450 liO bus service
- Pamiers
- Montségur
The Pamiers - Lavelanet - Montségur 450 liO bus takes you on a tour of Ariège, specifically the Cathar Pyrenees which stretch across the Pyrenean foothills from Mirepoix to Montségur.
- Period: all year round.
- Days: Monday to Friday, weekends and bank holidays.
- Start point from Pamiers: Gare SNCF.
Recommended stops
Places to stay and eat at each stop.
Mirepoix
30 min from Pamiers. Stop: Cours Petitpied. Mirepoix was founded in the 13th century and based on a bastide layout.
You can see for yourself when you visit the main square, surrounded by roofs mounted on wooden pillars with remarkable carvings. Mirepoix is a lively town with a bustling market, festivals and fairs. It's the start point for the Cathar Pyrenees greenway. Find out more.
Lavelanet
1 hr from Pamiers. Stop: Gare routière Casino. Lavelanet, in the Pays d'Olmes, may champion nature tourism but it also celebrates its place as the Ariège textile capital (since the time of the Cathars!).
Visit its textile and horn comb museum and take a walk along the Chemin des Tisserands (Weavers' Path) up to Montségur (7km). Find out more.
NB: you can also take the 451 liO bus from Foix to Lavelanet (35 minute journey).
Montségur
1.5 hr from Pamiers. Stop: château. Standing on a "pog" (a rocky outcrop) at an altitude of 1200m, Château de Montségur is an Occitanie landmark and a fascinating place to visit.
This is where the tragic events of the Cathar Crusade took place in 1244. The castle ruins are testament to the event and look out onto fabulous mountain views. Find out more.
