Foix

Administrative centre of Ariège département in the Midi-Pyrénées region of southern France, situated at the foot of the Pyrenees on the River Ariège; population (1999) 9,100. It was the capital of the former county of Foix, and is a picturesque town with many old buildings, including an unfinished 14th-century church and wooden-fronted houses. It is overlooked by a 12th-15th-century castle (restored in the 19th century) situated on a rock. It is a market town and tourist centre with light industries.