Alannah Eames squeezes seeing the Airbus city of Toulouse, outdoor activity in the Spanish Pyrenees and exploring Andorra into just four days.

When people think of impressive European mountains, it’s almost always the Alps which spring to mind as images of cows with bells around their necks, apfelstrüdel (apple dessert) and Heidi flash before their eyes.

However, further south, forming the border between France and Spain, lies a mountain range which most of us know from our geog­raphy classes or when flying from central Europe to the Iberian peninsula: the Pyrenees.

They may not be as famous as the Alps, but the Pyrenees have their fair share of high-riser including Mount Aneto, the highest peak at 3,404 metres, and Possets Peak and Mount Maladeta, which are both over 3,000 metres.

The difference is that nobody talks as much about them as Mont Blanc or the Matterhorn.

And that’s the real beauty of the Pyrenees – they have retained their feeling of wilderness, remoteness and being locked away. Whereas the Alps can get busy, especially during the winter ski season and the summer vacation months, the Pyrenees are pretty quiet in comparison.

So where should you start if you want to tour the Pyrenees?

Well, we started off in the French city of Toulouse, home of Airbus and French tapas (but you could also start off in Barcelona).

I have to admit that before visiting Toulouse, my expectations were of a city that was French, yes, but with a strong Spanish vibe.

I pictured grand squares framed with palm trees and fountains and quirky tapas bars. In reality, Toulouse is quite different.

Its nickname is La Ville Rose (the pink city) due to its pinkish terracotta bricks, which you won’t see in other French cities.

Many of its inhabitants are darker skinned and haired and have names like Gimenez or Fernandez, a nod to their Iberian ancestors. You will see tapas bars scattered across the city but expect them to be pricier and quite different than what you’ll find across the border in Spain.

One day in Toulouse is perfect to get an overview of the city, stroll through its old town, sample some local tapas and finish off with a quick visit to the Airbus site.

Don’t have high expectations from the Airbus visitor centre, nor the tours.

Tourists – expecting the visit to be a major highlight – often post reviews on TripAdvisor claiming to be disappointed that the tours are difficult to book, often only in French and limited in what you can see.

We decided to skip the pricey tour and drive around the ‘Airbus city’ perimeters.

En route we had perfect views of the new A350 plane being tested and the Airbus Beluga cargo plane, which as its name suggests looks like the nose of a white beluga whale.

It is rare to spot this aircraft as it is currently only used to transport plane parts between the Airbus hubs in Hamburg in Germany and Toulouse.

We also saw the hangars where newly- painted aircraft for every airline in the world sit parked waiting to be delivered to their new owners. Then, if you’re an Airbus fan, you can pick up some memorabilia at the visitor centre and watch a short video about the company’s history.

From Toulouse, it’s a two- to three-hour drive down to the Pyrenees through the Pyrenees National Park, with its stunning scenery and sleepy stone villages, before crossing the border into Spain.

Expect hairpin bends, steep gradients and an ever-changing landscape that transforms from coniferous forests into a barren, lunar-like landscape within a matter of minutes.

As you get deeper into the Pyrenees, the traffic gets less and less, apart from the occasional tourist or tour bus.

Having checked prices and the quality of accommodation in the French and Spanish Pyrenees, we opted to stay on the Spanish side in the Bal de Chistau, the Chistau Valley, one of the most picturesque areas.

The location is perfect as Plan lies halfway between two of the most stunning national parks in the Pyrenees – the Parque Nacional de Ordesa y Monte Perdido and the Parque Natural Posets-Maladeta – making it a good base to explore both.

As you turn off the main road – which is already deserted – it feels like you head even further into the unknown.

Plan is a small sleepy village where time seems to have stood still. At a first glance it might not look like there is much to do in the area, but in fact you can easily spend two weeks there exploring Catalan culture, historic monuments, hiking and relaxing.

Expect hairpin bends, steep gradients and an ever-changing landscape that transforms from coniferous forests into a barren, lunar-like landscape

If you are lucky you might even spot local wildlife like the recently reintroduced Pyrenees brown bear, wolves, foxes or golden eagles.

