Vallée de la Baïse by bike

At Buzet-sur-Baïse, surrounded by vines, two major cycle routes, the Canal des 2 Mers à Vélo and La Scandibérique, meet. From here, cyclists can shift from following the Garonne to following the Baïse River, by heading off southwards from Larderet’s double lock on the Canal de Garonne (just south of Buzet-sur-Baïse) to start on the Vallée de la Baïse à Vélo cycle route. This stage is enchanting, marked by glorious natural landscapes and picturesque bastides, medieval towns built on grid plans. Vianne, its ramparts intact, is the first to stop at, with its shaded, cobbled streets. Waterside Barbaste, at the confluence of Baïse and Gélise, takes you back in time, with Romanesque bridge and fortified medieval mill. Nérac, looking down on the Baïse, merits a full tour, for the Château Musée Henri IV (that French king and his mother’s family, the d’Albrets, closely associated with the place), the historic upper town and the riverbanks below. Leave the d’Albrets’ historic capital peacefully, via the Parc de la Garenne. The route then becomes more challenging, so pause to relax on the Fauteuil des Menteurs, a stone ‘‘throne’’ in the village of Moncrabeau with an amusing tale attached. Final stop, the town of Condom, offering a memorable welcome to the Pays Gascon, Gascon territory!

Condom’s cathedral and Armagnac Museum underline the importance of this little city in Gascon history. There’s no better ambassador for the town than that most celebrated of Gascons, 17th-century d’Artagnan, portrayed, along with his daredevil companions, in a statue beside the cathedral. Condom would be a fine place to re-read Alexandre Dumas’s world-famous 19th-century novel, The Three Musketeers, based on this group of swashbuckling friends. Before rejoining the Baïse on a stretch where its flow has been calmed, first the Vallée de la Baïse à Vélo leads you west for 6km, along a greenway, the Voie Verte de l’Armagnac. Then, at the level of Cassaigne, leave the former railway line for vineyards, riding through typically unspoilt Gascon wine-making lands. Before reaching Valence-sur-Baïse, don’t miss two gems, Graziac double lock and the Cistercian abbey of Flaran, one of the best-preserved in southwest France, packed with masterpieces from the 16th to the 20th centuries. The neighbouring village of Valence-sur-Baïse boasts a charming river port. The route continues on high above the Baïse River, affording wonderful views of the countryside. The thermal spa village of Castéra-Verduzan marks the end of this stage that’s sure to leave you with a warm glow!

After sampling the calcium-, magnesium- and sulphur-rich thermal waters of the Castéra-Verduzan spring called La Renaissance, time for you to ride on rejuvenated to the more conventional waters of the Baïse River. The cycle route leads you through bucolic hills, past typical Gers bastide settlements, up to Mirande. In the commune, or parish, of St-Jean-Poutge, the Château de Herrebouc is worth pausing at, especially as the slope just after it is quite challenging; climbing steeply up a hillside, our cycle route does though offer beautiful views over the valley. Past Brouilh-Monbert, hardier cyclists can head on to the little city of Auch (capital of the county of Gers) via a parish road, the C8. For an easier time, continue on to L’Isle-Noé. At the confluence of the Petite Baïse and (Grande) Baïse Rivers, this lovely village boasts a château, a public garden and… a rugby ground, reflecting the iconic sport in these parts. Finally, you arrive at Mirande, the Gascon bastide par excellence, divided up into a grid pattern of 49 identical plots of historic houses.

It’s lovely, wandering around the historic square plots of houses that make up the bastide town of Mirande. It’s also a delight, making the most of the arcades (here known as couverts) to shelter from sun and rain, and enjoying the main square, Place d’Astarac. After visiting the fine arts museum with its wide-ranging collections, time to get back on your bike to rejoin the Vallée de la Baïse à Vélo cycle route. Having crossed the state Forêt d’Armagnac, you pass through the centre of the little village of St-Michel. Here, look out for murs en damier, black and white chequered walls that are a unique local architectural feature, only to be found in some 60 parishes across the area. The building technique combines blocks of dried earth with blocks of pebbles, the precise alternating pattern creating the chequer-board effect. From St-Michel to Trie-sur-Baïse, the cycle route follows the bed of the Grande Baïse River, passing through fertile agricultural lands below wooded slopes, features of the well-known Lannemezan Plateau.

Located between the historic regions of Gascony and the Bigorre, with the hills of the département (French county) of Gers to the north and the Pyrenees to the south, Trie-sur-Baïse is an historic bastide town built on the banks of the Baïse River and surrounded by fertile agricultural lands. Formerly the venue for the largest piglet market in France, its Fête du Cochon, or Pig Festival, known as La Pourcailhade, continues to draw much attention. Leaving Trie-sur-Baïse by bike, in the distance, on clear days, you should already be able to spot snow-capped summits in the Pyrenean Range, the largest mountain being the Pic du Midi de Bigorre. The cycle route takes you along the D39 road up to Bonnefont before you leave the course of the Baïse River to ride up to La Hitte. There follows a vertiginous descent, then another climb to Galan, the village where the Vallée de la Baïse à Vélo connects with the V81 cycle route. Up to Lannemezan, you ride along beautiful hilly roads through forests and pretty villages. On clear days, the views of the Pyrenees provide a wonderful final reward for this cycling trip leading you so far south from the Canal de Garonne by bike in just a few days.