Occitania (Occitanie in French) is an administrative region in the South of France resulting from the merger of the former Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées regions. Created by the territorial reform of 2014, it has 13 departments. The name of the region, whose capital is Toulouse, has been official since September 28, 2016 and effective since September 30, 2016.
The region covers 72,724 km2 and is comparable to Ireland, making it the third largest region in France (behind New Aquitaine and Guyana), as well as the second in mainland France. It has 6,101,005 inhabitants (municipal population as of January 1, 2023) and thus constitutes the fifth most populous French (and metropolitan) region. Its population density is lower than the average for metropolitan France, with 84 inhabitants/km2, the sixth lowest density among French regions (and the fourth lowest among metropolitan regions). However, its population is very unevenly distributed, with two major metropolises (Toulouse and Montpellier), a densely populated Mediterranean coastline and rural regions belonging to the “diagonal of the void.”
Its largest city is Toulouse, which is also the regional prefecture, while the second regional metropolis, Montpellier, maintains several administrations. The headquarters, administrations and general management of the regional council are in Toulouse; the deliberative assemblies are held in Montpellier.
With a maritime facade on the Mediterranean Sea, it brings together territories of the Aquitaine Basin to the west (Gers, northern Hautes-Pyrénées and Ariège, center and north of Haute-Garonne, center and west of Tarn -et-Garonne, west of the Tarn, south of the Lot), the Pyrenees to the south (south of the Hautes-Pyrénées, Haute-Garonne and Ariège, south of Aude and west of the Pyrénées-Orientales), the Massif central to the north (Aveyron and Lozère, center and north of the Lot, east of Tarn-et-Garonne and Tarn, north of Aude, Hérault and Gard) and the Mediterranean basin to the east (east of the Pyrénées-Orientales and Aude, southern Hérault and Gard). It is bordered by the Nouvelle-Aquitaine regions to the west, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes to the north and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur to the east, as well as Spain (and Catalonia) and Andorra to the south.
Occitania is also the historical region in Southern Europe where the Occitan language was historically spoken and where it is occasionally used as a second language. This cultural area roughly encompasses much of the southern third of France (except the French Basque Country and French Catalonia) as well as part of Spain (Aran Valley), Monaco and parts of Italy (Occitan Valleys).
Climate
The Occitania region straddles three major climatic areas: the Languedoc coast is subject to the Mediterranean climate (Csa, even tending towards Csb in certain areas, according to the Köppen classification); the Aquitaine Basin has a slightly warmer oceanic climate because it is further south (Aquitaine oceanic climate, Cfb and Cfa of Köppen); the Massif Central and the Pyrenees have a climate under mountain influence (only the highest peaks of the Pyrenees have a mountain climate). The area located between Toulouse and the Lauragais’ threshold is subject to a Mediterranean climate under both oceanic and mountainous influence.
Administrative Structure
The region includes thirteen departments (Ariège, Aude, Aveyron, Gard, Haute-Garonne, Gers, Hérault, Lot, Lozère, Hautes-Pyrénées, Pyrénées-Orientales, Tarn, Tarn-et-Garonne) which are divided into 4454 communes. The largest (by area and population) is Haute-Garonne, with a Toulouse capital.
Economy
The standard of living in Occitania is lower than the national average: in 2022, the unemployment rate was 9.30% and the poverty rate was 16.20%. Nearly 500,000 people also live just above the threshold of poverty. Two departments of Occitania have the highest unemployment rates in mainland France, the Pyrénées-Orientales and Hérault, while Lozère has one of the lowest.
Airbus, a European aircraft manufacturer located in Blagnac (a suburb of Toulouse) and a division wholly owned by the industrial group Airbus, manufactures around half of the airplanes produced in the world and is Boeing’s main competitor.
In the late 1960s, Airbus was founded as a consortium by European manufacturers. Airbus Industrie became a SAS (simplified joint stock company) in 2001 and, in 2014, a subsidiary of EADS (renamed Airbus Group). Between 2001 and 2006, BAE Systems owned 20% of Airbus.
