Toulouse Albi and Cordes-sur-Ciel Day Trip

Sainte-Cécile Cathedral in Albi

Sainte-Cécile Cathedral dominates the skyline of Albi like a red-brick fortress. Built between 1282 and 1480, after the crusade against the Cathars, it was designed to impress and to defend, with walls as plain as a castle and a bell tower rising 78 metres. It is the largest brick cathedral in the world and the masterpiece of southern Gothic, a style of single wide naves and massive brick walls.

The contrast inside is breathtaking: every surface of the vault is painted in deep blue and gold by Italian artists of the early 16th century, and the west wall carries a vast Last Judgment painted around 1480. The carved stone choir screen is one of the finest in France. Albi Cathedral opening hours are daily from morning to early evening; the nave is free to enter, while the choir has a small entrance fee paid on site.

The Berbie Palace and its gardens

Next to the cathedral stands the Berbie Palace, the fortified residence of the bishops of Albi from the 13th century. With its thick brick walls and keep, it was as much a castle as a palace, built to show the power of the Church in a region that had just emerged from religious war. Today it houses the city's fine arts museum, whose entrance is paid on site and not included in this excursion.

The formal French gardens laid out on the old ramparts are open to all and are the best viewpoint in Albi, looking down on the Tarn, the Old Bridge and the red roofs of the opposite bank. Together, the cathedral, the palace and the old quarters form the episcopal city listed by UNESCO in 2010. Allow at least twenty minutes to walk the garden terraces and take photos.

The Old Bridge and the old town of Albi

The Old Bridge over the Tarn was built around 1035 and is one of the oldest bridges in France still in use. Its brick arches were once lined with houses and a toll gate, and from the riverbank below it you get the classic view of the cathedral and the Berbie Palace rising above the water. Is Albi worth visiting? This single view usually answers the question.

The old town between the bridge and the cathedral is a pleasant tangle of half-timbered and brick houses, the Romanesque cloister of the Saint-Salvi collegiate church and lanes lined with cafés and shops. Your lunch break is here, so you can choose a restaurant on the Place Sainte-Cécile or a quieter street. For anyone wondering how to get to Albi from Toulouse without a car, this coach is the simplest answer.

Cordes-sur-Ciel, the village above the clouds

Cordes-sur-Ciel was founded in 1222 by the Count of Toulouse as a fortified new town on a steep hill above the Cérou valley, about 25 kilometres north of Albi. Its name means Cordes in the sky: on autumn and spring mornings the mist fills the valley and the village seems to float above the clouds. A Cordes-sur-Ciel day trip from Toulouse is popular because the village has kept its medieval street plan almost intact.

The steep cobbled Grande Rue climbs through fortified gates to the covered market hall at the top, whose old well is said to plunge over a hundred metres into the rock. The village is a lively centre for artists and craftspeople, with workshops, galleries and small shops along the lanes. Wear good shoes: the climb is short but steep.

The Gothic houses and the Cérou valley views

Cordes-sur-Ciel is famous for its Gothic merchant houses of the 13th and 14th centuries, built by rich traders in leather and cloth. Their facades of pale sandstone are decorated with pointed windows and carved figures; look out for the Maison du Grand Fauconnier, with its sculpted falcons, and the Maison du Grand Veneur, carved with a hunting scene of hounds and hares.

From the terraces near the market hall and the edge of the ramparts, the views stretch across the green Cérou valley and the surrounding hills. The best time to visit Cordes-sur-Ciel is spring or early autumn, when the light is clear and the lanes are quieter than in July and August. After your free time the coach takes you back to Toulouse, ending the day where it began.