What's It All About, Albi? by Daphne Beames
Featured Hotel in France
Hotel La Tartane Saint Amour
See all hotels in France >
Like a Fragonard perfume, the essence of France can be condensed into four words: ‘glamour’ and ‘joie de vivre’ - and nowhere is this more clearly illustrated than in the late afternoon sunshine, where a pink, brick Cathedral towers over the deep green waters of the gorgeous Tarn. Style, flair and flourish are all captured in this one exuberant image.
Through the centuries bewitching Albi, in the Midi-Pyrénées, has caught the imagination of chroniclers and travellers. The amazing Cathédrale de Ste-Cécile, begun in 1282 (after the bloody Albigensian Crusade) has served both as a fortress and a church; and the ancient, brick and stone arches of Le Pont-Vieux: one of the oldest of all French bridges - pre-date the Battle of Hastings!
Driving eastwards from Toulouse, the fourth largest city in France, we took the A61 motorway towards medieval Castelnaudary, Revel and the real-life, fairy-tale castle of Garravaques. This hotel-de-charme, hiding in rural hedgerows, could have slipped straight from the pages of the Pre-Revolutionary past. Sixteen generations of the same family have owned the elegant, dusky pink chateau - its outhouses now transformed into an ultra-modern Hotel and Spa of exceptional comfort.
Madame, the owner, was pleased to take us on a tour of her wonderful home, introducing us to her elegant, octogenarian Mother seated amidst rich tapestries and rare antiques - a moment to savour. The delightful Orangerie in the park had been festively decorated in pink and white for a wedding the following day and dinner was served in the ‘cave’: a former cellar transformed by a Cinderella make-over. (The direct route from Toulouse to Albi is the A68 north-east.)
From remote Garravaques a country road winds north towards Albi - through the plush, velvety-green countryside and peaceful, rolling farmland of the Valley of the Tarn. In the distance, the quaint, russet-roofed houses of the town - faded by the sun and clinging to the banks of the river or clustering together in the narrow streets - appear as intrinsic outcroppings of the rosy-red clay. Albi is the epitome of French charm.
The huge citadel and cathedral with its 78m tiered belfry (the largest brick building in the world) dominates the captivating scene and casts a protective shadow over the Place du Vigan. Described as ‘Flamboyant Gothic’ - the austere exterior belies an ornate, florid interior covered with gilded, religious art.
Once through the portals, the enormous, enclosed nave - with no side aisles and a magnificent, blue, vaulted ceiling - creates a vast spatial dimension. A decorated rood-screen surrounds the choir; the classical French organ is one the three finest in France; and an apocryphal mural, ‘The Last Judgment’, covers the west wall. (The Cathedral was completed in 1492 – the year that Columbus discovered America.)
Stop for a picturesque photo opportunity as you admire the eight, ancient arches of the old Pont-Vieux - casting a blush-pink reflection onto the rippling waters of the Tarn; and then take a lunch break in the heart of the city at the Hostellerie Saint-Antoine or in one of the delightful restaurants near the Rue Cécile. (Albi is home to such epicurean delights as Roquefort cheese, foie gras, Cassoulet, truffles, prune liqueur and prized, golden Armagnac.)
Spend the afternoon viewing the impressionistic masterpieces on display at the Musée Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in the Palais de la Berbie – a former 13th-century Arch-bishop’s palace set in beautiful, terraced gardens overlooking the Tarn.
The Comte de Toulouse-Lautrec was born at the Hotel du Bosc in Albi in 1864 and when he died, at the early age of 36, his Mother donated many of his works to the city. Today the museum houses the most complete permanent collection of his art: more than 1000 paintings, posters, lithographs and drawings – among them an outstanding series entitled ‘At the Circus’.
Albi should be savoured - so plan to spend at least one night in the area. Less than 8kms away on a country road - the D600 winding towards the hill-top village of Cordes - is a glamorous find. Nestling in age-old forests and surrounded by the famous Gaillac vineyards, ‘La Reserve’ is a true European hide-a-way: a refined residence within a large park where lush shrubs frame a beautiful pool and cultivated lawns roll down to meet the green banks of the river.
