My friend Abigail fell in love with Ax-les-Thermes and the Pyrenees when she first moved to France from the UK.
Ax-les-Thermes is a thermal spa town in the French Pyrenees, is just over 1 hour from Toulouse airport and the perfect base for a wide range of outdoor activities in summer and winter, or simply for a relaxing and restorative break soaking up the cultural highlights of the region and enjoying the hot springs.
The town is a pleasure to wander around and has a good selection of bars, restaurants and general amenities – there is always something to do.
Surrounded by sky, mountains and forests, Ax-les-Thermes is a lively little town where thermal water springs from the ground at a temperature of 77°C, making it the spa town with the hottest thermal water in the whole of the Pyrenees. It is an attractive mountain town, well known as a spa destination and also popular in the summer as a base for walking and other outdoor activities, and during the winter as a ski resort.
The open air ‘Bassin des Ladres’ is the centre of the thermal action, with the therapeutic powers of the waters being recognised for at lest 750 years, and probably back to Roman times. Formal spa treatments are available at three developed spa centres: Couloubret, Le Teich and Le Modèle.
The friendly and helpful Vallees D’Ax Tourist Office is open every day during the winter season. Their comprehensive website is full of useful information, tips and suggestions.
If you want to visit this charming little resort, its an absolute gem for families and we would highly recommend L'Oiseau Montagnard - a special place in the mountains with everything a home needs.