Walking in the Pyrenees Mountains – Ax Les Thermes

Exploring the lush Pyrenees mountains online gives excitement but exploring them live and setting your feet in their soils is much much more fulfilling. But because of its vastness, let us just take one area in these awesome mountains where we would want to take a stroll at - Ax Les Thermes.

Ax Les Thermes can be found at approximately 2000 feet up in the Midi-Pyrenees in the south of France. That's near to Andorra as well as the Spanish border. From Ax Les Thermes, visitors are able to explore the Pyrenees Mountains in the department of Ariege. And from this well-known town, our journey to the Pyrenees Mountains starts.

You may begin walking to the ridges of the lower hills and check the high peaks that would reveal the glacial lakes and rocky terrains. You may visit the top three popular areas - the Col de Pailheres, the Ariege Pyrenees and the Col de Puymorens. These areas are sure to remove your stressful memories as you go along and explore them. By the way, you should remember that walking in the Pyrenees Mountains is not joke so you must take note of the weather forecasts before proceeding on your expedition, otherwise the rescue team would be your next company.

The Pyrenees Mountains take care of more than 3,000 species of plants and flowers which amaze everyone who sees them. Walking in the Pyrenees would allow you to watch vultures and eagles soaring in the sky. Aside from the picturesque view of mountains, meadows and rivers, Ax Les Thermes also boasts its spas and springs. What you should not miss when you visit this town is the Bassin des Ladres, a pool with naturally warm water from the underground mountain springs. It is believed to heal wounds and ease sores. It was built by Count Roger of Foix. There are still 60 natural springs with temperatures that range from 17 to 77 degrees. These waters where used by early Romans which they claimed have treated their rheumatism and other skin diseases. It was in the 19th century that the spa tourism industry in Ax Les Thermes started to arise.

Although you're in the middle of great mountains, you may still shop and visit a casino in the nearby Andorra border. You may try to visit also the castle at Montsegur that is located about 40 km away. The town's economy is mainly based on livestock, spa tourism and snow sports.