ALBI > BLAGNAC

Occitania Region

Departments: Ariège, Aude, Aveyron, Gard, Haute-Garonne, Gers, Hérault, Lot, Lozère, Hautes-Pyrénées, Pyrénées-Orientales, Tarn, Tarn-et-Garonne.
Population: 5.9 million
Prefecture: Toulouse
Surface area: 72,724 km2
Specialities: foie gras, cassoulet, aligot, tielle from Sète, cod brandade, Tarbes beans, garbure, sweet onions, Céret cherries, wines (Pic Saint-Loup, Corbières, Cahors, Costières de Nîmes, blanquette de Limoux, Minervois, Tavel, Madiran). Perrier spring water.
Sports clubs: Stade Toulousain, Castres Olympique, Montpellier HR, USAP Perpignan (rugby union), Montpellier HSC, Nîmes Olympique, Toulouse FC (football), Dragons Catalans (rugby league), Montpellier Handball, Fenix Toulouse, USAM Nîmes-Gard (handball)
Competitions: Tour de France, Open Sud de France (tennis), Route d'Occitanie (cycling).
Economy: aeronautics and space (Airbus, Ariane, Toulouse), defence, IT, nuclear, agri-food, agriculture (wine, cereals) tourism, pharmaceutical industry. Universities (Montpellier, Toulouse).
Festivals: férias in Nîmes and Béziers, Rio Loco (Toulouse), Radio France Festival in Montpellier (classical), Comédie du Livre (book fair, Montpellier), Electro Beach (Port Barcarès), Jazz in Marciac, Cinémed (Montpellier), Circa Auch, Noir Novel Festival in Frontignan.
Sights: Cité de Carcassonne, Lourdes basilica, Toulouse (Capitole, Saint-Sernin, pink city), Montpellier (Place de la Comédie, Écusson), beaches, Pont du Gard, Nîmes amphitheatre, Cathar castles, Canal du Midi, cathedrals of Albi, Castres and Rodez. Millau Viaduct, Niaux and Maz d'Azil caves. Valentré Bridge in Cahors. Character villages. Beaches in Aude, Gard and Hérault. Ski resorts in the Pyrenees and Ariège.
Website:www.laregionoccitanie.fr

CASTELNAU-DE-LEVIS

Castelnau-de-Lévis Castle
Built: 13th century.
Style: medieval.
History: from the top of its promontory, its impressive 40-metre tower dominates the Albi region, yet its history remains little-known. Castelnau de Bonafous castle, named after the hill on which it stands, was built in the 13th century by Sicard Alaman. The minister and friend of Raymond VII, Count of Toulouse, dreamt of building a powerful city. Raymond VII, for his part, had a desire for revenge: most of his possessions had been confiscated at the end of the Albigensian Crusade and, above all, he was forbidden to build a stronghold. He gave Sicard Alaman the Puy de Bonafous on condition that he build a stronghold there. The castle was built between 1235 and 1256. Over the centuries, the site passed through the hands of a number of prominent families until the French Revolution, when it was destroyed. In 1818, it was sold to become a quarry. It was finally bought by the commune in 1991. For more than 20 years, volunteers took it in turns to consolidate the remains in collaboration with the architect for French Monuments.
Listed as: historical monument in 1909.

CORDES SUR CIEL

Cordes-sur-Ciel is the first and most visited bastide town in Tarn. It was founded by the Count of Toulouse, Raymond VII, in 1222 at the height of the crusade against the Albigensians. Its foundation provided a focal point for the populations of neighbouring towns. The town's first aim was to meet military requirements, and to this end it was built on the summit of the Puech de Mordagne. Cordes enjoyed a period of great prosperity at the end of the 13th century, with 6,000 inhabitants (as many as in Albi at the time) working in leather, weaving cloth and braiding rope. It was at this time that the town began to adorn itself with the Gothic-style mansions that, 700 years later, still make its reputation and earn it a place among the Most Beautiful Villages in France. No fewer than twenty-six of the town's buildings are listed as Historical Monuments.

