Albi and its history

Parking is available in the cathedral car park on Boulevard Général Sibille (387 free spaces, 115 paid spaces, 9 free motorhome spaces).

(S/E) From the car park, walk up towards the cathedral, which is clearly visible. Walk along the right-hand side of the building via Place Sainte-Cécile, then turn left to reach the Tourist Office at the corner of Rue de la Temporalité. Continue straight ahead along Place de l'Archevêché until you reach the end of the building.

Turn right, crossing the pedestrian crossing to reach Rue d'Engueysse. Walk down this street to the end and turn left into Rue de la Grande Côte. Cross Quai Choiseul via the pedestrian crossing to reach the Tarn river.

(1) Turn right for 10 metres and then left to cross the Tarn via the Pont Vieux (beautiful views on both sides). At the end of the bridge, turn right onto Rue Porta. Pass two streets on your left, then turn right onto Rue de la Visitation, which joins Boulevard de Strasbourg.

Turn right and cross the Tarn again via the Pont du 22 Août 1944 (Pont Neuf on some maps). At the end of the bridge, pass the Esplanade des Partisans on your right and take the next street on the right (Rue Émile Grand). Continue along this street until you reach the Marché Couvert (covered market, now occupied by a supermarket).

(2) Look for the entrance to the underground car park on the right-hand side of the building and turn right up the stairs leading to Place Henri de Gorsse. The Hôtel de Gorsse is located at No. 30. Continue along Impasse du Boutge (not marked on the map) until you reach Rue de la Souque.

Turn left and head to Place Saint-Julien opposite a second entrance to the Marché Couvert. Walk along the market on your right via Rue Saint-Julien and head to the third entrance on your left.
Cross Rue des Foissants and continue opposite into Rue des Catherinettes (not marked on the map).

At the end, turn right onto Rue Sainte-Claire, then left onto Rue Mariès.

(3) At the fork in front of the Tarn Prefecture, turn right onto Rue Timbal and look for the Hôtel Reynès at no. 14. Turn around and turn left onto Rue des Pénitents until you reach the junction with Rue de l'Hôtel de Ville.

Turn left along the building and continue along the street until you reach Place du Vigan. Turn right onto Rue du Docteur Laurent Camboulives, keeping the square and then the Jardin National on your left. Almost at the end of the garden, turn right onto Rue de la Porte Neuve and follow it straight ahead until you reach Place du Palais.

Cross the square in the same direction, keeping the courthouse on your left. Continue straight ahead along Rue Roquelaure. Pass the next two streets on your left and take the third (Rue de l'Oulmet) until you reach Rue Sainte-Cécile.

Turn right into this street for 10 metres and then turn right onto the stairs of the Passage de la Prévôté, which lead to the Cloître Saint-Salvy (open every day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.).

(4) Turn right under the arcades and, at the end, turn left up the few steps. Do not go down the stairs opposite that lead back to the street. After passing through a covered passageway, you will come out onto Place du Cloître Saint-Salvy. Cross the square and continue to Rue Mariès.

Turn left to arrive in front of the Collégiale Saint-Salvy.

(5). At the end of the street, turn left onto Rue Sainte-Cécile. Stay on this street, which becomes Rue de Verdusse. Turn right onto Rue Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. The street curves to the right and at No. 14 on the left you can see the house where the painter was born. Just after that, at No. 12, is the house of the navigator Lapérouse.

Continue to the end of the street and turn left onto Rue du Puech Bérenguier. The street continues as Rue des Prêtres, which curves to the right. At No. 1, you will find the Résidence le Castelnau with two beautiful courtyards.

Cross the cul-de-sac and Rue de la Croix Blanche, then turn left onto Rue Caminade. At the end, turn right to reach the rear of the cathedral on Place de la Trébaille.

Leave Rue du Castelviel on your left and Rue de la Maîtrise on your right to walk along a pond that leads to a viewpoint over the Tarn. Turn around and take Rue de la Maîtrise on your left, which runs alongside the cathedral.
Pass Place Monseigneur Mignot, then complete your tour of the building by heading back down Rue de la Temporalité.

(6) Enter the courtyard of the Plais de la Berbie on the left, which houses the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum. Go down a few steps and follow the signs on the left leading to the garden. You will arrive at an esplanade where you can see the French garden from above. You can go down a few more steps and stroll along the promenade, but not in the garden, which is closed to the public.

Return to the palace entrance and take a short detour to the left into the Cour d'Honneur. Leave the palace and return to the cathedral esplanade (Tourist Office on your left).

Continue straight ahead, go around the cathedral and turn right to find the forecourt.

(7) Enter Sainte-Cécile Cathedral and admire the interior. You can visit the choir (unique in the world) with an audio guide for €5.

Exit the cathedral and turn right to head back down towards the car park (S/E).

This route is a compilation of the routes offered by the Tourist Office, with additional descriptions!

The banks of the Tarn have been a hub of commercial activity since the 11th century: the Port Vielh, the Pont-vieux and the Place de la Pile bear witness to this boom. Until the end of the 18th century, the Tarn was the scene of flourishing river trade: Gaillac wine, Canavière hemp, woad, saffron, Grésigne glass and Montans pottery were transported here on barges.

(2) The Covered Market: a colourful part of the city, it is also a reminder of Albi's commercial past.

The Hôtel de Gorsse: this vast residence is located in the Combes district on the banks of the Tarn. Between courtyard and garden, it is surrounded by Rue de la Buade and Rue de la Souque and opens onto Place Henri-de-Gorsse through a large gate.

The Hôtel Reynès is one of the finest examples of Renaissance architecture in Albi. It was built on the initiative of the Reynès family, the fourth wealthiest family in Albi, who made their fortune from the pastel trade. This building reflects the characteristics of mansions from the same period: half-timbering was abandoned in favour of brick and stone. All the decoration is concentrated on the main façade opening onto the street and in the medieval inner courtyard.

Albi Town Hall: In 1728, the town acquired this building to serve as the seat of the consuls and the Albi State Council. The Louis XIII-style entrance gate is surmounted by the town's coat of arms, illustrating the motto: "stat baculus vigilatque, leo turresque tuetur", meaning "the cross stands tall, the lion watches over and protects the towers". This motto can also be found in the great hall known as the Etats Albigeois, decorated in 1742 with a painting representing the 42 coats of arms of the towns in the diocese. A large fresco (painted by Joséphine Baudouin between 1934 and 1937) traces the history and life of the city, from the Crusades to the mines of Carmaux.

(4) The Cloître Saint-Salvi, rebuilt in 1270 by Vidal Malvezi, was damaged during the French Revolution. Wings of the gallery were sold as national property. Only the southern wing remains.

(5) The Saint-Salvi Collegiate Church is dedicated to the man who occupied the city's first episcopal seat between 474 and 584. It has undergone numerous transformations, resulting in a composite architecture combining Romanesque and Gothic styles, stone and brick. It is one of the largest Romanesque churches in the Albi region.

(6) The Palais de la Berbie, a former episcopal palace, was built in the 13th century before the Palais des Papes in Avignon. It is one of the oldest castles in France and one of the best preserved. An exceptional setting for the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum, one of the major attractions of the Episcopal City, the palace is also highly appreciated for its French gardens and its remarkable views of the Tarn River and the neighbouring cathedral.

Sainte-Cécile Cathedral: built from 1282 onwards, it is the largest brick cathedral in the world, measuring 113 metres long and 35 metres wide. It surprises visitors, who often compare it to a real "fortified castle".