UKC

I'm planning a road trip from Bilbao to Barcelona (via Riglos and Vignemale) and still fairly flexible on the second half of the route (anything south of the E80 is fair game.

Are there any 'must sees'or places to visit en-route that will appeal to a non climber?

The climbing part of the the itinerary is already maxed out, so any recommendation for breathtaking vistas will probably just be met with "it's jus' mountains init" from my other half. Interesting architecture, lakes or nice food on the other hand are all winners.

In reply to mmmhumous:

Be sure to visit Lourdes !

Rumour has it that cyclists whilst having their bikes blessed in the river in front of the grotto have come out with two new tyres !

In reply to mmmhumous:

Unless you really like plastic crosses, Madonnas, and general religious tat, do not go to Lourdes.

The cable car ride up above Tourmalet is cool, lots of nice villages and restaurants around.

Other than that it is just mountains!

SteveD

In reply to mmmhumous:

The prehistoric cave art in niaux cave is amazing. (Went in 2 other caves close by and they were pants so make sure you get the right one)

In reply to mmmhumous:

That really depends on what your non-climber values. Around here in Ariège I'd propose cave visits (including Niaux, which is claimed to be the finest example of prehistoric paintings now open to the public, or Labouiche, which has 1.5 km of underground boat passages) or Cathar culture and castles, including Montsegur, Foix and Lordat (which has a daily bird of prey show).

In reply to mmmhumous:

If you go to montsegur after about 7pm the entry desk is closed and you can just go up for free. The ramparts are now closed due to instability but we just stepped over the barrier and went up anyway as it looked safe enough if your careful, view from the top is great. Rockfixade (sp?) Was also a good picnic spot if you like cathar castles.

In reply to Somerset swede basher:


One of them wouldn't have been the grotte de la vache, would it? It's supposed to be a joke, right? Isn't it? It's hard to describe just how sucky that particular hour of my life (we did a runner) really was.

Ax-les-Thermes isn't a terrible spot to stop off at, provided you're out of school holidays.

Martin

In reply to maisie:

Why would anyone go to the Grotte de la Vache when 100m either side there are amazing climbs to do instead? Did you climb up to the Spoulga on the eponymous Spoulgas sector? - quite amazing to think people really lived in those caves 1000 or so years ago; without the rope it's probably VS to get into.

In reply to mmmhumous:

Could she take up birdwatching? That would expand choice.

In reply to john arran:


When they have a non-climbing spouse with a degree in archaeology and two small kids.....

To be fair, I was back there the next week with a rope; we bumped into Stevie and Laurence. Which was certainly more entertaining.

Martin

In reply to maisie:

If you are neat to Lourdes. go here.
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g196622-d1070125-Reviews-Pon...

Stunning walks around Lac Gaube as well.

In reply to mmmhumous:
Don't go near Lourdes - its full of crazy religious folk and crazy religious tat.

Gavarnie is pretty cool even for non-climbers, plus the road up to it is pretty spectacular (driving high above a gorge).

Oh and the road (&tunnel) from Aragnouet (French side) and Bielsa (Spanish side) is awesome! Big, open, windy road on a steep hill with perfect road surface and amazing views into spain.

In reply to mmmhumous:

Lourdes should be visited for the sheer eye-popping oddness of the place.


This is a nice day out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petit_train_d%27Artouste

Cable car, narrow gauge train & a lake at both the bottom & the top.

In reply to mmmhumous:

Is the non-climber a walker, and if so, mountains or valley paths? Or are you looking for proper touristy things to do?

In reply to Chris Harris:

Will be letting Le Petit Train take the strain next week hopefully.
I agree with your comment about Lourdes. And there's also a funicular there which will provide me with another puerile tick.

In reply to Tom Valentine:


When I did it, I did the train up, but returned to the start on foot via the Col du Lurien, which was a nice walk.

In reply to mmmhumous:

the Dali museum in Figueras is worth a visit if it's not too far out of your way