MONUMENTAL STAIRCASE

From the bottom of the steps, you'll soon realize that the staircase lives up to its name. Monumental it certainly is. Completed in 1863, its 374 steps are arranged in double flights. It linked the historic town to the new lower town, compensating for the 35 m difference in level and a 30% gradient. In other words, the climb is inevitable! Listed as a historic monument, and renovated in 2008, it's undoubtedly one of Auscitaine's finest architectural achievements, with three successive levels offering stunning views. On the first level, you'll see a succession of roofs and a magnificent statue of the most illustrious Gascon, d'Artagnan, born Charles de Batz de Castelmore. Standing tall, dressed in cloak and dagger, he is the work of Michelet.

Turn right and, on a clear day, the Pyrenees range unfolds behind the line of hills, while on the left you can see the town's ancient core, its narrow streets, the cathedral and the Tour d'Armagnac (small grove). In a niche below the parapet, a fountain, and in front of it, the intriguing Observatory of Time by Catalan artist Jaume Plensa (1992), integrated into the ground. The biblical text, recounting the episode of the Flood, recalls the catastrophic floods that devastated the city in 1977. Take the time to translate it, catch your breath and work your way up to the summit. The view is well worth the climb, and from here you can imagine the town in Roman times on the banks of the River Gers.