Tourism
Occitania is the 4th largest tourist region in France, with 13 billion euros in tourist revenue and 181 million annual nights on average, including 23 million in the open air , with 14.2 million tourists on the coast, including 7 million foreigners and 15 million in hotels.
• First for outdoor hotels (for capacity and attendance), with 1,326 campsites, including 159,700 pitches (65% of foreign tourists prefer camping)
• First for thermal spas (in establishments: approximately 166,000 spa guests)
• Fourth in number of hotel rooms, with 65,700 rooms for 2,037 hotels (3.8 million foreign tourists, including 2.1 million in Lourdes)
• Fourth in tourism jobs (87,500)
The region is home to two mountain ranges: The Pyrenees, which borders Spain and Andorra, where the Pyrenees resorts, located in the Hautes-Pyrénées, Haute-Garonne, Ariège, Aude and the Pyrénées-Orientales, spread their alpine ski slopes between 1,400 and 2,500 m altitude. The highest slope is in Piau-Engaly, which reaches an altitude of 2,600 m. The Massif Central, where the resorts are located in Aveyron and Lozère, have slopes which are between 1,100 m and 1,400 m.
Main attractions by departments (304 objects in alphabetical order)
Ariège
Ax-les-Thermes – SPA and ski resort
Bishops’ Palace in Saint-Lizier
De la Hille castle: a place related to WW II
Foix – the most touristy city of Ariège
Foix castle: the main citadel of the county of Foix
Les Bains Couloubret SPA resort
Lombrives caves are the widest in Europe
Mirepoix and its famous arcaded market square
Montségur castle – the site of the Cathars
Niaux cave in Ariege: a Masterpiece of Paleolithic Art
Orgeix castle on the Campauleil lake
Pailhes Castle – historical monument
Prehistoric park in Tarascon-sur-Ariège
Tarascon-sur-Ariège – former industrial center of Ariège
Aude
Alet-les-Bains and the house of Nostradamus
Arques castle – historical monument
Belflou Castle – historical monument
Benedictine Abbey of Saint-Hilaire
Cabezac castle and its wineries
Castelnaudary – a strategic point during the Crusade against the Cathars
Cavanac castle – historical monument
De Joyeuse Duces’ castle – a hotel with a rich history
Durban castle – historical monument
Espéraza Dinosaur Museum – the first Dinosaur Museum in France
Fanjeaux and its metal installations
Quillan – a historical town, known by green tourism lovers
Quillan Castle – a French defense mechanism against Aragon
Lastours castles, the Orbeil Valley’s “inseparable guardian brothers”
Limoux – the birthplace of sparkling wine
Monastery of Notre-Dame-de-Prouille – cradle of the Dominicans
Montolieu – a French Village of books
Narbonne and its Canal de la Robine
Notre Dame d’Alet Benedictine Abbey ruins
Notre Dame de Marceille Basilica
Peyrepertuse – a Cathar castle
Rennes-le-Château keeps the Holy Grail’s secrets
Saint-Martin de Toques castle and its wineries
Aveyron
Bonneval Abbey and its chocolate factory
Bosc castle – family home of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Foissac – an Upper Palaeolithic cave
La Garde castle – historical monument
Metal installations in Estaing
Millau Viaduct – the tallest bridge in the world
Notre-Dame de Rodez cathedral – national monument
Rodez – prefecture of the department of Aveyron
Saint-Sépulcre de Villeneuve church
Salles-la-Source and its waterfall
Villefranche-de-Rouergue – city of art and history
Villeneuve-d’Aveyron – bastide city
Gard
Haute-Garonne
Aeroscopia – a French aerospace museum
Bagnères-de-Luchon – SPA and ski resort
