Albi
Red Brick Episcopal City On The Tarn, With The Fortress Like Cathedral Of Sainte CéCile And The Toulouse Lautrec Museum; Episcopal City Of Albi, UNESCO World Heritage Site Inscribed 2010 · Albi, Occitanie
Albi is a mid-sized town on the Tarn, north-east of Toulouse, whose medieval centre is built almost entirely of red and pink brick. Above the river stands the Cathedral of Sainte-Cécile, a vast Gothic church that looks like a fortress from outside, with smooth brick walls and a tall tower, built after the crusade against the Cathars as a statement of the Church's power. Inside, the mood flips: almost every surface is painted, the vaults are blue and gold, a delicate stone screen closes the choir, and a huge fresco of the Last Judgment covers the west wall. Next to it, the Palais de la Berbie, the old bishops' palace, holds the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum, with the largest collection of work by the painter, who was born in Albi. Its formal gardens look down on the river and the Pont Vieux, one of the oldest bridges still in use in France. The episcopal city became a UNESCO site in 2010. Albi is a calm, walkable town and an easy day from Toulouse.
Cité épiscopale, Albi, Tarn, Albi, Occitanie, France
The streets of the episcopal city, the riverbanks and the bridges are open at all hours. The cathedral is open every day, with longer hours in summer and shorter ones in winter, and it may close in the middle of the day outside the high season; the nave is free, but the choir, enclosed by the stone screen, is a paid visit with its own hours, and visits are limited during Mass, weddings and funerals, so confirm before you go. The Toulouse-Lautrec Museum in the Palais de la Berbie is open most days, with a weekly closing day for part of the year, usually a Tuesday out of season, and it closes for a few weeks or on certain holidays; last entry is some time before closing. The Berbie gardens follow the museum's hours or longer. Gabarre boat trips on the Tarn run from spring to autumn and depend on river levels; confirm the season. The covered market is open most mornings except Mondays. Summer brings evening events, and the cathedral may host concerts on the great organ, which need tickets.