Les Forges de Pyrène: the unforgettable village

Just a few minutes from your Les Grottes campsite in Ariège lies a village with many facets. Nestled in a shady 5-hectare park with a river running through it, the village of Forges de Pyrène is home to a life-size museum. Here, you’ll discover the trades and tools of yesteryear… almost forgotten. Thanks to passionate locals, they’ve been brought back to life and are a source of inspiration for a return to values… A bucolic getaway near Foix.

A theme park for old trades

Come and enjoy an extraordinary experience in the heart of Ariège, at the foot of the Pyrenees. The Forges de Pyrène village is one of the last places in France where you can see tools from a bygone era in action. The smell of bread, the sound of the anvil, the hammer and the school bell tell you all about the history, great and small, of the Pyrenees. Here, the men and machines of the last century are brought back to life. The Musée des Métiers and the Musée du Fer amaze visitors. Listed as a historical monument since its closure in 1985, the Forges de Pyrène village opened its doors to visitors for the first time in 1998. Each year, more and more visitors come to explore the park. Today, an average of 35,000 admissions are counted. Among the most spectacular attractions: the hydraulic swift, which has been around since the 13th century! It’s one of the very last still in operation in France.

A village of yesteryear, fun and educational

Choose the workshops you want to visit! Try your hand at beating iron or rolling bread dough the old-fashioned way… Basket-makers, glass-makers, clog-makers, gold-diggers, blacksmiths, bakers and schoolmasters are all represented. A “discovery” trail takes you around the outside of the site, where you can discover the flora and fauna of the Ariège. Picnic tables are available to enjoy the park for as long as possible.

A great attraction around Foix

While visiting the Forges de Pyrène, stop off for a few hours in the town of Foix. You’ll enjoy an extraordinary, immersive experience, straight back to the Middle Ages! Foix castle, with its high walls and three towers, stands proudly on its rocky outcrop. Here, too, you can learn about life in the Middle Ages, thanks to numerous workshops and hands-on games, complete with life-size war machines. Your Les Grottes campsite near Tarascon-sur-Ariège offers you the chance to visit two extraordinary museums just a stone’s throw apart. Young and old will love it!