Taxi Toulouse → Lombez

Lombez is one of the smallest episcopal cities in France, nestled in the Save valley in the heart of the Gascon hills. Its Cathedral of Sainte-Marie, built in brick between the 13th and 15th centuries, is a masterpiece of southern Gothic whose elegant five-storey octagonal bell tower, typically Toulousain, rises above the canal-tile rooftops of the old town. Inside, the cathedral holds a remarkable set of 14th-century stained glass windows, among the oldest in Occitanie, as well as a liturgical treasury of unexpected richness for such a small city. Lombez was the seat of a bishopric from 1317 to 1790, a rare honour for a town of a few thousand inhabitants, owing to the policy of Pope John XXII who multiplied dioceses in southern France. The town is crossed by the Save, a peaceful river bordered by meadows and poplar groves, inviting leisurely walks. The surrounding hillsides, covered in cereal crops, sunflowers and wooded plots, compose an archetypal Gascon landscape: gentle, rolling, luminous. Lombez is also known for its Gers Gastronomy and Wine Fair, which gathers the department's finest producers each autumn. Foie gras, magret, duck confit, Armagnac and Cotes de Gascogne wines are in their element here. It is an authentic stop, far from mass tourism, offering a sincere glimpse of Gascon life.