Fifth day of pouring rain in the Landes. We get a message from a couple of friends in Aveyron “It snows like it hasn’t been for 30 years! Fresh snow is everywhere. It looks AMAZING. Come here!” -with some pics to prove their point -of course. That’s how we’ve ended up running to the nearest sports shop to buy some ski gear to our little ones (before the curfew), packing up our stuff in a couple of hours then leaving the next day for a spontaneous road trip… in a snow wonderland !

The Aveyron is a region of France known to be “lost in the middle of nowhere” (or, for the Frenchies, le trou du cul de la France), in the Massif Central -and that’s why we love this part of the country. We’ve had the surprise to see it sprinkled with snow a decade ago, but this year was different. It was SO much. And it was sunny. It was… sensational. Follow me!

The Aveyron under the snow : polar pictures

We spent a fantastic summer trip in Aveyron last year -parties lost in the middle of the countryside, incredible food, stunning sunrises on the Aubrac plateau, gorgeous hikes in the forest, and so on. We had no idea we would be back so soon. You can imagine the feeling, hitting the road after a year paced with lockdowns and bad news -pure hysteria in the car.

We were based in the lovely town of Laguiole -a good spot to explore the surroundings : the Aubrac, obviously, but also the ski stations and some lovely little villages of Aveyron.

During the whole season this year, the ski lifts are closed because of the obvious context we all know and I will refrain from talking about. Which means if you want to ride, you need to climb. Which means -once the school holidays were over- the ski station was EMPTY. Gorgeous hikes up to the top of Le Bouyssou station -not to steep, because let’s face it, this is the Aveyron. And stunning sunset from the summit, to be followed by a beautiful tree run in a virgin snow.

Of course, with all this beauty and this snow, we thought about Japow -we miss it terribly. But while waiting to be able to fly there -it was INCREDIBLE !

Smart tips for a winter trip in Aveyron

Your car needs to be equipped -snow tires are the best, if you want to be able to explore.
You are not allowed to leave before tasting a good old aligot - saucisse : a delicious puree filled with cheese. Yes that’s very French. But awww!
The pastries at Auriat Boulangerie are TO DIE FOR. Just saying.
The snow this year was exceptional. It doesn’t happen every year. So if you’re lucky, go for it.