Bugarach village earmarked to survive Armageddon

Nestled in the rolling foothills of the French Pyrenees, market day in the tiny farming community of Bugarach has never been busier.

But shoppers aren`t there to sample the fresh meat, wine and dairy for which the town is locally famed, they are there to pick up their own piece of end-of-the-world memorabilia.

It is because Bugarach - population 176 - has been earmarked by doomsday cults as the only place in the world which is going to survive Armageddon, scheduled for December 21 this year by an ancient Mayan prophecy, Daily Mail reports.

Modern interpretations of the forecast, heavily stoked by internet rumour, predict that aliens will emerge from their `spaceship garage` hidden deep within the town`s imposing Pic de Bugarach mountain and pluck anyone in the vicinity to safety.

Now, Armageddon tourists and UFO spotters hoping for salvation are swarming to the two-street hamlet to collect a slice of Last Day history.

And it is an opportunity the village`s shrewd inhabitants are eager not to pass up.

Souvenirs include `authentic Bugarach stones` from Pic de Bugarach`s rock-face itself, on sale for €1.50 (£1.20) a gram, and `natural pyramids of pyrite iron` from underground.

Meanwhile, a bottle of water from the local spring, which can apparently cure a range of ailments, costs an eye-watering €15 (£12).

One landowner is even offering up his four-bedroom home with close up views of the mysterious peak for £1,200 a night. But for those on a budget, he can offer camping space in his field (tent not included) for 400 euros a night.

But Bugarach`s mayor, Jean Pierre Delord, is worried about the numbers of New Agers arriving in the town. Police and troops have been drafted in to deal with the sudden influx and stop believers from scaling the mountain.