Gascony is the south west region of France where the towns of Auch the historical capital, Bordeaux, Dax, Lourdes, Luchon, Mont-de-Marsan, Pau, and Tarbes are located. Aside from the its most famous town Bordeaux, southern Gascony, where the Pyrenees can be found is full of wondrous sights to behold.

The Pyrenees, which is the mountain borderland that separates France and Spain, is home to the Basque (BASK). The Basque have a distinct language (Gascon) and culture. The main attraction in the Pyrenees are its prehistoric caves where in paintings on the wall reveal what life was like during the prehistoric times. Aside from the caves another tourist attraction most popular among the religious found in the mountians is the grotto where Saint Bernadette, as a child, saw a vision of Virgin Mary.

To the right of the Pyrenees we arrive at another popular tourist attraction – the medieval walled city of Carcassonne (kar-kah-SUN). During the medieval times walled cities like Carcassonne was not unusual in France, in fact there were many of them. However, as time passed most of them fell and is no more. Carcassonne is a rare sight as a relatively intact walled town.

Even further to the right is the City of Nimes (NEEM). Nimes is historically an important city and could even have been one of the richest and finest Roman cities of Gaule. Many tourist attractions can be found in Nimes including:

? the Roman ampitheatre , which is still used as a bull fighting arena and concert area today,
? the Pont du Gard, which is a magnificent Roman aqueduct built by Agrippa,
? the Maison Carree or the Square house, which is a Roman temple built in 19BC and is dedicated to Agrippa’s sons,
? the Tour Magne, meaning Great Tower, which is a ruined Roman tower that is actually outside of Nimes in nearby Mont Cavalier,
? a cathedral of mized Romanesque and Gothic architecture dedicated to Saint Castor of Apt, and
? modern architectures like Carré d’art (1986), a museum of modern art and mediatheque; Jean Nouvel the Nemausus, a post-modern residential ensemble, and Kisho Kurokawa a building in the form of a hemicycle to reflect the Amphitheatre.