Posted on% s January 11, 2021 - Avec les enfants, Découvrir le patrimoine et savoir-faire, Se mettre au vert, Vivre les temps forts
You know what they say, there’s no harm in doing yourself good. And in the Tarn, we have precisely everything needed for that. With mountains, forests, vineyards, rivers, small villages and contagious smiles… Here, there is every opportunity to enjoy yourself. And there is no shortage of ideas.
The proof is in the Top 14 !
Things to do in the Tarn
1/ Feel very small in front of the largest brick cathedral in the world
In front of Sainte-Cécile Cathedral, you feel small, really small. There’s a reason for this! It is the largest brick cathedral in the world (length 113 m, width 35 m) and from the top of its bell tower (78 m), nine centuries look down on you.
2/ Follow in the footsteps of Dom Robert at Sorèze in the Montagne Noire
Follow in the footsteps of the famous Benedictine monk Dom Robert, a master of Aubusson tapestry, who worked in the venerable En Calcat Abbey in Dourgne in the 20th century. In Sorèze Abbey-School, visit the museum that bears its name and also pays tribute to some of his colleagues.
3/ Defy the void on the footbridge from Mazamet to Hautpoul
Looking for excitement? Go up to Hautpoul, and take the metal footbridge suspended 70 metres above the Arnette Valley. Can you feel how smoothly it sways under your feet? Fancy a trip back in time? Stroll through the medieval streets where the memory of the Cathars still floats.
4/ Go back in time in the little streets of Cordes-sur-Ciel and the hilltop mediaeval towns
1222, see Cordes-sur-Ciel! And with it, the Middle Ages with majesty. Since it originated, the usually merciless centuries have spared the stones of the old town clinging to its rocky outcrop. As you walk up the Rue Droite, you pass an incredible line of Gothic houses, including the very remarkable houses of Grand Fauconnier and Grand Veneur.
5/ Stroll through the Jardin des Martels
Discover the flowers, bushes and trees in the wonderful Martels garden. Smell the delicate perfumes, listen to the gurgling of the pools. So, are we not good? If you come across a plant with yellow flowers, it may be Isatis tinctoria, better known as woad, which can be used to dye fabrics blue and which once ensured the fortune of the region of Cocagne.
6/ Dive underground and discover the fascinating world below at Castela
In the Middle Ages, the people of Saint-Sulpice-la-Pointe took refuge in an underground passage as soon as outlaws scoured the region. An underground passage that they had built themselves. It was 142 m long and included living rooms, grain silos, water points, lamp niches, etc., in short, enough to spend a long time in the shelter.
7/ Visit the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum and enjoy the gardens of the Palais de la Berbie
Toulouse-Lautrec, a local boy, has his own museum in Albi, and what a museum! Housed in the magnificent Palais de la Berbie, the former bishops’ residence built in the 13th century, it contains the world’s largest public collection of the artist’s work: paintings from his youth, scenes from Montmartre, the world of show business and theatre in late 19th-century Paris.
8/ Cool off on the plateau of the Haut-Languedoc lakes
It’s hot. It’s time to go and cool off on the plateau of the Haut-Languedoc lakes. Overlooked by the Lacaune mountains, the Laouzas lake fans out through a forest landscape. Hurry to bathe in its deep blue waters! But you may prefer to go pedal boating, canoeing, windsurfing or sailing. The smaller Vésoles lake is tucked between heather moors and fir trees.
9/ Share an aperitif-concert at a winegrower’s
This evening, you have an appointment with a winemaker. You won’t be alone. He is expecting a lot of people in his vineyard to drink a glass of Gaillac while nibbling on some tasty local specialities. He has also invited musicians. It promises to be festive.
10/ Back to the roots of the Canal du Midi
When, in 1667, Pierre-Paul Riquet laid the first stone of the Saint-Ferréol reservoir intended to supply water to his Canal du Midi, he had no idea that 350 years later his work, in addition to being classified as a World Heritage Site, would be a major centre of water sports activities.
11/ Climb to the Ambialet priory and admire the view of the Tarn meander
In Ambialet, the Tarn has fun, draws an almost complete loop like a snake biting its tail, then leaves proud of its little skit just before the inconceivable junction. The performance is spectacular. It is even more so when viewed from the priory perched above the valley.
12/ Embark aboard the Castres water boat
How about a cruise on the Agout River like in the old days? Simply board the Miredames, a wooden replica of the river stagecoaches that plied the rivers and canals until the late 19th century.
13/ Have an aperitif at Millas on Friday evenings in July and August, and taste its charcuterie and cured meats
At Millas, we like to see happy pigs in the meadows, then enjoy hams, sausages, saucissons, lonza, coppa, black pudding, etc. A time for a pork butcher to show his skills. At Millas, we also like to have an aperitif every Friday evening in July and August. Go there and you won’t be disappointed.
14/ Rediscover your inner child on the rocks of the Sidobre
Take some height and head for the Sidobre. Up in the mountains, children and adults alike will discover small and large granite rocks as if scattered by a giant’s hand, under the cover of a dense forest. The variety of shapes and forms will amaze you, and you will have a lot of fun when visiting on foot or by mountain bike.
