Fougax et Barrineuf is a picturesque village tucked up a beautiful valley which leads to Montsegur and the Gorge de la Frau.

It is just off the main Foix to Perpignan road(the D117), about 25 minutes from Foix, 15 minutes from Lavelanet and, going the other way, about 1 ½ hours from Perpignan. We are an hour from Carcassonne and one and a half hours from Toulouse.

Barcelona is only 3 hours away!

Fougax is at 580m elevation and has a population of about 450 people. There is a bar open all year, a good restaurant, post office and shop. Several major walking trails (GR or Grand Randonnee) go through or near the village including the Cathar Walk, Tour d’Olmes, and the Chemin des Bonhommes.


Cathar Castles...

The area is steeped in the history of the Cathars and the 12th Century Crusade to eradicate them. There are several chateaux including nearby Montsegur (a ten-minute drive from the house), perhaps the most famous, but also Roquefixade, Puivert and Peyrepertouse. It is in this area that much of the action in the novel Labyrinth takes place. You can find out much more about the Cathars here: Cathar Information, and about Montsegur here: Montsegur and the Cathars

The Ariège is an especially attractive destination for anyone interested in prehistory. The départment has the largest concentration of caves (grottes) in France, including the famous Grotte de Niaux with its prehistoric drawings and nearby, Lombrives, the largest cave in Europe.