Department 09 - Ariege

[P]

Would welcome any experiences of living in this department - including weather etc.

Many thanks

Paul

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Great unspoiled region with some quite affordable houses. Even Agriculture hasn't got too much of a hold as in neighbouring depts. Climate is cooler than on the coast by about 5 degrees C in summer. Usual warm south france weather in summer. Winter can be cold with some nice warm sunny days in between. I did Christmas outside in a T shirt one year but that was exceptional!

[Purdey]

We have owned our house in the Ariege for five years, between Mirepoix and Pamiers. We don't live there permanenetly but visit often, one or other or both every 6 - 8 weeks.  We love the department, it has remained relatively undiscovered  and feel that we are ideally situated. The sea is only just over an hour away, the mountains even closer and we are lucky to be able to use several airports and take advantage of cheap flights with Ryanair - Carcassonne and Perpignan being the closest. When we have wanted a change and see different areas  we have also used Rodez, Pau, Nimes amd Montpelier airports. Toulouse airport is also close. We also enjoy driving down in the summer. Obviously the weather is affected by the closeness of the mountains but as we are not there all the time I can't generalise.

We  have no regrets  that we chose the Ariege and have experienced nothing but friendliness there.

 

 

[St Bernard]

I've been down here for nearly three years and absolutely loving it. We find the area very peaceful but at the same time within easy reach of the sea, mountains, and, via the regional airports, the UK. It is a very diverse département geographically. We are in the plain in the north (Basse Vallée) with the mountains in view ahead of us. Climate will vary with altitude but also with the local topography. On many occasions we have had friends living a few kilometres away experiencing rain and we haven't had a drop. Where we are it has been another hot and dry summer - the third in a row. In winter we see lots of snow on the mountains but get very little if any ourselves. In our area it can also be very windy.

We have found local people very welcoming but there has been a sharp rise in the number of foreigners here in the last few years as low cost flights and lower property prices have attracted newcomers. I see that Ryanair have added two more UK airports for flights to Carcassonne in neighbouring Aude. If you don't know the area you should come and check it out.

 

Jan Laury

[P]

Many thanks for the replies - and yes, we ar coming over next week and looking at a number of areas thinking 'would I like to live here', which we feel is somewhat different to looking at a place as a holiday venue.

An acquaintance suggested Ariege and it sounded interesting, and from your replies it would seem that it is a nice place to live, well located.

[Smiley]

Hi there, I agree with the other property owners in Ariege, my house is in Belesta about 30 mins drive south of Mirepoix. The Peacefullness and friendliness of the locals is what strikes you first. The weather is good in the summer and can be very mild in the winter during the day. However you can also get some very cold days, last February I was in a T shirt one day and hat, gloves and scarf the next, as the winds swept down off the mountains. All in all it's a fantastic region in my opinion with affordable houses and great scenery.

Good luck with your visit

Tony