Saint-Michel Church
Construction: 13th to 15th centuries.
Style: Gothic.
History: the first construction is thought to have taken place between 1263 and 1281. The building subsequently underwent major alterations. In 1345, it was in danger of falling into ruin. The consuls obtained authorisation from the Albi judge to demolish it and rebuild it slightly larger. The nave dating from the middle of the 14th century was in turn replaced by another in the 15th century. In 1452, the local consul decided to enlarge the church. The contract was signed in 1455 and the first stone laid in 1460. In 1568, the roof was redone after the building was burnt down by Protestants.
Characteristics: the right chevet could date back to the original 13th-century building. It consists of a large vault and two chapels forming the arms of the transept. The openings are divided by a mullion that ends in speckles. There are four chapels to the north and three to the south. On this side, the entrance door takes the place of the fourth chapel. The bell tower and its flying buttress must date from between 1369 and 1374. The square base then becomes an octagon, with an ogival bay on each side. A 15th-century rose adorns the western façade. The original doorway, which was located on this façade, was closed after the square was lowered and opened on the south side.
Listed as: historical monument in 1922.

Maison du Grand Veneur
Construction: 14th century.
Style: Gothic.
History: Cordes' Gothic houses date back to the town's period of prosperity, in the first half of the 14th century. They are concentrated along the Grande Rue. The lower part of the Maison du Grand Veneur was modified in the 17th century (rectangular openings).
Characteristics: the street facade features a sculpted fresco depicting a hunting scene. The ground floor opens onto two inner courtyards and the rear sections via a series of doors and arcades. Inside, the layout of the long single room is repeated from the first to the third floor. These rooms feature French ceilings, niches and openings from the Gothic period, as well as painted wall decor (chequerboard decorated with fleurs de lys; faux appareil; unfinished battle scene).
Listed as: historical monument in 1922.

Charles Portal Museum of Art and History
It is the collective memory of Cordes-sur-Ciel and the surrounding area. More than just a tribute to Charles Portal, the great archivist of Tarn and the man behind its foundation in 1904, the museum is an evocation of the various periods that have contributed to the development of Cordes. From prehistory, including a typical series of pottery from the late Bronze Age, to the Middle Ages and up to the 17th century, via the archaeological excavations (20th century) of the famous Cordes well (113.47 m deep).

VINDRAC-ALAYRAC 

This charming little village was originally a fortified outpost before Cordes-sur-Ciel. In the church, with its 17-m-high bell tower and porch (listed in 1927), you'll find a beautiful 17th-century altarpiece. Right next to the church, the château once belonged to the Tapié de Céleyran family, related to the Toulouse-Lautrec family.

PUYCELSI

Although Puycelsi is not a bastide town, its fortified appearance completes the introduction to the history of bastides. Built in the Middle Ages, the ramparts have seven defensive towers and two gates that still exist today: Porte de l'Irissou (the portcullis) and Porte de la Navistour (the shuttle-shaped tower). The village was built around a former Benedictine monastery, of which all that remains today is the imposing church dedicated to Sainte Corneille. Puycelsi (the mount of heaven), retains traces of its religious past with the chapel of Saint Roch, built in 1703 following a vow against the plague, the chapel of Saint Jacme, which belonged to the Templars of Vaour, and above the entrance doors of some houses, the monogram of Christ IHS, indicating that a small religious congregation was present.

VILLEBRUMIER

Villebrumier Castle
Construction: 1820 to 2001
Style: neoclassical
History and characteristics: Pierre Gerla, a retired MP, had the château built between 1809 and 1815 on a large plot of land on the banks of the Tarn. He reused the foundations of an older building. His heirs added a second storey and two towers, as well as numerous interior and exterior improvements. In 1877, the château was sold to Jean, count of Marigny, who carried out extensive embellishments, in particular by ceramist Gaston Virebent. The Count became close to sculptor Antoine Bourdelle, who stayed at the château many times. From 1996 onwards, the new owners, the Laporte family, restored the château and carried out major extensions. The park has been enriched with a number of rare species.
Current use: the château has become a sought-after venue for events such as concerts, scientific seminars, weddings and family reunions.
Listed as: historical monument in 2002.

