Travel 2016 – Tip 15 – France – Albi

Albi is the principal town of the Tarn departement and should not be missed. It’s about 47 miles from Toulouse and the train takes about an hour to get there (when they’re running!).

The unmistakeable sight of Albi is the vast, brick St Cecile cathedral financed by the Inquisition. This is the largest brick building in the world (other than Battersea Power Station). Inside, the murals depict what will happen to any non-believers who go to hell – a message clearly aimed at anyone who was thinking of taking an interest in Catharism, which had been gradually eradicated in the previous one hundred years.

The other main reason to come to Albi is the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum housed in the Palace de la Berbie next door to the cathedral. This is the largest collection of the painter’s work in existence and is worth seeing, even if you don’t appreciate his work.

The old town should be explored slowly and make sure to keep looking at the buildings as there are a lot of original houses made from brick and wood on most streets. Cross the old bridge to access the other side of the Tarn, where the visitor can find the Musee Laperouse, part of some beautifully restored old mills, which are also made from brick.