Albi, the red city classified as World Heritage by UNESCO

Lovers of beautiful stones and heritage, come to Albi, in the heart of the Tarn . The city is famous for its episcopal city in red bricks which dominates the old medieval districts and the Tarn river from the top of its Cathedral.

This site has been classified since 2010 as World Heritage by UNESCO , and therefore harbors treasures of architecture, beauty and history such as the Berbie Palace , the collegiate church and the Saint-Salvi cloister , the Pont Vieux, the banks of the Tarn, and finally, the most identifiable monument of all: The Sainte-Cécile cathedral .

Sainte-Cécile Cathedral, masterpiece of southern Gothic

This imposing lady of red brick was constructed over 540 years ago in the military fortress style, making the cathedral a perfect example of the southern Gothic style. A unique architectural style, also called Toulouse Gothic, or Languedoc Gothic widespread as its name suggests in the South West of France. Southern Gothic is the symbol chosen in the 16th century by the Church to put an end to the conflicts of religion that had been ongoing since the Middle Ages. While the immensity of this cathedral is formidable from the outside, inside the building, the walls and ceiling are painted with much detail and a lot of pastel blue.

Albi and its museums

The Palais de la Berbie, which shares some of its walls with the cathedral, has a charming garden, along the foothills of the city, facing the Tarn. Also, the Palais de la Berbie is home to the Toulouse-Lautrec museum, where you can discover the most important collection in the world of this world famous painter and draftsman of the 19th century.

Further on, a 10-minute walk away, opposite the Palais de la Berbie, crossing the Pont Vieux, the Madeleine district is home to two other museums. The Museum of Lapérouse , a museum dedicated to the history of the exploration of navigators, and the museum of miniatures. Le Musee Académie des Miniatures presents an original collection of display cases produced on a 1/7 scale by the artist Annie Jaurès.

Le Vieil Albi, the old red stone district

The Pont-Vieux is also one of the appreciated monuments of Albi . This infrastructure is the oldest bridge in the Tarn. It was covered with half-timbered houses, now there is a superb view of the episcopal city. It is also an opportunity to find other World Heritage sites such as the Vieil-Albi district, with its medieval buildings and the color of red brick, hence the nickname of Albi, "the red city ”. The collegiate church of Saint-Salvi which is in le Vieil Albi, opposite the Cathedral, has a cloister and an old church which have been marked by history. Indeed, these places are built of stone and then of brick, and of a mixture of different architectural influences. Thus this building is both Romanesque and Gothic, but also endowed with Italian aesthetic influences.

Albi: Occitan city and Cathar country

Stroll through these old districts, enjoy the shops and cafes or lie along the banks on the grass to enjoy your day.

You will easily find regional and local products such as Gaillac wines, Lautrec garlic, Toulouse violet, Monts de Lacaune charcuterie, Aubrac meat, or even the famous cassoulet.

Albi also hosts multiple festivals throughout the year . At the end of February, the Albi carnival invites you to follow the parades of floats accompanied by music performed by different groups. This carnival is of the same level as its music festival in June or the famous Pause Guitare festival in July.

Albi is easily accessible by train, but also by the A68 motorway which connects Toulouse to Rodez.