Besides cycling, it is hiking that makes the Pyrenees the most exciting area in all of Europe. Whether you are keen to experience part of the “holy” walk in Santiago de Compostella, or want to see the view of the Pic du Midi from the hiking trail instead of from the bike. Then this trip is right for you and the Pyrenees is the right area.

Most people know about the prehistoric artworks of the Dordogne, but far fewer realize that ancient painters left their mark in caves all over the Pyrenees. Halfway up a mountainside about 12km south of Foix, the Grotte de Niaux is the most impressive, with a stunning gallery of bison oxen, horses and ibex adorning a large underground chamber known as the Salon Noir.