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and its industry there are not many (large) towns but we'd like to mention Montauban, one of the oldest bastides of southern France, Figeac, which has been beautifully restored, Foix in Ariège – a hilly department where gold is still found in rivers, Auch in the middle of Armagnac country, Albi, where Toulouse-Lautrec was born and nearby Cordes, a medieval town that has attracted many artists. Talking of attracting people what about Lourdes in Haute- Pyrénées, with its fantastic scenery, where literally millions of visitors – mostly pilgrims – visit the world's greatest pilgrimage site. What this region has got is a large number of villages that are proud to be included in the association known as 'Les Plus Beaux Villages de France' (The Most Beautiful Villages of France), e.g. Belcastel and Najac(Aveyron), Bruniquel (Tarn-et-Garonne), St Cirq Lapopie and Carennac (Lot) and Sarrant (Gers).
There are lots of festivals and fairs, especially in the summer months, of many different kinds such as music and concerts, dance and folklore, harvest and wine, even cheese and garlic, and a hot air balloon festival in Rocamadour, another lovely village but rather commercial in summer.
Climate of the Midi-Pyrénées region:
It is known for its pleasant climate. This side of the Pyrénées is where the rain falls, especially in winter, probably more in the west than in the east – go to the Spanish side and you will find a barren landscape. However, it can be lovely and sunny here from very early spring. The temperature can go up very nicely in summer, when you can expect thunderstorms, and generally speaking it is a very sunny region. Autumn temperatures are still decent. The winters are normally mild but obviously in the mountains it gets
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