The hotel proudly claims to have played host to HRH the Queen Mother who chose this tranquil haven as her ‘home-from-home’ on visits to the Cathar country. What a recommendation!
On the doorstep is ‘Cordes-sur Ciel’’: one of the most beautiful villages in France. The name is thought to have early Indo-European roots and means ‘rocky place above the clouds’ – painting a descriptively accurate picture of this medieval, fortified hamlet on a ridge over the River Cerou.
Dating back to 1222 the small town boasts some excellent examples of 13th-century Gothic architecture and a fascinating Museum of the Art of Sugar and Chocolate! Visit the Maison du Grand Fauconnier (with carved falcons on the façade) and the Maison du Grand Veneur (the Great Huntsman’s House). With unbelievably steep, cobbled streets; well-preserved ramparts; great gastronomy; a pretty riverside setting and picturesque, stone houses – it is easy to see why Cordes was so popular with Presidents Pompidou, de Gaulle and Mitterrand.
Drive north-east from Albi to Millau where a newly opened Viaduct – the highest bridge in the world – carries the A75 over the valley of the fast flowing River Tarn. A wild river rushing down the steep slopes of the Cévennes, deep canyons, feathery pines, eroded rocks and breathtaking views: the dramatic chasm of the Gorges du Tarn ranks with the best scenery in Europe. (Tarn is a Latin name meaning ‘rapid’.)
The road snakes through Le Rozier and Les Vignes to the Point Sublime - 800m above the river – and on to La Malène, a 14th-century, fortified village. The magnificent Gorges cut a ravine 500m deep and over 1000m wide through limestone plateaux or causses: the Causse Méjean (arid grassland) and the Causse Sauveterre (woodland with scattered hamlets). Home to the griffon vulture and the green-winged orchid, this sensational, tourist route attracts motorists and hikers – it is also ideal for boat trips.
Ever in search of more spectacular sights, we swung southwards on our return trip to Toulouse - towards the walled city of Carcassonne: the greatest fortress remaining in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, like some formidable giant’s castle, enormous stone ramparts darken the horizon - and history hangs in the air! Strategically located on the old road from Iberia to Europe and on the routes from the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, La Cité was first colonised by the Romans in the 2nd-century BC.
Under the shadow of the Black Mountain and only a stone’s throw from the battlements, the hotel ‘Domaine d’Auriac’ affords a gracious welcome. Tucked away in a park of ancient Atlas cedars and magnolias, ivy-clad, built on the cellars of a Carolingian Abbey and sporting a 9-hole private golf course - it’s a toss up as to whether you get out the long-range lens and succumb to indolence and luxury or explore the citadel. We did both and even paid a second visit – after dark and under a full moon - to the fortified, and still inhabited, medieval city on the steep banks above the River Aude.
By day, the narrow, stone streets are a maze of souvenir shops, street stalls and tourists. Enter through the towering, old city entrance leading to the Rue Cros Mayrevieille and step back in time. Be sure to visit the Romanesque Basilique St. Nazaire with its famous stained glass windows and ‘siege stone’ from the Charlemagne crusade of 1209, as well as the Château Comtal (a 12th-century fortress within a fortress).
Floodlit by night the city is eerie: alive with shadowy ghosts from a cruel past and with the flickering candles of the sidewalk restaurants. Sup at Le Donjon on the Rue Porte d’Aude and enjoy the regional specialities: foie gras and Cassoulet. Then walk down the deserted liches (old pathways between inner and outer ramparts) where time seems somehow to kaleidoscope and where you could almost be alone in a lost world!
The ancient Cathar countryside (from katharos – meaning ‘pure’) is the land of beguiling Albi and sombre Carcassonne - a mysterious land of chasms and cathedrals - offering the traveller a rich canvas and a warm welcome.