On the Footsteps of D’Artagnan

Castelmore is the castle of d'Artagnan, he actually lived there. You cannot visit it but you can enter the outside area to see it.

Lupiac is the native village of the famous musketeer d'Artagnan. His real name was Charles de Batz de Castelmore. He was born around 1610-1615 and he was killed in 1673. In Lupiac, he is a living legend. There is even a festival about him in summer. This equestrian statue is the only equestrian statue of d'Artagnan. It is located on the main square of Lupiac. Lupiac is a small village, you can walk around it pretty quickly. There is a cute little church on the other end of the square.

The museum of d'Artagnan is unmissable especially for the fans. It shows the history of the famous musketeer in a very pleasant and interesting way. You will see a lot of film posters and books with d'Artagnan. More than 150 films and series were made about him.
Open hours 10:00 – 12:00, 14:00 – 18:00 Closed on Mondays.

This restaurant is very popular, it has a nice terrace on the main square. The food is delicious, especially the duck specialties as usual.
Open hours 7:30 – 2:00.

The Donjon of Bassoues was built in 1369. It is military art from the Middles Ages and is very well preserved. Around you can see the fortifications of the town. You can walk around the little town of Bassoues to appreciate the nice slow paced atmosphere of the town. There is also a church from the 15th century.

Only 5 minutes walk outside of the bastide of Bassoues, you will find the basilica of Saint-Fris. It was built in honor of Saint-Fris, a local hero who was the nephew of Charles Martel and was killed at war against the Arabs in the 8th century.

Montesquiou is a nice little village with an impressive bell tower of the XIIIth century from the church Saint Martin. The church is also worth visiting inside for its beautiful gothic style.

L'Isle-de-Noé is a small villages located between two rivers and that's why it feels like it is an island almost. There is a castle from the 8th century.

Barran is a small village located on the way of Saint James, so you might see some pilgrims there. You should notice the bell tower with helicoidal roof style, completely unique.

In this trip around the department of Gers, you experienced what is the slow way of living and eating in the South West countryside of France. You visited some of the most beautiful villages of France and walked on the footsteps of d'Artagnan, the most famous local character in this area. You can now drive back to Toulouse and get some rest. If you liked this trip, you will also enjoy the other route from Toulouse around the Tarn and Garonne for next time.