Saint-Félix-Lauragais – birthplace of Déodat de Séverac
Gers
Auch – the capital of the former Gascony region
Busca-Maniban castle and its wineries
Condom-en-Armagnac – an important stop on the Camino de Santiago
Éauze – the capital of Armagnac
L’Isle-Jourdain and its bell tower
Lombez and its Sainte-Marie cathedral
Saint-Pierre de Condom Cathedral
Valence-sur-Baïse and its river tours
Hérault
Béziers – one of the oldest cities in France
Cassan castle – “Small Versailles of Languedoc”
Castle of the Archbishops of Narbonne
Collegiate Church of Saint-Paul in Clermont-l’Hérault
Domain Château Les Sacristains
Flaugergues castle – historical monument
Gellone Abbey – UNESCO heritage
Grammont castle and 90 hectares of cedar forest
Grézan castle nicknamed “Little Carcassonne”
Guilhem castle built for the Lords of Clermont-l’Hérault
Jonquières castle – one of the oldest family wine estates in Languedoc
International toy museum in Pézenas
Malmont castle and its wineries
Margon castle – the imposing 12th century fortress
Maureilhan castle – historical monument
Montpellier and its university
Museum-Park devoted to dinosaurs near Montpellier
Mogère castle designed by Jean Giral
Pézenas known for its connection with Molières
Pont du Diable – UNESCO heritage
Saint-Félix-de-Montceau abbey – historical monument
Saint-Michel de Grandmont Priory
Valmagne Abbey with its wineries
Lot
Figeac – city of art and history
Lacapelle-Marival and its castle
Pech Merle cave and its paintings
Hautes-Pyrénées
Balnéa Spa – the leading thermal water relaxation complex in Loudenvielle
Lourdes – the second most important tourist center of France after Paris
Pic du Midi – the starry sky international reserve
Saint-Lary-Soulan included in the Pyrenees National Park
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes
Pyrénées-Orientales
Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda SPA resort
Aubiry – an eclectic Neo-Baroque castle
Canigou Peak – the National Symbol of Catalonia
Céret and its cherries and bullfighting tradition
Cornellà del Bercol castle and its wineries
Fort de Bellegarde is a 17th-century fortification on the border between France and Spain
Fort Liberia designed by Vauban
Grandes Canalettes Cave: a trip to another world
Perpignan – a former capital of the Kingdom of Majorca
Prades with its views on Canigou
Saint Elm Castle – part of the sea surveillance structures to defend Catalan Countries
Saint-Martin du Canigou Abbey – historical monument
Saint-Thomas-les-Bains SPA resort
Vernet-les-Bains and its SPA resort
Tarn
Albi – an important stop on the Camino de Santiago
Lisle-sur-Tarn and its arcades main square
Mazamet – the “capital” of the majestic Montagne Noire massif
Saint-Benoît d’En Calcat Abbey
Sainte-Cécile d’Albi Cathedral
Tarn-et-Garonne
Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val lies on one of the ancient pilgrim routes of the Camino de Santiago
Natural objects (rivers, lakes, mountains)
Canal du Midi – UNESCO heritage
Les Angles and Matemale lake: activities
Ganguise lake and its water activities
Garonne river – one of the few rivers in the world with a tidal bore
Génos-Loudenvielle lake and its activities
Salagou lake known for its red soil
Sea resorts, beaches and marinas (by departments from south to north)
31 municipalities in the Occitania region are bordered by the Mediterranean Sea with its 215 km of coastline, 45,000 hectares of ponds and lagoons and a natural marine park in Banyuls-sur-Mer.
