What to do with children in Gers?

Keeping children busy during the holidays can quickly become a headache... But in the Gers, we have found so many family activities that it's the selection that is difficult!

Sports to get active, leisure areas to have fun, museums and monuments to learn, animal parks and natural spaces to live wonderful experiences... We don't even know where to start! Without being exhaustive, here are the first ideas that come to mind for having fun in the Gers, for children and adults alike.

Discover unusual birds at the Raptor Park

We begin our journey right next to the Gers in Madiran, at the Raptor Park. A large 5-hectare area provides the perfect environment for 36 species of birds of prey. On the programme: "from egg to flight", "the owl ballet", "Once upon a time there was falconry...", "the world tour of raptors", shows and original activities, up close to the birds that make this park unique.

Photo: A show at the raptor park - Source: Madiran raptor park

The Armagnac rail bike

In Nogaro, come and have fun cycling, but all together, with the Vélorail de l'Armagnac. Fortunately, aided by a small electric motor, you propel yourself along the rails of an old railway line, using all your legs! Hours of fun in perspective, a 12km course (well shaded, but take a hat!), will please sports enthusiasts and novices alike, it's not very difficult, I promise!

Visit Elusa, the ancient capital

We stop in Eauze, the capital of Armagnac. Within the archaeological site, the interpretation center immerses you in the daily life of a Gallo-Roman. Then, you have the honor of entering a domus… And not just any… This luxurious villa belonged to an aristocrat. A reception venue at the cutting edge of technology of the time !

Treasure hunts and treasure tours with flashlights, stories at the museum, night walks, creative workshops... The museum will capture the attention of children during the self-guided tour or guided tour for parents.

Photo: Elusa, Ancient Capital

Meet the animals at the Galauzoue Farm

Welcome to the Au Galauzoue farm! In Lagraulet-du-Gers, we welcome you into a warm, rural atmosphere. Everything is planned for families, from baby ponies from 2 years old to dressage classes for adults.

This equestrian center also has farmyard animals and many other surprises that children will love.

Have fun at the Gondrin leisure park

In the village of Gondrin, near Condom, the Gondrin Leisure Park is an island of freshness that awaits you. In the heart of a 1,5000 m² park, 4,500 m² of swimming, slides suitable for children and adults, wave pool, buoys, sports areas...

Teleport to the Middle Ages in a Medieval Siege Camp

At the fortified village of Larressingle, you step back in time. Catapults, stone throwers, tinkerers, trebuchets… these war machines will no longer hold any secrets for you. The youngest has been naughty… Come on, to the pillory! Many other period machines are to be tested, techniques to be experimented with, in costume of course. The medieval camp offers you a true initiation to the Art of War.

Photo: Medieval siege camp, source: fact sheet

Embark on a canoe to explore the Baïse

Les Canoës de Beaucaire takes you on the calm and tranquil waters of a small river, La Baïse. In a green setting, you are close to the fauna and flora for a gentle stroll along the water.

Photo: Canoe trip on the Baïse, source: information sheet

Stroll through the Château de Lavardens artistic center

In the heart of the Gers, the Château de Lavardens is an art center : exhibitions, concerts, musical tours, in an exceptional setting. The exhibitions change regularly, consult the program on their website.

Photo: Lavardens Castle

Enjoy a show at the Puppet Mill

Near Lavardens, Le Moulin des Marionnettes is a children's world ! Shows, workshops, treasure hunts and even a space for creating your own puppets... The whole family will find something to enjoy.

Photo: The Puppet Mill, source: information sheet

Become a musketeer at the d'Artagnan Museum

It is in Lupiac, the birthplace of the famous d'Artagnan, that the d'Artagnan Museum has naturally settled. And this space is so rich that you will become an expert on this atypical character. An audio guide transports you between the real life of a musketeer of the Sun King and the fictional version of Alexandre Dumas.

Photo: D'Artagnan Museum

We still have plenty of other ideas galore...

• Fancy a meeting with the wallabies ? It's happening at Kangaroo Valley.

• Also exotic: a palm grove in Gers, in Sarthou…

• A family vacation also means knowing how to take your time. Have you heard of slow tourism ?

• The tourist office offers many other sites for you and your family to visit. It has even created a section just for you: it's here ...

We hope we have given you some good ideas to help you make the most of your stay in the Gers. The order chosen is not linked to the interest of each site but it is a large discovery loop of the different territories of the Gers.

The Gers also vibrates to the rhythm of its languages : Occitan, langue d'oc, Gascon.

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Article written by Stéphanie Tempier for the Gers Guide.