As we hiked, instead of hearing aeroplane engines – like you often do in the Alps – we had five eagles circling above our heads.

We stayed at the Casa Rafelata, a small B&B run by Eva, a bubbly Spanish lady who moved from Barcelona several years ago.

Like the other houses in the village, it’s made from stone with rustic wooden floors

but has all mod cons such as free Wi-Fi. Breakfast was a simple but delicious affair with a plentiful supply of strong coffee and home-made breads, jams and cheese. Everything is sourced locally.

It’s all about Catalan hospitality, nothing is too much trouble and she’ll even make a picnic for you if you want to take a packed lunch.

Don’t expect nightlife, action and Michelin-star restaurants in Plan but you are guaranteed plenty of fresh air, peace and quiet and dazzling scenery.

The local ‘pub’ is a great spot to befriend the locals (you’ll meet them all within 24 hours as this is the nucleus of the village) and try local tapas and wines.

From Plan, it’s time to head to Andorra which is around a five-hour drive away, but a scenic journey during which you will cross half the western Pyrenees.

With an area of just 468 square kilometres and a population of some 85,000, Andorra is Europe’s sixth smallest nation. Its capital Andorra la Vella is the highest on the continent, 1,023 metres above sea level.

The country is accessible yet inaccessible at the same time.

It’s easy to enter via France or Spain by car but Andorra has no railways and no airports – the nearest ones are in Barcelona or Toulouse.

There are a handful of heliports if you are wealthy enough to afford a transfer by private chopper.

As we got closer to Andorra, we started to get excited as, after all, this is a country that is still quite mysterious.

Not everyone has been to Andorra nor had I ever met an Andorran.

We were curious about how the people would be; perhaps very Spanish or French; how could a country survive trapped in the middle of a remote mountain range?

As we enter the principality, we were first struck by how clean and organised the country was; secondly that the whole country runs through a long narrow valley, surrounded by rugged mountain peaks on either side.

Andorra is neither French nor Spanish – it has taken the best from both neighbours.

Catalan is the official language but Spanish, Portuguese and French are widely used and most people also speak English.

Andorra was officially formed in 1278AD but for centuries it has been heavily influenced by both Spain and France in its politics, culture and cuisine.

The principality was occupied by France in 1933 and used as a buffer zone between France and Franco’s Spain but remained largely ‘neutral’ during World War II; however, it was an important smuggling route between Vichy France and Spain.

Today, it has its own government and two co-princes.

But this is not a typical monarchic setup – its princes are the Roman Catholic Bishop of Urgell in Spain and the President of France, reflecting Andorra’s close ties with Spain, the Catholic Church and France.

Often considered a tax haven and a tax-free shopping paradise, tourism makes up around 80 per cent of its GDP.

Other revenue earners include the banking sector, sheep raising and a handful of natural resources like hydroelectric power, mineral water, timber, iron ore and lead.

Soon, we were on the road again, headed back for Toulouse.

We’ve seen so much during our four-day tour of the Pyrenees that it felt like we have been travelling for four weeks.

I’ll be back to the Pyrenees but next time plan to head eastwards, finishing up on the Atlantic coast in the Basque city of Bilbao.

How to get there

Air France flies directly from Malta to Toulouse; Air Malta codeshares with Lufthansa and Air France with various options to Toulouse via Frankfurt and Paris; Ryanair flies direct from Malta to Barcelona. To get around the Pyrenees, the best option is to rent a car.

Where to stay:

• Toulouse: Marriott Courtyard Hotel Toulouse Blagnac (www.marriott.com/hotels)

• Spanish Pyrenees: Casa Rafeleta (www.casarafeleta.com)

• Andorra: Abba Xalet Suites Hotel (www.abbaxaletsuiteshotel.com)

More information

• Toulouse Tourism Office: www.toulouse-visit.com

• Spanish Pyrenees: www.spain.info/en

• Andorra: www.visitandorra.com