St Lizier is a small hilltop village in the Ariege department of the Midi-Pyrenees, south west France just five minutes from St Girons.

Geography

St Lizier is a hilltop village at an altitude of 460 metres, overlooking the River Salat in the department of Ariege and is listed as one of Frances most beautiful villages (Les Plus Beaux Villages des France).

Tourism

The town has a history tracing back to pre Gallo-Roman times and the town was then called Lugdunum Consoranorum.  It is a picturesque town retaining many of its original walls and has a centre with cobbled streets, half-timbered houses and arcades.

There are two cathedrals, Notre-Dame de la Sede and Cathedral St-Lizier, both of which are listed by the UNESCO World Heritage site.  Cathedral St Lizier has a twelfth century cloister and some frescoes of the same age that are now barely visible.  The Notre-Dame de la Sede is currently closed for restoration and due to reopen in 2010.  It is located in the grounds of the bishop's palace which also contains the Ariege departmental museum.  The palace is worth a visit just for the views over St Lizier and the walk around the ramparts, but the museum has little appeal.

Admission to the cathedral St Lizier is free and the opening hours are:

May to October : daily 1000 - 1200 and 1400 - 1900

November to April : Monday to Saturday 1000 - 1200 and 1400 - 1800

Admission to the palace is 4€ and the opening hours are:

April to June, September and October: Tuesday - Sunday 1400 - 1730

July and August : daily 1000 - 1230 and 1400 - 1830

Economy

Tourism is the only real economic activity in the town.

Transport

Getting to St Lizier is straightforward.  The international airport of Toulouse-Blagnac is about one hour 30 minutes drive away and offers a number of routes to the UK.

If arriving by train, St Girons SNCF station is a short taxi drive away.   Have a look at our travel guides for more information.

The St Lizier website has more detailed descriptions of the town and it's history.

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