Albi, France
Self Catering Albi Holiday Cottages and Gites
Albi is found in southern France. It is the prefecture of the Tarn department in the Midi-Pyrenees region. When you stay in an Albi Holiday Gite, you’ll discover it’s located on the River Tarn, the Episcopal city was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 2010.
Rent a holiday home in Albi and you’ll discover it’s conserved its rich architectural heritage – all of which encapsulates the various brilliant periods of its history. Considerable improvement and restoration work has been done to embellish the old quarters and to give them a new look, in which brick reigns supreme.
Albi was built around the original cathedral and episcopal group of buildings. This historic area covers 63 hectares – there is plenty to explore when you stay in self-catering accommodation in Albi. Red brick and tiles are the main feature of most of the edifices. Along with Toulouse and Montauban, Albi is one of the main cities built in Languedoc-style red brick.
When you visit Albi, there are some unforgettable sights to witness: The Sainte Cecile cathedral, a masterpiece of the Southern Gothic style, built between the 13th and 15th centuries. Built as a statement of the Christian faith after the upheavals of the Cathar heresy, this gigantic brick structure was embellished over the centuries. The Palais de la Berbie, formerly the Bishops' Palace of Albi, now the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum, is one of the oldest and best-preserved castles in France. This imposing fortress was completed at the end of the 13th century. More than 1000 works, including the 31 famous Toulouse-Lautrec posters, are held here. This body of work forms the largest public collection in the world devoted to Toulouse-Lautrec. The Old Bridge (Pont Vieux) is still in use after almost a millennium. Originally built in stone (in 1035), then clad with brick, it rests on eight arches and is 151m long. In the 14th century, it was fortified and reinforced with a drawbridge, and houses were built on the piers.
Like much of southwestern France, the summers tend to be warmer and the winters milder. Substantial summer rainfall prevents its climate from being classified as Mediterranean.
To get to your Albi Holiday Rental: Albi is served by two train stations on the line from Toulouse to Rodez: Gare d'Albi-Ville and Gare d'Albi-Madeleine. The A68 motorway connects Albi with Toulouse. To reach Albi by France’s northern ferry terminals – allow a full day’s drive. Albi is served by Toulouse-Blagnac, Rodez and Carcassonne airports. Scheduled, charter and low-cost airlines all frequent these airports.