Tarascon-sur-Ariège is a French commune located in the department of Ariège, Occitania region. Located in the Pyrenees, in the arrondissement of Foix, it was formed of the union of its lower city and its high city, ancient fortified city. Porte de la Haute Ariège, the city is at the crossroads of the valleys, which earned it an important commercial status in the Middle Ages.
Today, the city of Tarascon-sur-Ariège is mainly oriented towards tourism revealing an important medieval heritage, as well as beautiful natural sites ideally suited to the practice of hiking or other outdoor activities.
Tarascon-sur-Ariège is also a great offer of cultural and traditional events organized throughout the year to make the commune live and animate its ancient alleys. You will be seduced by this boiling as well as by the warm atmosphere that prevails here.
Formerly a fortified village belonging to the Counts of Foix, Tarascon-sur-Ariège has preserved an important heritage dating from that time.
The Notre-Dame-de-la-Daurade church, which is part of the Historic Monuments, has recently been restored, bringing to light blue, white and red wallpapers dating from the French Revolution, unique in the country.
At the entrance of the valley of Vicdessos, the church of Sabart was the first of all the Haute-Ariège. Restored, the building is in pre-Romanesque style and still today reveals beautiful stained-glass windows from the 13th century.
Formerly fortified, the commune of Tarascon-sur-Ariège still has some vestiges of its ramparts to admire during a walk in the municipality. Visitors will also appreciate the Castella Tower and the Saint Michel Tower. In the old center, you can admire several arcades like the door Lacaussade.
Partially laid out for sightseeing, the cave of Lombrives has a rich historical and protohistoric past. Shows, dinners and concerts are organized regularly.
The park of Prehistory is a park-museum dedicated to Prehistory. Classified in the large sites of Midi-Pyrénées, it allows to admire life-size reproductions of parietal sets, or even prehistoric works. Outside, a circuit discovered reveals different animations presenting in particular the size of the tools, the lighting of the fire or the shooting with the spear.
The market is held every Wednesday and Saturday morning. The municipality also offers a small Christmas market in December.
The Tarascon Latino festival is organized every year in July, with various free shows in the evening, such as children's shows, concerts, dance demonstrations and readings.
At the beginning of August, the festivals of Tarascon highlight a fair, a ball, concerts, a cycling race or even a festival of bandas. A firework is also fired on this occasion.
