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The 39 maps you need to understand south-west France

Jessica Phelan
Jessica Phelan - [email protected]
The 39 maps you need to understand south-west France
Photo: AFP

The south-west corner of France has long been a magnet for other nationalities looking to set up home in the region's stunning countryside or attractive cities. And these maps give an idea of why this part of France is so popular.

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The south-west has long been the corner of choice for other Europeans emigrating to France, and you can see why: it's got mountains, valleys, two coasts, world heritage and some of the world's most legendary wines. 

Here's a look at 39 maps that paint the picture of the region. 

First: the geography.

Here's what we're talking about when we say south-west France: the main rivers, mountains and cities.


By Pethrus - CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia

Now, some history.

Here's how it looked before the Roman invasion.


By Feitscherg - CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia

And here's what the Romans did for the south-west.

  
Via CartesFrance.fr

By the time of the Revolution in 1789, the south-west was beginning to look a lot more like it does today. 

    
Via CartesFrance.fr

The map was redrawn again in 2016, when the regions of the south-west went from this...

      
By Eric Gaba - CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia

... to this: it now comprises two "super regions", Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Occitanie.

        
By BayoHistoricair - CC0, Wikimedia

Here's how to get in, out and around.

By Motorway

Screengrab ViaMichelin.fr. CLICK HERE for full map

By train...

First of all the regional train map of Nouvelle Aquitaine.

CLICK HERE for full version

And here's the train map for part of Occitanie region.

And the main train lines in the south west.

For the full SNCF train map of France click here.

 

and by bike...

By Adrien Caillot/AF3V - click here for an interactive version.

Or on foot, if you fancy following in the steps of pilgrims who for centuries have walked the Way of Saint James through south-west France to the Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain. 

Via France Sud-Ouest

And this map shows where you can fly to for cheap from one of the area's ten airports.

By La Depeche du Midi

Who lives there? 

Let's start with "how many": here's the population density as per the 2009 census.

By INSEE - CC0, Wikimedia

It's one of the most popular parts of France for other French people to move to, according to national statistics office INSEE. On this map, red indicates more arrivals than departures while green shows the opposite. 

It also attractive to foreigners, as INSEE's map of the percentage of immigrants per department shows. 

The south-west is especially beloved by Brits. In fact, the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine is home to more British residents than any other in France. This map shows where they live – and here's more on how Brits made south-west France their home

What are the wages like?

This map shows the average net hourly wage by department – Haute-Garonne has the best rate.

By INSEE

And here's the percentage of the population in work (the darker, the higher).

 

By INSEE

How much is a house?

In case you're tempted to move, here's what it could cost you: the average house prices by (former) region. Click through to the interactive version to compare rental properties, too. 

By LaCoteImmo

And here's where you might have some luck finding a place: the percentage of housing that lies empty (the darker, the higher).  

By INSEE

Now for some language lessons.

The south-west has some distinct dialects that you might want to brush up on, depending on what kind of locals you're planning to hang out with.

By Langues_de_la_France1 - CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia

Here are a few place names in Occitan – or langue d'Oc, the name of the language to which most of the south-west dialects belong – to get you started.

Via Sapienca Occitana

And let's not forget Basque: part of the historic region, known as Northern Basque Country, extends across the Spanish border into the far south-west of France.

By Encyclopaedia Britannica

Even in French, things might sound a little different from what you learned in school. Practice pronouncing that final 's' of moins if you want to fit in.

By Mathieu Avanzi

When you go to a bakery in the south-west, whatever you do, don't ask for a pain au chocolat

By Mathieu Avanzi

And your pastries won't be going in un sac, but une poche

By Mathieu Avanzi

The important stuff: food.

Here are the historical specialities of the south-west. (See here for The Local's food map of the whole of France.)

Carte gastronomique de la France via BnF - click here to zoom in.

Here's where you'll find them, at the region's Michelin-starred restaurants.

Perhaps you've got room left for just a little after-dinner cheese.

Via Autour de la Gastronomie

And here's another food map to giveyou and idea of some local dishes.

 

The even more important stuff: drink.

These are the liquid specialities of the south-west. (See here for more information on tipples from all over France.)

By The Local France

And of course we have to mention Bordeaux and its wines.

By Wine Folly

But it's not the only show in town. The whole of the south-west has some star wines. See the interactive map for a full list of vineyards and the events they hold year round. 

By France Sud-Ouest

Beer more your thing? Here are Nouvelle-Aquitaine's finest craft breweries. See the interactive version for names and addresses.

By Sudouest.fr

Edibles aside, there are a lot of attractions.

From nature reserves...

Via Canalmonde - click here for an interactive version.

...to World Heritage sites that are well worth a visit

Via Europe Orient

And with thousands of hours of sun per year, you'll need a place to cool off: here are the swimming spots certified with the Pavillon Bleu standard of cleaniness. 

By Pavillon Blue - click here for an interactive version. 

Finally, here's how to think like a local. 

Hint: it involves ragging on everyone else. We won't translate all the choice slang here, but suffice it to say that for a Toulousain, anything north of Nantes is the Arctic and only morons ski in the Alps. 

By Peeweek - Desencyclopedie

 

READ ALSO: The 33 maps that paint the picture of France

 

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[email protected] 2020/06/06 15:21
airport map omits Bergerac
[email protected] 2019/06/06 18:23
Why is the Aude River not on the geographic map?
[email protected] 2018/04/17 18:02
The map article is great. On my first visit to Toulouse I struggled to find this type of information in one place. My first article was worth the subscription price.

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