>>809311>>809323(cont)
There's Toulouse, biggest city in the south-west which is also great. A bit like a bigger Montpellier, as it is also a dynamic city with a lot of young people and deep rooted in the south. It is nicknamed "the pink city" because of its red bricks, signature of the architecture of the city. It has the largest preserved Romanesque church in Europe (Saint-Sernin basilica), a large historical center, as well as a beautiful Japanese style garden, and other old religious buildings built in typical style from the region. Really worth it.
Albi, then again great preserved center, and an exceptionnal cathedral, the "Sainte-Cécile", I'll let you look for pics yourself.
There are other cities but off to nature now: First of all, the Cévennes national park. Mountainous areas, it's one of the most forested place in France, it really is fucking beautiful. Thriving wildlife (well, for European standarts ofc), deep river gorges and canyons, lots of small villages with untouched architecture, low population density...Robert Louis Stevenson hiked there and made a book about it.
Also the Espinouse and Caroux ranges, not so high actually but really rocky, sporty terrains (and beautiful), lots of proper hikes there and not many foreign tourists. There is also the Aubrac plateau, a plateau usually around 1200-1400m high, lush green, it's a vast open space, a breath of fresh air and the food there is god tier
Basically if you like nature the Lozère department is for you: half of it is the Cévennes park I mentionned, the rest if the Aubrac and various forested/moutainous areas.
Basically the whole Massif Central is great, but as it is the most isolated place in France (despite being right in the middle of the south) a car would help if you want to go deeper. However the parts I mentionned (Cévennes, Lozère, Espinouse, Caroux) are mostly south of the range so you don't have to go deeper to visit them
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