Mazamet is a typical French town with good amenities for both visitors and its residents alike. Within a short stroll from the gates of La Villa de Mazamet, you can enjoy a cold drink at a pavement café, watch the locals play petanque in the park, or sample the fresh produce at the market.
There is nothing quite like a French market for fresh regional produce and Mazamet has three markets each week, the largest of which are on Tuesday and Saturday mornings between 7am and Noon. The Sunday market, for essentials, starts at 9am.
The Mazamet market is located in the city center, with stalls both on the main road and on the Town Hall square. Fresh produce – duck, chicken and cheese are the stars! – cooked food such as the Aveyron’s aligot, and an aperitif at Café du Centre. What’s more, in the summer months, a producers’ market also takes place on Monday evenings where you can buy food and drinks produced in the area and sit amongst the locals on shared tables.
La Villa offers guests a best of both worlds location; a quiet residential area, yet just a 5 mins walk to the town centre of Mazamet where you will find a good variety of shops & boutiques, cafes & restaurants, our office of tourism and parks.
Guests staying at La Villa de Mazamet enjoy exclusive discounts in a number of Mazamet’s shops, cafés & restaurants with our free loyalty card. When you arrive, you will receive your card & a map of the Town centre that contains details of the businesses taking part and the exclusive discount they are offering to our guests.
In addition to enjoying dinners at La Villa, we can recommend local bistros and restaurants for both lunch and dinner. Many of these are within walking distance in the town center, while the others are a little further afield to enjoy during your day trips. Let us make a reservation for you.
The medieval village of Hautpoul clings to the side of the mountains just 10 mins from Mazamet by car (or an hours walk). Dating back to the 12th century, and still an inhabited village today, Hautpoul was the center of Catharism in the middle ages and played an important part in the sieges that took place in the area around 1209. Today, you can explore the village on foot or take one of the summer guided walks by torchlight organized by our office of tourism.
For thrill-seekers, “La Passerelle” is a must-do! Stretching 140 metres and 70 metres above the Arnette valley below, la Passerelle is a suspended walking bridge linking Mazamet to Hautpoul. This unique attraction in Occitanie offers stunning vistas on Mazamet and the valley.
Ready to challenge yourself even further? The via ferrata of Mazamet is for you! Located beneath the passerelle, the via ferrata, or protected climbing course, is 880 meters long and will take about 2h30 to complete. Please note that these courses are freely accessible, but neither monitored nor guided. They are therefore intended for a well-informed audience. We advise that beginners get in touch with a qualified guide to schedule a first initiation.
In addition to the aerial paths along the rock, the via ferrata is composed of four zip lines, one of which being 198m long! It is also possible to do only this big zip line without doing the whole course. Note that a first “beginner” part is also accessible and allows you to test your ability to do the whole course. Maps and safety instructions are available on site, and be viewed on this leaflet.
Full safety gear must be worn at all times and can be rented for half a day at the tourist office (prior reservation essential through the tourist office website, pick-up at the tourist office in the town center). Tariff: 18€ per person.
Photo credit: Philippe Kling
Mazamet and its neighboring towns host a plethora of events all year long. While some events are ongoing, such as the Chipsim chips factory guided tour, some are annual events, usually taking place in the summer. How would an international fanfare festival sound like? Or a cycling competition in the Montagne Noire? The tourist office puts together a very handy event agenda (French only) every month. Make sure to check it out to prepare your stay at la Villa de Mazamet.
From fantastic road cycling (used on a number of occasions by the Tour de France) to the more sedate “Voie Verte” (a 65km cycle path using a former railway line) – Mazamet is a cyclist’s dream! La Villa is located just 200 meters from the start of the cycle path and we can arrange bike hire for one day or the duration of your stay.
If you are planning a cycle trip to SW France, either on your own as with a group, take a look at our special cycling leaflet.
Sitting in a valley, Mazamet’s natural setting helps provide an abundance of opportunities for both leisure walkers and serious hikers. From the gates of Mazamet, you can set off on a number of self-guided walks into the Montagne Noire or use the “Lac des Montagnès” as a base from which to commence one of a number of walks from 5 to 50 km (maps and further information can be found on the office of tourism’s website).
For those who just want to explore the town on foot, two self-guided 30 min walks explain the history and architecture of Mazamet from its wealthy days as the world’s leading center for processing wool. Ask us for the maps.
Mazamet’s “La Barouge” golf club is just 5 km from La Villa and offers a fairly challenging 18 holes with excellent maintained greens & fairways. The backdrop of the Montagne Noire is just stunning, and the river flowing through the course is something you may not have seen before. We can arrange tee-times for you with exclusive discounted rates for our guests.
The Lac des Montagnès is set high above Mazamet at 750 meters altitude and its beautiful setting which provides a number of activities (like mini golf and tennis), places to eat and drink, swimming as well as picnic and BBQ areas. A 45 min circular walk is on the level and the lake is a starting point for a number of walks in the Montagne Noire.
Why not pick up some supplies from one of our markets and take a picnic with you? (We offer towels and cool bags for your use) and in the summer a twice-daily free shuttle bus will take you 200 meters from La Villa to the shores of the lake.
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