Guide Albi & Tarn Gay

An ideal holiday base, from which you can explore both South West France and the Midi, it has advantage of a climate which allies the cool, green freshness of Atlantic scenery with the warm, sun-soaked atmosphere of the nearby Mediterranean...

Sometimes called ‘Albi the Red' - ‘Albi la rouge' because of the colour of its bricks, the town of Albi has nothing to fear from comparisons with Tuscany.

On the road that leads from the Mediterranean and Carcassonne stands the town of Castres.

There you can stroll along the banks of the Agoût river; famed for its multicoloured houses, its Spanish atmosphere and its memories of great men of the past, such as Goya, Velazquez, Pacheco and Jean Jaures

There are dramatic sights awaiting you in the Haut Languedoc Regional Natural Park. Or you could head for the fortress of the Cathars, Hautpoul, the fortified town of Mazamet, famous for its woollen production, or else Labastide-Rouairoux, the centre of the textile industry.