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Region 

Tarn, Tarn et Garonne, Aveyron departments, Midi-Pyrenees region, South West France.

The area is one of outstanding natural beauty and has an interesting history. The Middle Ages were a time of great conflict between the Cathars and the Catholics. This period gave rise to the many fortified towns and villages in the region.

Cordes-sur-Ciel, founded in 1222, is famous for its highly perched fortified site and Gothic sculpted facades. On the 13th & 14th July a medieval fair is held every year with its torchlight processions, knights on horseback and people in costumes of the time.
Since the 1940’s many artists and craftsmen have settled in and around the town providing a variety of handicraft shops and museums.
The town has garages, banks, small supermarkets, bakers, butchers, a post office and of course, cafes and restaurants. Every Saturday morning there is a market with lots of colourful characters and produce.

Albi  is a fine old town on banks Tarn, with many elegant shops and restaurants in quaint medieval streets. The outstanding cathedral Basilica Sainte Cecile, the Bishop’s Palace and Toulouse Lautrec museum, with their rose coloured bricks, dominate the skyline.
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was a talented artist, remembered for his lively and colourful portrayals of the people he met in Montmartre, Paris. Displayed in the museum are his famous posters, sketches, lithographs and memorabilia from his life.

Gaillac is at the heart of one of the oldest wine producing regions in France, with a heritage dating back over 1,000 years. The annual Wine Festival is held on the 2nd weekend in August, and the annual Primeur event starts on the 3rd Thursday in November.
It has all the facilities you would expect in a large town and a very lively market every  Friday morning. It is an ideal location for those seeking a truly French holiday.

Other fortified towns in the area include Penne, Bruniquel, Puycelci and Castelnau-de-Montmiral.
At Vaour, in the Gresigne forest, are the ruins of the Knights Templar headquarters.
St Antonin Noble Val, with its narrow streets, has a very popular Sunday market. Canoe trips through the Aveyron Gorges can be taken from here.
The pretty village of Laguepie is set at the confluence of the rivers Aveyron and Viaur. Here, during the summer months it is possible to swim in the river Viaur.
Najac, one of the most beautiful villages in France, is set upon a rocky peak overlooking the river Aveyron. The bastide town of Villefranche de Rouergue is well worth a visit on market day -Thursday. Other pretty villages in the Aveyron department worth a visit are Villeneuve, Belcastel  and Sauveterre-de-Rouergue and Conques.
A little further afield is Millau, now famous for the new viaduct which stands 270metres above the river Tarn. Roquefort, famous for the cheese caves, is worth a visit on the way home.
Toulouse, capital of the region, is a colourful and vibrant city with street cafes, restaurants, markets, beautiful old buildings, shops, museums and theatres.