Things to do in Albi, France: UNESCO Centre & Toulouse-Lautrec
For those seeking an alternative to the well-trodden tourist paths of France, One Planet Journey offers up a stunning choice. Sarah Heath, a longtime local, provides the key to discovering a city that exudes an authentic French identity. Revel in the grandeur of its UNESCO-listed centre and the masterpieces of local son Toulouse-Lautrec. This is your guide to the best things to do in Albi, a city of art, history, and a uniquely red-hued charm.
Albi – an alternative destination to visit in France
Winding down into the Tarn Valley into the Albigeois basin, one structure dominates the scene: an architectural behemoth made of bricks. With a bell tower reaching 78m into the skyline, la Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile is the world’s largest brick-built cathedral. For seven years, I drove my children to school in the centre of Albi, the departmental capital of the Tarn in south-west France. This Gothic fortress looming skywards still never fails to impress, its presence obvious from several kilometres away on the approaching ring road. The visual message of power and authority, as designed by the Catholic Church, remains loud and clear.
Albi – a less crowded destination
I have lived in this part of France since 2008, and no doubt it is less famous as a tourist destination than its Paris, Dordogne, or Riviera cousins. For those seeking meaningful and authentic travel experiences, this corner of l’hexagone offers an alternative view of life in France. Yes, the Tarnais(es) joke about the foreign-registered cars arriving at the same time as the summer sun each year. And the food markets swell with tourists keen to try local produce. Still, Albi and its surrounding towns and villages do not suffer from excessive overtourism.
Most restaurant owners don’t feel the need to open on Mondays to keep foreign palates happy during July and August. Many supermarkets and shops still close from 12-2pm for lunch, catching out those who are used to a 24/7 society. Discovering summer events, whether in Albi or nearby, often means keenly checking hand-painted billboards propped up at roundabouts and road junctions. Or checking Facebook groups such as What’s on Tarn, a page dedicated to events and things to do in the Albi area that I set up 8 years ago as an information source for visiting friends.
Albi’s historical and cultural past
I learned the most about Albi’s vibrant history from Christian Rivières, a former Tarn Tourist Board employee, when we worked together on a tourism project in pre-Covid days. Christian knows every cobblestone and brick in this city. While giving me a private street tour a few years ago, he pointed out a house with a handprint on one of the bricks on the front wall. A builder would certainly have made this, his ‘signature’ still in evidence hundreds of years later.
The tactile, and very human nature of this stamp in time, elicits a sense of travelling across centuries and the continuity that brings. It also evokes a strong curiosity about the lives of the people who lived here in those days, and who continue to live here today.
Christian also explained Albi’s role at the centre of the Cathar Crusade in the 13th century that ravaged this part of France. He described how being the birthplace of the post-impressionist artist, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, put Albi on the cultural map in the late 19th century. Christian also enlightened me with a lesser-known fact about how André Jules Michelin, one of the brothers behind the tyre company and restaurant guides, partly designed the covered market. On the list of things to do in Albi, this is a must-do for Sunday morning immersive fresh-produce shopping.
Awarding Albi UNESCO World Heritage Status
Albi received UNESCO World Heritage List status in 2010 (as one of 54 sites across France). But, it is also the place where my children went to school, played tennis, and hung out with friends, and where I default to for ‘big’ shopping, an occasional culture-fix, and for trying new restaurants. I wonder if the privilege of living our lives among these ancient buildings and incredible history blinds us to what tourists’ fresh eyes see? I like to think not too much.
The UNESCO-designated part of the Episcopal City of Albi includes the cathedral, the Berbie Palace, the Saint-Salvi Collegiate Church and cloister, the Pont-vieux and the banks of the River Tarn stretching along this section of the city. This alone leaves you with plenty of things to do in Albi.
HOW THE CATHEDRAL IS AT THE HEART OF ALBI’S UNESCO-LISTED STATUS
People call Albi’s nearby sister-city, Toulouse, La Ville Rose (the Pink City) because of the colour of the bricks there. Albi has the nickname La Ville Rouge after the distinctive clay-coloured bricks used to build the cathedral, the townhouses and the old bridges. Albi is regularly the hottest city on mainland France during the summer months, and thanks to its brickwork and its position in a dip in the Tarnise landscape, locals also jokingly call it ‘the pizza oven’. I note that in this year’s Discovery Guide, the Albi Tourist Board has added “Que faire quand il fait très chaud.” Translation: “What to do when it’s hot.”
The biggest brick-built cathedral in the world
The cathedral really is vast. Unsurprisingly, it took over two centuries to complete (1282-1493). An urban myth describes how a group of mathematicians tried to calculate how many bricks the builders used in the cathedral’s construction. They failed! After the Notre Dame fire in Paris in 2019, the Albi fire service (a friend is one of the chiefs) inspected the inner skeleton of the cathedral roof (off limits to the general public). He described it as utterly spectacular, and a tour de force in architectural engineering.
The interior is no less of a wonder than the exterior. The stunning painted ceiling, exquisite stone carvings, the Renaissance frescoes (all 18,500m2 of them) make up the largest set of Italian paintings produced in France. There is an 18th-century classical pipe organ, which is the biggest in the land of the Gauls. Hearing the powerful sounds in action accompanied by 500+ children singing (including my own) for a concert several years ago was a potent reminder of how the Church used all the senses to engage their congregations. This is not an instrument for amateurs!
