The Gers is full of beautiful small towns where it's possible to get a truly authetic flavour of the south-west of France without having to fight your way through crowds of tourists. Some beautiful bastide (fortified) towns not far from Pécoyne are:

- Fources, which has a beautiful circular town square surrounded by curved archways

- Barran, which has an incredible twisted spire, one of only seven in Europe.

- Bassoues

- Aignan

- Mirande

Amongst other notable places to visit are the Abbey de Flaran near Condom (a lovely town in itself) which has beautiful gardens and often holds art exhibitions, as does the spectacular Chateau de Lavardens 15 minutes from Auch. Auch is the capital of the Gers and is noted for its magnificent cathedral whose choir stalls are one of the finest examples of renaissance wood carving in Europe, in addition to its famous stained-glass windows by Arnaud de Moles. The cathedral holds classical music concerts in the summer.

If you prefer a natural setting there are many interesting gardens to visit in the Gers, such as a garden of carnivorous plants, exotic gardens, and numerous stately gardens surrounding beautiful chateaux.

Further afield

The Gers is surrounded by many attractions to tempt you beyond its borders. Well within 2 hours drive are the cities of Toulouse and Pau. Toulouse is one of France's most culturally rich cities, and its strong student presence gives it a lively cosmopolitan atmosphere. Its attractions are too numerous to list but include many great architectural landmarks, fascinating museums and, of course, wonderful cafés and restaurants. To the south-west is Pau, which, nestling in the foothills of the Pyrénées, is an elegant and regal city with a rich historical heritage. Lourdes, the famous centre of pilgrimage is also about 2 hours drive from Pécoyne.

Cities aside, in about 2 hours drive you can be either in the Pyrénées mountains or on one of the beaches of the Atlantic coast with their dramatic dunes. The vast forests of the Landes border the Gers on its north-west, and the Mediterranean coast is about 3 hours drive to the east.