The construction of the Millau viaduct has put Aveyron's second-largest city on the map in a big way, and certainly must be attracting more English-speaking tourists and residents, as this Millau real estate agency indicates.
The San Jose Mercury has just published a three-part series about the city and its viaduct, and if you're interested in the area, you might want to take a look at the articles.
"A bridge to France's hidden charms" deals with the viaduct and the surrounding tourist sites and villages; "Millau Viaduct" gives a few statistics about the bridge, and "If You Go" gives advice and links for potential tourists.
If you miss out on these articles -- they may be taken off line soon -- take a trip down the A75 freeway, complete with photos not only of the viaduct but also of the freeway rest stops, thanks to the France section of Abelard.
Interestingly, one of the above San Jose Mercury articles finished with a quotation from a Belgian businessman who spends his holidays in the Millau area:
"'We returned because of the beauty of the area,'' he says. ``And because the area isn't overcrowded by noisy people.' Take that, Provence."
One of the original premises of this blog was that Aveyron could become the next Provence. Time will tell, but if it happens, the Millau viaduct will certainly be a factor.
1 comment:
I am not sure if I would like Aveyron becoming the next Provence: I like it because is almost tourist free, and I do not think Aveyronaises are ready for this! ;-)
Sure the Viaduct brought a lot of attention on the region: I didn't yet have the possibility to see it live, but I saw some pictures, and it's huge!
My in laws will be happy about the tourists: they are restoring part of their house to host families on self catering holidays... :-)
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