Pyrénées-Orientales department
- Cerbère (Vermillion Coast)
- Banyuls-sur-Mer (Vermillion Coast)
- Port-Vendres (Vermillion Coast)
- Collioure (Vermillion Coast)
- Argelès-sur-Mer (Vermillion Coast)
- Saint-Cyprien (Amethyst Coast)
- Canet-en-Roussillon (Amethyst Coast)
- Le Barcarès (Amethyst Coast)
Aude department
Hérault department
- La Grande-Motte
- Mauguio (Carnon-Plage)
- Palavas-les-Flots
- Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone
- Frontignan
- Mèze (Amethyst Coast)
- Sète (Amethyst Coast)
- Marseillan
- Agde (Amethyst Coast)
- Vias
- Portiragnes
- Sérignan-Plage
- Valras-Plage
- Vendres
Gard department
- Le Grau-du-Roi (Port-Camargue)
See here best sea and ocean resorts of France and Spain (223 objects)
The Most Beautiful Villages of France list (by departments)
Ariège (1 village)
Aude (1 village)
Aveyron (10 villages)
- Belcastel
- Brousse-le-Château
- Conques
- Estaing
- La Couvertoirade
- Najac
- Peyre
- Saint-Côme-d’Olt
- Sainte-Eulalie-d’Olt
- Sauveterre-de-Rouergue
Gard (4 villages)
- Aiguèze
- La Roque-sur-Cèze
- Lussan
- Montclus
Haute-Garonne (1 village)
- Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges
Gers (6 villages)
Hérault (3 villages)
Lot (8 villages)
- Autoire
- Capdenac-le-Haut
- Cardaillac
- Carennac
- Loubressac
- Martel
- Rocamadour
- Saint-Cirq-Lapopie
Lozère (3 villages)
- La Garde-Guérin
- Le Malzieu-Ville
- Sainte-Enimie
Hautes-Pyrénées (0 villages)
Pyrénées-Orientales (6 villages)
Tarn (5 villages)
Tarn-et-Garonne (3 village)
Ski stations
In the Hautes-Pyrénées: Saint-Lary-Soulan • Domaine du Tourmalet • Peyragudes • Cauterets • Piau-Engaly • Luz-Ardiden • Gavarnie-Gèdre • Hautacam • Nistos
In Haute-Garonne: Luchon-Superbagnères • Le Mourtis
In Ariège: Mijanès-Donezan • Guzet-neige • Monts d’Olmes • Ax 3 Domaines • Ascou-Pailhères • Goulier Neige • Étang de Lers • Plateau de Beille.
In Aude: Camurac.
In the Pyrénées-Orientales: Les Angles • Font-Romeu – Bolquère – Pyrénées 2000 • Formiguères • Porté-Puymorens • Puyvalador • La Quillane • Err-Puigmal • Espace Cambre d’Aze.
See here all ski resorts of the Pyrenees
See also former Gascony region
See also former Languedoc region
See also Pyrenees travel guide
See also France travel guide
See also Spain travel guide
Shortest distances to Toulouse from the main cities of France (capitals of regions)
From Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (Lyon): 4 hr 57 min (538 km) via A7, A9 and A61
Bourgogne-Franche-Comté (Dijon): 6 hr 15 min (673 km) via A20
Bretagne (Rennes): 6 hr 21 min (705 km) via A10 and A62
Centre-Val de Loire (Orléans): 5 hr 8 min (554 km) via A20
Grand Est (Strasbourg): 8 hr 47 min (971 km) via A36
Hauts-de-France (Lille): 8 hr 26 min (894 km) via A20
Île-de-France (Paris): 6 hr 21 min (678 km) via A20
Normandie (Rouen): 7 hr 17 min (785 km) via A20
Nouvelle-Aquitaine (Bordeaux): 2 hr 24 min (244 km) via A62
Pays de la Loire (Nantes): 5 hr 11 min (585 km) via A83, A10 and A62
Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (Marseille): 3 hr 51 min (404 km) via A9 and A61
Main facts
GPS coordinates: 43.708°N 1.060°E
Area: 72,724 km²
Altitude: ≅380 m above sea level
Population: 6 022 176
Language: French, Occitan, Catalan
Currency: euro
Visa: Schengen
Time zone: UTC+01:00 (CET)
ISO 3166 code: FR-OCC