During Christmas week, the city puts on an immersive light and sound show, projecting stunning imagery against the external walls of the cathedral. It’s an unusual but effective ‘screen’ for the festive season, enticing locals into the central square for a glass of vin chaud as they watch.
ALBI: THE BIRTHPLACE OF ARTIST HENRI DE TOULOUSE-LAUTREC
Adjoining the cathedral is the equally impressive Palais de la Berbie (built in the 13th and 14th centuries). Once the bishop’s palace, its massive brick walls are now home to the world’s largest collection of works by the Albi-born artist, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. The vaulted ceilings and stonework inside this museum are worthy of their own visit, and display over 1,000 of Toulouse-Lautrec’s masterpieces. There is a fascinating dissonance between the building’s religious past and the somewhat libertine lifestyle of the artist and the subject of much of his work.
The palace gardens are beautiful, and France’s Culture Ministry awarded them with the “Jardin Remarquable” classification. The walkway overlooking the River Tarn offers spectacular views. It’s also a perfect spot for an ice cream.
Toulouse-Lautrec’s life as an artist
Toulouse-Lautrec’s groundbreaking style and ‘poster art’, beloved worldwide, chronicled his colourful life in Paris, where he lived throughout his adulthood. Health issues from birth diverted his privileged, aristocratic start in life towards art at a young age. The genius behind his unique illustrations and paintings often depicts scenes in brothels and Parisian cabaret clubs, perhaps at odds with his background in Albi.
In the line of research, it seemed my duty to try out the cocktail he invented, the Earthquake, a dizzying mixture of absinthe and cognac. The bar at La Pointié, a brasserie in the Place Vigan, agreed to mix one for me. I definitely only needed one, although Toulouse-Lautrec allegedly kept a constant supply inside his hollowed-out walking stick!
In 2014, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of his birth and of being one of France’s most revered artists, some of his famous quotes appeared on walls and shop fronts. One says: “Je boirais du lait le jour où les vaches mangeront du raisin.” (Translation: “I’ll drink milk the day that cows eat grapes.”)
Deep Dive: The Earthquake (Tremblement de Terre)
Ingredients:
- 30ml Absinthe
- 30ml Cognac
- Lemon twist for garnish (optional)
Preparation: Combine absinthe and cognac in a mixing glass with ice. Stir until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled punch glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.
More things to do in the UNESCO-listed centre of Albi
The city centre is a car-free zone, allowing visitors to amble (flâner is a much-loved French word for ‘wandering leisurely’) through the streets. You can walk over the Pont-vieux, built in the year 1040, or duck into the Saint-Salvi cloister and gardens for a quiet moment. Why not take a boat ride along the Tarn River, sometimes with a wine-tasting session as you go! Deeper travel should intentionally include broad cognitive and sensory exposure like floating downriver at the same time as having an oenological adventure is quite a heady mix.
For those keen on maritime history, France’s equivalent to Captain Cook, Jean-François Galaup, comte de Lapérouse, was born in Albi (1741). There is a museum dedicated to his travels around the Pacific, with exhibits taken from the wreck of his ship. It features stories of his travels and eventual disappearance. It’s near the Pont-vieux and the high school named after him. Understanding France’s place in history through the eyes of an explorer such as Lapérouse, gives a meaningful perspective to world travel today.
What to eat in Albi?
If you fancy a bite, I’d recommend Le Clos, a restaurant (once upon a time a boys’ school) with a gorgeous courtyard garden in the Castelviel quarter (the bell tower end of the cathedral). Or head to Les Jardins de L’archeveche, opposite the entrance to the Berbie Palace, and which overlooks the cathedral.
Gastronomically speaking, this is duck and goose country in terms of authentic dishes from the southwest of France. Happily, the vegetarian options are now way more available than they were when I moved here 17 years ago. There is also a vast choice of inexpensive, locally produced wine, usually labelled Gaillac. It is little known outside France, despite coming from one of the oldest wine areas in the country.
Sustainable Tourism
Albi is a UNESCO-listed city that exudes a cultural identity, reinforced by discreet sustainability initiatives. The streets are spotless. The City of Albi immaculately maintains the historical buildings, and there is little air pollution thanks to pedestrian-only zones. Furthermore, there is tangible support from the local government for businesses and community activities. This is in addition to the effective implementation of innovative, community-based, and eco-friendly initiatives by the Albi Tourist Board.
If you need further persuading, Sting sang here this summer at the Pause Guitare festival, an annual music festival which draws big names and sizeable crowds. A smattering of global stars often features among well-known French singers. Elton John, The Scorpios, Deep Purple and James Blunt, to name a few. Albi is not an obvious venue, but maybe that’s its secret?
Have you been to the southwest of France? What other things to do in Albi would you add to Sarah Heath’s travel guide? Let us know in the comments. Subscribe to our newsletter and benefit from travel guides, sustainable tourism and luxury travel tips, insightful interviews, and inspirational places to visit. One Planet Journey – The World’s First Deep Travel Magazine.
