FLEURANCE , 24km north of Auch, has a typical
bastide central square, place de la République , bordered by arcaded shops and houses, with the difference that its medieval
halle , now the town hall, was successfully converted into mellow classical stone in the nineteenth century. The church
is worth a look, too, for its octagonal Toulouse-style belfry and, more
particularly, the three stained-glass windows executed by Arnaud de
Moles, the artist of Auch cathedral. The tourist office is on
the place de la République (July & Aug Mon-Sat 9am-6.30pm, Sun
9am-12.30pm; rest of year Mon-Sat 9am-1pm & 3.30-6pm; tel
05.62.64.00.00, fax 05.62.06.27.80). If you wish to stay, the only hotels are the central two-star
Le Relais (tel 05.62.06.05.08, fax 05.62.06.03.84; €34-46) and, just out of town on the route d'Agen, the large, modern
Le Fleurance (tel 05.62.06.14.85,
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; €34-46).
Eleven kilometres further north sits LECTOURE
, the smallest and prettiest of the three towns, built astride a high
ridge looking out over the surrounding farmland. Capital of the colony
of Novempopulania in Roman times and of the counts of Armagnac until
their demise at the hands of Louis XI in 1473, it is now renowned for
its melons. In the middle of the main street, the Cathédrale de St-Gervais-et-de-St-Protais raises its enormous tower above the town, while down the rue Fontelié, among scarcely altered medieval houses, you come to the Fontaine de Diane . Apart from the handsome Mairie, with its Musée Lapidaire
(April-Sept daily 10am-noon & 2-5/6pm; rest of year closed Tues;
€2.29), containing some interesting Roman bits and pieces, this pretty
much exhausts the sights.
The tourist office , on place de la
Cathédrale (Mon-Sat 8.30am-noon & 2-5/6pm, Sun 3-5pm; tel
05.62.68.76.98, fax 05.62.68.79.30), runs the GR65 gîte d'étape on nearby rue St-Gervais (same phone number). Just around the corner from the gîte is the superb but unfortunately named
Hôtel de Bastard
in rue Lagrange (tel 05.62.68.82.44, fax 05.62.68.76.81; €46-61; closed
Jan; menus from €13.42), while the Auberge des Bouviers (tel
05.62.68.95.13; €24-34; closed Sun evening & Mon; restaurant from
around €12.20), at 8 rue Montebello near the central market hall, makes
for an atmospheric place to stay and eat.
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