Les Chalets d'Alzen

Bring your hiking boots or mountain bike along and the friendly folks on site will happily point you in the direction of suitable routes through the surrounding Pyrénées Ariégeoises Regional Natural Park – perhaps a nature trail noted for sightings of deer, a foraging route for those in search of wild berries and mushrooms, or a waterfall hike. If your preferred method of exercise involves swinging a club around, there’s an 18-hole golf course around 20 minutes’ drive from the site, with lessons on offer for those who haven’t got the knack yet. A gentle 10-minute walk from the park is the Alzen Ecomuseum, where exhibitions and workshops tell the story of the area’s farming past, present and future. Also worth a visit nearby are the ancient Château de Foix, the 500-metre-long Mas d'Azil Cave, and the reptile farm at La Bastide-de-Sérou. All are within a half-hour drive.