We stopped in Foix during our journey through the Ariège, using the motorhome area on Boulevard François Mitterrand mainly to take care of the services. The area was free, and when we arrived we found that the facilities were working perfectly. The access is somewhat steep, but this was not a problem for our 23-foot-long motorhome. There were also a couple of free pitches available, although they were rather narrow. We did not stay there for a long period, but the area was reasonably quiet and easy to access, and it was clearly signposted. The main negative point was that the area was somewhat dirty, which took away from an otherwise very practical stopping place.
Foix itself is one of the most historically distinctive towns in Ariège. The city developed at the foot of the rocky outcrop occupied by the Château de Foix, and the fortress remains the dominant feature of the town. From almost every part of the historic centre, the three towers of the castle can be seen above the rooftops. The position was not accidental: the rocky promontory provided an exceptionally strong defensive position and allowed the Counts of Foix to control the surrounding territory.
The history of the castle goes back to the Middle Ages, with the first medieval tower being erected during the eleventh century. The fortress was progressively enlarged and eventually occupied the top of the entire rocky outcrop. The castle became the principal residence and symbol of the Counts of Foix, a powerful dynasty whose territory occupied an important position between the French kingdom, the Pyrenees and the lands to the south. One of the best-known figures associated with Foix is Gaston Fébus, Count of Foix and Lord of Béarn, who lived in the fourteenth century and was particularly famous for his military power and his court.
Today the Château de Foix has been developed as an interactive historical site rather than simply being preserved as a ruin. The visit combines a museum with reconstructed rooms and the fortress itself. The three towers are connected by the former banquet hall, and visitors can climb through the towers and see furnished interiors designed to give an impression of life at the time of the Counts of Foix. There are also demonstrations and workshops involving medieval techniques, including crossbows, stone cutting, forging and historical war machines.
Below the castle, the old town is much smaller and more intimate. The medieval streets lead down from the fortress towards the Church of Saint-Volusien, whose origins go back to the twelfth century. The present building combines Romanesque and Gothic elements and remains one of the principal historic buildings in the centre of Foix. The surrounding streets contain traditional half-timbered houses and small squares, giving the centre a very different atmosphere from the imposing fortress above it.
Saint-Volusien also has an important connection with the everyday life of the town. The historic centre continues to function as a local meeting place, particularly around the market. The covered market halls and the regular markets bring local producers and residents into the centre, maintaining something of the commercial role that Foix has had for centuries. The official town routes also follow the medieval streets and a separate route along the Ariège, making it possible to see the town from both its historic and riverside sides.
Foix’s position is also important to understanding its history. The town lies in the Ariège valley, at the point where several routes lead towards the Pyrenees. This made it strategically significant during the Middle Ages, particularly for the Counts of Foix, whose lands extended through a mountainous region where political borders and alliances were constantly changing. The surrounding landscape still gives Foix a very clear relationship with the mountains: the town is compact, while immediately beyond it the valley rises towards the Pyrenean foothills.
Our own experience of Foix was therefore partly practical and partly historical. We mainly used the motorhome area for the services, and although it was not particularly attractive because of the dirt, everything we needed was functioning properly. The free pitches and the relatively quiet surroundings made it useful, especially for a motorhome of our size. From there, the town offered something quite different: a compact historic centre dominated by a remarkably imposing medieval fortress.
What makes Foix particularly interesting is that the castle is not simply an isolated monument outside the town. It is directly connected with the development of the city below it. The streets, abbey church, market and houses all grew around the political centre created by the Counts of Foix, while the fortress still dominates the skyline in much the same way as it did centuries ago. For us, Foix was therefore a useful stop on the route as well as a place where the medieval history of the Ariège remains particularly visible.