The Route des Cols in Midi-Pyrénées
ARGELES GAZOST , Hautes-Pyrénées – Itinéraire
The “Route des Cols” runs along 952km through the Pyrenees from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, crossing 34 great Pyrenean passes. Almost half of the route is in the Midi-Pyrénées region.
The “Route des Cols” was created in the 19th century under the leadership of Emperor Napoleon III and his wife Eugénie. This “Spa Route” linked together the various Pyrenean spa towns that were very popular amongst the leisured classes. This Route is still famous for its large number of spa towns. It also gained international recognition with the Tour de France event.
Depending on your level of ability and the kind of route you feel like taking, either follow the full Route des Cols itinerary or just focus on a couple of its mountain passes. In the “Mountain passes” tab below, you will find an information sheet about the different routes running to each great mountain pass in the Midi-Pyrénées (starting point, distance, altitude)… Get pedalling!
