Please wait

Contact

37-39 rue Boissière
75016 Paris
France

Phone : 01 41 40 99 80

GaultMillau © 2025 All rights reserved

3 Days from Montauban to Albi

Occitanie/2022

3 Days from Montauban to Albi

"We should never leave Montauban", declared Fernand Naudin aka Lino Ventura in Les tontons flingueurs. But that's exactly what we encourage you to do on a journey between Tarn et Garonne and Tarn, between the Aveyron and Tarn valleys.

Before leaving Montauban and Lulu la Nantaise - which is, incidentally, the name of a bar in the town center - it's well worth taking in this superb pink-brick city and its magni-fic Place Nationale with its covered arcades, in the hope that the works that disfigure it today will be completed by then. Admire the architectural ensemble of this bastide town, founded in 1144, and its Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption cathedral, which houses a painting by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, the painter with the violin, to whom his hometown pays tribute with a museum. On the doorstep of Place Nationale, the covered market is a traditional meeting place for gourmets. On the other side of the Pont Vieux, you'll find the picturesque Villebourbon district and its lovely Wednesday market. Head east through the lovely Aveyron valley, which you reach at Bioule, then on to some picturesque villages: Bruniquel, Penne, then Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val, a beautiful village on the right bank of the river, on the borders of Rouergue, Quercy and Albigeois, with old tile-roofed houses, narrow, winding streets and the old Romanesque town hall topped by a columned belfry. You can also visit Puycelsi, an ancient stronghold dominating the Vère valley from its rocky plateau, or Castelnau-de-Montmiral and its beautiful covered square, through the Grésigne national forest. Follow the valley to Féneyrols, before heading south to Cordes-sur-Ciel, the department's most visited town. The city, built by Count Raymond VII of Toulouse in 1222 during the crusade against the Albigensians, stands on the Puech de Mordagne and was never besieged, preserving all its medieval treasures to the present day. Nevertheless, you'll need to be in good shape for the climb through the Porte de l'Horloge and the Rue de l'Horloge that leads to its summit. The cobbled alleyways are a delight to explore, with their ancient facades, the Musée des Arts du Sucre et du Chocolat, old Gothic mansions and other museums. Cordes-sur-Ciel, whose definitive name was given to it by a novelist in 1947, was elected Pre-Favourite Village of the French in 2014. From one valley to the next, you'll reach the Tarn and Albi, passing through Carmaux, for example, a town with a long industrial past, as evidenced by its Musée du verre and Musée-mine devoted to coal mining. If this is your first visit to Albi, don't miss the majestic and imposing Sainte-Cécile Cathedral. The Toulouse-Lautrec Museum is at its feet, and a little further down, the two city landmarks face each other. From here, just stroll up the lively streets to Place du Vigan, where you'll come across the collegiate church of Saint-Salvi and its cloister, or the town hall. The town's eateries are proudly emblazoned with Toulouse-Lautrec's famous phrase: "Je boirai du lait quand les vaches brouteront du raisin" ("I'll drink milk when the cows are grazing on grapes!").
Open
Antoine
11
/ 20
Gourmet Restaurant
Antoine
Address 82000 MONTAUBAN
Cooking French
Budget 42 € to 60 €
Épicerie Léonard
Selected Fine grocery
Épicerie Léonard
Address 82000 MONTAUBAN
Services On-site tasting
Open
Au Fil de l'Eau
12.5
/ 20
Gourmet Restaurant
Au Fil de l'Eau
Address 82000 MONTAUBAN
Chef Jean-François Pech
Cooking French | Traditional
Budget 20 € to 24 €
Open
Abbaye des Capucins
Prestige Hotel
Abbaye des Capucins
Address 82000 MONTAUBAN
Services Meeting rooms, On-site catering, Pets allowed, Restaurant selected by G&M, Room service, Spa
Budget 113 €
Ferme du Guel
Selected Bakery
Ferme du Guel
Address 82110 SAINTE-JULIETTE
Musée des Arts du Sucre et du Chocolat
Selected Chocolate factory
Musée des Arts du Sucre et du Chocolat
Address 81170 CORDES-SUR-CIEL
Les Délices du Terroir
Selected Fine grocery
Les Délices du Terroir
Address 81170 CORDES-SUR-CIEL
Open
Le Festin de Babette
11
/ 20
Gourmet Restaurant
Le Festin de Babette
Address 82140 SAINT-ANTONIN-NOBLE-VAL
Cooking French | Traditional
Budget 30 € to 42 €
Open
Lou Sicret
Selected
Lou Sicret
Address 81000 ALBI
Chef Laurent Fonvieille
Cooking Provençale | Traditional
Philippe Benetot
Selected Pastry
Philippe Benetot
Address 81000 ALBI
Activity Chocolate factory
Fromagerie Cathare
Selected Cheese dairy
Fromagerie Cathare
Address 81000 ALBI
Services Services for business events , Services for private events
Open
L'Épicurien
12.5
/ 20
Gourmet Restaurant
L'Épicurien
Address 81000 ALBI
Chef Rikard Hult
Cooking French
Budget 18.5 € to 55 €
Open
Hôtel La Réserve
Exceptional Hotel
Hôtel La Réserve
Address 81000 ALBI
Services Charm, Disabled access, Golf, Meeting rooms, On-site catering, Pets allowed
Budget 178 €
Become Partners