Montesquiou is a country town of 17 villeages scattered in the valley of Osse and on wooded hillsides. The Castelnau dominates the valley, and the views of Gers countryside are lovely.

Gers is sometimes referred to as French Tuscany because of its climate, gently rolling hills, and old villages, including many fortified towns, such as Montesquiou. The area remains the least densely populated department in France. The towns and villages tend to be small and far apart and the local economy is mainly agricultural. Thankfully, Gers has resisted, so far, tourist hordes swamping well-known sights nearby. It also resisted growth, development and industrialization which spoilt large areas of French countryside with growing businesses, warehouses and billboards. Lastly, it resisted influx of foreigners buying out large number of properties and driving locals out of the area, as it already happened in Provence.

Montesquiou remains a tranquil, charming medieval village with population of around 600, authentic and unspoilt.

The climate in Gers is warm; the winters are mild, snowfall being extremely rare, and the temperature rarely falls below freezing. Summers can be very hot but the mountains bring cooler, fresher air from the south.

Gascony is famed for its douceur de vivre  (“sweetness of life”).  It’s a home to Armagnac brandy and foie gras; the beauty of its landscape, with abundant sunflower fields and vineyards and the occasional distant views of the Pyrenees mountain range contribute to the growing popularity of Gascony as a tourist destination.   World-class sights and attractions such as Carcassonne, Bordeaux, and national parks of Pyrénées are within one-day trip from Montesquiou; others sights can be planned  “on the way” , including Provence, Barcelona, Paris, Normandy, Loire Valley, and many others. For detailed  information about the sights, see the tab “Places to go”.

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