HAUTE-GARONNE (31)

Population: 1,400,039
Prefecture: Toulouse
Sub-prefectures: Muret, Saint Gaudens
Surface area: 6,309 km²
Specialities: cassoulet, Toulouse sausage, foie gras, duck breast, Toulouse violets, AOP Fronton wine, AOC Cadours garlic, IGP des Pyrénées lamb, AOC Bigorre black pork, Label Rouge Lauragais veal.
Sports: mountaineering, horse riding, climbing, hiking (new in 2017: Via Garona GR861, GR10, GR46, GR653, GR86), rugby, caving, white water sports on the Garonne (canoeing, kayaking, hydrospeed, rafting), aerial sports (paragliding, gliding, microlighting), winter sports (skiing, snowshoeing, dog sledding), mountain biking (FFC Pyrénées Comminges), sailing.
Major sports clubs: Stade Toulousain, Toulouse Football Club, Fénix Toulouse Handball, Toulouse Métropole Basket, Spacers Volleyball, TOXIII, Union Sportive Colomiers Rugby
Major competitions: Luchon Aneto Trail (the town of Luchon has the Station Trail© label), Trail du Mourtis, Trail Toulouse Métropole, Trail du Cagire
Festivals: 31 Notes d'Eté, Jazz sur son 31, Television Creation Festival in Luchon, Printemps du rire, Rio Loco, Comminges Festival in Saint Bertrand de Comminges, Toulouse les Orgues...
Economy: Aerospace, tourism, 4 ski resorts, winegrowing (Fronton)
Remarkable sites: Aurignacian Museum, Saint Bertrand de Comminges listed as one of the "Most Beautiful Villages in France"; Martres-Tolosane and Revel awarded the "Villes et Métiers d'Art" label; Lac de Saint Ferréol; Unesco-listed Canal du Midi with its greenway; Lake Oô in the central Pyrenees; Cité de l'Espace, the most visited tourist site; La Piste des Géants Saint Sernin Basilica, one of the largest Romanesque basilicas preserved in Europe...
Haute-Garonne, a cycling destination:
50 sites with the Accueil Vélo label.
Route des cols Pyrénéens (Pyrenean mountain pass route) with specific signs (altitude difference, altitude...)
This department is crossed by the Canal des 2 Mers à Vélo, with a greenway running alongside the Canal du Midi.
3 cycle routes, including one along the Garonne, from Carbonne to the Pyrenees, which will soon link up with Spain (Trans Garona).
Websites and social networks:
http://www.haute-garonne.fr/
http://hautegaronnetourisme.com
https://www.facebook.com/TourismeHG/
https://twitter.com/TourismeHG
https://www.instagram.com/tourismehg

CASTELNAU-D'ESTREFONDS

A stopover in Castelnau-d'Estréfonds includes visits to the following historic monuments that are emblematic of this small town:

Castelnau-d'Estréfonds Castle
Construction: 16th to 19th centuries.
History and characteristics: The castle was first documented in 1159. It was once owned by the Counts of Toulouse. Renaissance wings: 16th century, by Nicolas Bachelier; Other parts of the château and outbuildings: 18th century, 19th century, by A. de Lescalles. Extensively altered from 1865 by the Comte de Cambolas. The building is laid out in a U-shape around a central courtyard, enclosed by a gate.
Listed as: Historical Monument since 1992.

MERVILLE

In 1734, the Marquis Henri-Auguste de Chalvet-Rochemonteix acquired the seigneury of Merville. He ambitiously reclaimed land, bought houses, and acquired the entire fortified enclosure to build a new castle, completely transforming the appearance of the village. The fort's church was the only remaining structure, but it accidentally burnt down in 1807. The château was constructed between 1743 and 1759, and later, a boxwood park with a labyrinth was built to complement the building, which is still standing today and listed as an 18th-century historical monument.

Château de Merville
Construction: 1743 to 1759.
History: Henri-Auguste, Marquis de Chalvet Rochemonteix, seneschal of Toulouse, designed the plans for his residence on the site of the old castle with its fortified walls. The château boasts great architectural sobriety and has retained its original furnishings, making it one of the town's most remarkable sights.
Characteristics: The château exemplifies the classical Toulouse style of its era and houses a succession of ceremonial rooms with rich Flemish tapestries, including the Chinese room. The windows offer splendid views over the Garonne valley and the château's grounds. The current owners, Mr and Mrs de Beaumont, have undertaken a major restoration program to showcase this unique ensemble, which is a rare example of 18th-century furniture and ornamentation.
Special features: Château de Merville is renowned for its boxwood garden designed by the Marquis de Chalvet. The park, in addition to showcasing the residence, offers a delightful place for a stroll. The boxwood avenues form a veritable 6-kilometre labyrinth, dotted with roundabouts, green rooms, and a pond, all creating a perspective designed in relation to the château. The garden is a unique innovation in the style of 19th-century English gardens.
Listed as: Historical Monument since 1987. Remarkable garden.