Saint Lary-Soulan, a spa resort in the Pyrenees
A famous Pyrenean winter sports resort just a stone’s throw from Le Ruisseau campsite, and also a renowned spa resort, this village is the result of the merger of two communes. Soulan’s territory is more dedicated to skiing, as are the neighboring villages of Cadelhan-Trachères and Vignac.
It’s the gateway to the Ariège department, in the heart of Gascon country. The name Saint Lary comes from the Gascon sent ilari, meaning Saint Hilaire.
City of culture
Numerous religious buildings bear witness to the faith of the valley’s inhabitants: the church of Saint Hilaire, destroyed in 1949 and replaced by a modern church:
- The church of Saint Bertrand. Bright and welcoming, this church boasts superb stained-glass windows, purchased by local families, and magnificent colorful altarpieces. The statue of the Virgin Mary, which survived from the old Romanesque church, has been replaced. Outside, two large bells dating from the 13th century, unearthed during excavation work, are on display. The church hosts concerts throughout the summer season.
- The Sainte Marie chapel, built by the Knights Hospitallers of Saint John of Jerusalem.
- Agut Tower (Hachan Tower), remnant of the former manor house of the Lord of Agut.
For as long as the valley has been inhabited by man, he has lived off his pastoral activities, growing a number of cereals and raising livestock whose transhumance gave rhythm to the seasons.
From the 17th century onwards, the valley’s many waterways enabled the expansion of mills and later the development of forestry and mining (manganese, lead, silver).
To discover
From 1829 to 1832, Saint Lary was a hotbed of the demoiselle revolt – a name given to this movement because the men attacked forest guards or gendarmes and charcoal burners at night, dressed in long white shirts with scarves and wigs – and saw the rebellion of destitute peasants who resented the new regulations that took away their right to gather and cut wood, fishing, hunting and gathering, and the free grazing of livestock.
The valley’s isolation allowed this agro-pastoral way of life to continue until the area was transformed by the construction of hydroelectric dams and the development of tourism and its corollary: skiing.
What to see
Moulin ” debat “- The office fountain – The cable car – The Marie chapel – Saint Bertrand church – The thermal baths – – The “Moulin debat
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Campsite Saint Lary Soulan, Campsite St lary Pyrenees
