Midi-Pyrenees Property Services
Midi-Pyrenees
Places to Visit
AVEYRON
The Aveyron is the largest department in the Midi-Pyrenees with evidence of human civilisation dating back thousands of years.
It is made up from three plateaux, - Aubrac, Levezou and Larzac, with the highest point being the summit of Mailheuau in Aubrac at 1,469m.
Part of the Massif Central, Aveyron has dramatic landscapes with rivers and deep gorges making it perfect for canoeing. Other activities on offer include horse riding, fishing, swimming in the Lacs du Levezou and hiking.
Tourist attractions include Najac castle, a medieval ruin perched on a now extinct volcano, and many old abbeys such as Conques, Sylvanes, Bonneval and Loc-Dieu.
The Millau viaduct is a more recent tourist attraction. The highest road bridge in the world with its summit at 343m, it combines the design talents of Sir Norman Foster with precision French engineering.
Opened by President Chirac in December 2004, this breath-taking bridge spanning some 2,460m. over the river Tarn opened up a direct route from Paris to Barcelona, doing away with the hours of queuing previously necessary to cross the town of Millau, (population 21,339). Millau is ideally placed for access to the Parc Naturel Regional des Grands Causes where many outdoor activities such as hang-gliding, mountain-biking and walking are popular, as are guided tours of the deep caves under the park’s limestone plateaux.
Rodez (population 23,707) built on a hilltop overlooking the Aveyron river is the departmental capital, and further along the river is to be found the medieval village of Belcastel with its 15th century chateau. Further still is the bustling market town of Villefranche de Rouergue whose old houses reflect the town’s early affluence from wool production and silver mining.
The department has a strong crafts tradition including the couteau de Laguiole (knife and cutlery) and the Aveyron’s world famous export, Roquefort cheese, made exclusively in the village whose name it bears from local ewe’s milk.
| Average Property Prices (€) | |
|---|---|
| Resale House | 146,200 |
| Resale Apartment/m² | 1,540 |
| New Apartment/m² | 2,210 |
| Building Plot | 39,200 |