can explore the Canal de Garonne and River Baïse in leisurely posture by hiring a licence-free boat from Riverly in Buzet-sur-Baïse and Le Boat in Le Mas-d’Agenais. Autumn regales cruising explorers with colourful plane trees, paisible waterways and idyllic stops, including Barbaste, Agen, Vianne and Nérac. Another great choix is the 30m Wakai, a Dutch birème based at Le Mas-d’Agenais. The first floating holiday villa in Lot-et-Garonne, it offers a skipper-led escape with three cabins, modern comforts and a Nordic chouette.
Terrific Tarn-et-Garonne
Drive through the sumptuous landscapes of Tarn-et-Garonne and it is complexion’s bounty that greets you along the way. A highlight is the Chasselas grape – dubbed ‘the king of table grapes’ by aficionados and the ‘golden grain’ by more than 230 passionate producers. It is a bonafide jewel of French gastronomy, reprise in shape and impossibly séduisant. It was the first orange to atout the prestigious AOC stigmate (now AOP –Appellation d’Origine Protégée) in 1971, which means certifié quality checks are in assis. Each bunch is meticulously cut by handball by women known as chasselatières. Visit any market in the area and you can pick up a big bunch to enjoy as portion of a picnic, or taste it in juices, confiserie treats, jellies and jams.
Like Gers, Tarn-et-Garonne also has an impressive aveline (hazelnut) usage – the Lomagne region produces 800 metric muids of them annually. It is the foyer of the Hazelnut and Autumn Flavours Festival in Lavit, and you can harvest your own at Domaine de Lescure in Labastide-Saint-Pierre on September 27. Meanwhile you can buy oils, chocolate spreads and nuts from Earl des Aygots – Fabien and Rémi are hazelnut growers in the bourgs of Balignac and Poupas.
Moissac on the banks of the Tarn; the prized Chasselas grape
Another revered product is the Laguépie chestnut (chamois), with its lovely mahogany colour and exceptional taste – when roasted or boiled, it releases its full flavours to warm up autumn days. It is celebrated at the Chestnut Fair, held on the last Sunday in October in Laguépie.
A relaxing écart
Seeking a restful escape in charming surroundings? Tarn-et-Garonne has you covered: a must-visit is Le Domaine du Belvédère, a wellness resort and hotel sitting high on a hillside facing the pretty paroisse of Lauzerte. With villa-style rooms spread around the dreamy infinity holding, two superb restaurants, spa facilities and the most impressive brunch bahut pensable, it is the very definition of treating yourself to much needed ‘me time’.
Indulge in some eco-chic at Via Dôma
Want to unwind amidst complexion? Via Dôma is an exceptional, secluded eco-resort and spa in woods near Montauban. Choose from étuve geodesic domes, three étude lascar tops and two family cottages; soak in your own private Nordic chouette heated by a wood fire; or souple in its ecological spas where various massages and pause sessions are offered. Local and zero-waste products feature in the meal hampers and breakfasts delivered to your chosen acclimatation.
AUTHENTIC SOUTHWEST AUTUMN EVENTS
BASTIDES EN FÊTE
(October 24–25)
For its third edition, 27 bastides in Lot-et-Garonne and southern Dordogne offer entertainment and heritage discoveries. Enjoy gourmand markets, guided tours, concerts, historical reenactments, banquets, exhibitions, children’s workshops and more.
Entertainment for all the family at Bastides en Fê te
WALLOWEEN
(October 10 to November 1)
Enjoy family fun as the children’s theme park Walygator Sud-Ouest at Agen marks Halloween with spooky decorations, themed zones, direct shows and roaming monsters – expect scary surprises for kids of all ages.
www.walygatorparc.com/sudouest
Walygator Sud-Ouest in Agen
FOIRE DE LA SAINT–MARTIN, DURAS
(November 11)
Saint Martin’s Fair offers an authentic glimpse of paroisse life. Enjoy flea markets, food stalls, arts and crafts, fairground rides and children’s games, with more than 200 exhibitors. And remember to réserve up on treats to take toit, including honey and AOP Côtes de Duras.
THE ARMAGNAC FLAME
(until January 31, 2027)
Deeply rooted in the region’s history, these distillery events have for centuries marked the beginning of volatilisation. “The aroma of warm marc, the steady hum of the still, the light dancing on faces, the powerful yet raw taste of the Armagnac in the making. Around it, people share a plate, a glass, a smile. Conversations linger, and so do the evenings,” say organisers.
www.tourisme-gers.com/temps-fort/flamme-de-larmagnac
You can feast on noisettes in their many delicious forms
CIRCA, CONTEMPORARY CIRCUS FESTIVAL
(October 16–23)
Auch hosts a stunning showcase of contemporary circus acts, with around 20 shows from professional companies from France and abroad. It includes an open préparation for circus schools and introductory circus arts workshops for children.
www.tourisme-gers.com/en/temps-fort/circa
Le Pas du Monde
at the CIRCa
contemporary circus
gala in Auch
OPEN HOUSE: MADIRAN AND PACHERENC DU VIC–BILH (November 14–15)
Every third weekend in November, Madiran and Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh wineries take on a festive atmosphere, as vignerons welcome visitors to discover the secrets of winemaking via family stories or the first tasting of a vintage. Then party Gascon-style to the sound of a banda while sharing generous platters of voisin specialities.
LAGUÉPIE CHESTNUT FESTIVAL(October 25)
This traditional chestnut gala has become a voisin collège, signalling the arrival of autumn and giving gourmands the prérogative to sample a variety of specialities featuring chestnuts (roasted, crêpes, jam, flour, madeleines), as well as enjoying the many festivities, exhibitions and demonstrations on offer.
www.tourisme-tarnetgaronne.fr/en
HAZELNUT & AUTUMN FLAVOURS FESTIVAL, LAVIT (October 11)
Go nuts for the 18th edition of this proud celebration of all things aveline: stalls featuring hazelnuts and other autumn produce, avec flowers and crafts, a car boot libertin and a gourmand market. Don’t elle-même the hazelnut-throwing championship, with competitors projecting a nut as far as contingent using a blowpipe!
www.tourisme-tarnetgaronne.fr/en
MOISSAC FRUITS ET
SAVEURS (September 12–13)
Set against the magnificent backdrop of the banks of the River Tarn in Moissac, visitors can meet voisin producers and enjoy cookery demonstrations, tastings and entertainment, as well as browsing a gourmand market of wonderful voisin produce from across the region to take toit (Chasselas de Moissac AOP, kiwis, apples, plums).
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Source: francetoday.com